The Principal Financial Group Inc. announced that Tom Graf, senior vice president of investor relations, will retire at the end of May after more than 38 years with the company. He will be replaced by John Egan, who will assume the role effective April 12. Egan comes to Principal with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, and most recently was vice president of investor relations at Assurant Asset Management. Read more.

A partnership of The Civic Center of Greater Des Moines and Des Moines Public Schools is one of 14 teams nationwide selected for induction in May into The Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program. The program provides resources and expands professional development in the arts for teachers. Later this spring the team will travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in a four-day institute that provides models and planning strategies for establishing and expanding professional development programs in the arts for teachers. For more information about the program, go to www.kennedy-center.org/education/partners.

West Des Moines-based Aviva USA, part of Aviva plc, announced the appointment of John Currier, Jr. as chief actuary and the promotion of Rhonda Elming to senior vice president of product management, both effective immediately. Currier joined the company in 2005 and will focus primarily on building and strengthening actuarial capabilities throughout the U.S. business. Elming joined the company in 2002, and her new responsibilities span all of Aviva USA’s product lines.

The Iowa Chapter of the American Marketing Association is accepting entries for its 2010 NOVA Awards Competition. Marketers throughout Iowa, both members and nonmembers of AMA, are invited to see if their 2009 campaigns can win this year’s beauty pageant-themed awards competition. Entries will be judged by a panel of marketing professionals from the Minneapolis AMA chapter. Entries are due by 5 p.m. April 2. For more information or to download an entry form, go to www.amaiowa.com/nova2010.