The Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute has announced its graduating class of 26 participants from the Community Connect Program. According to a news release, the program helps connect purpose to service in the community by building relationships with experienced community leaders and engaging in a curriculum that encourages individual purpose, values and motivations. The six-session program offered virtual classroom and small group learning. “The 26 Community Connect graduates are ready to make a difference in Central Iowa,” Amy Jennings, Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute executive director, said in a news release. “They will be engaged leaders as a result of better understanding themselves, embracing their potential, and leveraging what they learned from the program.” This year’s Community Connect Program graduates are: Missy Berg, Jack Courter, Taylor Crawley, Katharine Crosson, Loulou Dickey, Cara Donels, Austin Goodnight, Emily Grant, Catherine Hillestad, Denise Hurt, McKenzie Kielman, Madeline Knoff, Josefina Lopez Valdivia, Andrea McEachran, Shannon McGee, Ryan Moon, Rebecca Murphy, Shalome Musignac Jordan, Cayla Nord, Katie Sembach, Jillian Sievel, Mak Suceska, Yaneth Torres, Jack Turner, Rachel Vogel Quinn, and Peter von Qualen.