Iowa native and former Reliant Energy CEO Mark Jacobs recently founded a nonprofit called Reaching Higher Iowa, which aims to raise awareness of the need for improvement in the state’s public education system. 

Jacobs formed a board of directors of key business leaders, such as Dan Houston of Principal Financial Group Inc. and Ben McLean of Ruan Transportation Management Systems Inc.

After the Business Record’s Power Breakfast Wednesday on the topic of how the business community can help restore Iowa’s leadership position on education, we pulled Jacobs aside to talk about the goals of Reaching Higher Iowa and the reasons he felt compelled to start the nonprofit.

His main goal? Model what he’s seen in other states with successful education systems and find a way to engage the business community to be a part of the solutions.