![]() ![]() “The Partnership’s Board plays a key role in driving success in our region,” Houston said. ![]() Wendy Wintersteen, Iowa State University.David Stark, UnityPoint Health – Des Moines.Gene Meyer, Greater Des Moines Partnership.Kathryn Kunert, MidAmerican Energy Company. ![]() Kristi Knous, Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines.Rob Denson, Des Moines Area Community College.Jay Byers, Greater Des Moines Partnership.Fred Buie, Keystone Electrical Manufacturing Co.Elisabeth Buck, United Way of Central Iowa.Dan Houston, Principal, 2018 Partnership Board Chair (#1 Most Influential Business Leader).The following Partnership Board Members have been named to the “Most Influential Business Leaders” list or the “Business Leaders You Should Know” list. 4, 2019) – The Greater Des Moines Partnership’s 2018 Board of Directors was named the #1 Most Influential Board by the Des Moines Business Record’s “Book of Lists.” The list is voted on by Business Record readers, and was announced at the “Book of Lists” unveiling party last night. After all, Radia says, “At the end of the day, we’ve all been immigrants at some point.GREATER DES MOINES, IA (Jan. “Clearly, this is an issue that is polarizing, but I firmly believe that we need to treat people humanely,” he says. Radia recognizes that current immigration policy is confusing, and as a result, many immigrants don’t fully understand their immigration status, leading to many living in fear of deportation. “Immigrants contribute a lot to this economy,” he says, adding that, “as a country, we have a worker shortage.” The economic argument is also compelling, Radia noted. “That troubles me.” Radia adds that the swelling number of undocumented immigrants underscores the urgency of immigration reform. “We shouldn’t be selective in saying ‘hey, we should only allow people with a certain education,’” he says. “We need to deal with immigration in a systemic fashion,” he says, noting that, in addition to streamlining the immigration process, policy should embrace a humane approach to inclusion. Radia’s immigrant experience also informs his views on immigration policy. Over the span of his career, he has served on over 20 community boards and has been chair of almost two-dozen community and service-based organizations, including United Way of Central Iowa, the Rotary Club, and the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “I’m never going to forget my roots,” he says.Īnd yet Radia is fervently devoted to his adopted country. Though Radia’s career has elevated him to a position of significant influence, he can still remember his youthful self, arriving as a newcomer to the United States. Thus, Radia literally became a man without a country. Just a year after Radia had arrived in Ames, Iowa, Ugandan president Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of Uganda’s Asian minority, forcing Radia’s family to leave. Radia was born and raised in Uganda and then made his own journey as a young man, when he moved to the United States to attend college at Iowa State University. Four generations ago, his ancestors emmigrated from India to Africa. In many ways, Radia’s own immigrant roots have helped shape him into the business leader he is today. Radia literally became a man without a country. They are also highly enterprising and have grown Bankers Trust into Iowa’s largest bank. Nineteen percent of his workforce is non-white, and his team speaks roughly 30 different languages. Suku Radia, CEO of Bankers Trust,has made diversity and inclusion integral to the ethos of the company he leads. ![]()
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