.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Michelle Lange and her husband moved back to Iowa from Chicago in January 2005 to be closer to their families.

Born and raised in Muscatine, Lange is attracted to the close-knit, family-oriented atmosphere in Greater Des Moines, which she says offers more opportunity to observe the impact of her efforts to better the community.

“It’s a small enough where you can really see the results of your contribution to the community,” Lange said of metro area, where she works as a traffic controller in Meredith Corp.’s new media advertising operations division.

“We really like the lifestyle here,” she said. “There’s a lot of opportunity here to make a difference, and I really feel that it is essential for this generation to give back.”

A defining moment in Lange’s development came in November 2008, when she spearheaded a fund-raiser for Planned Parenthood Young Leaders of the Heartland (PPYL), a group she helped found in 2007.

Intended to cultivate the next crop of leaders and volunteers, the fund-raiser attracted many more participants than expected, validating Lange’s desire to see more young professionals get involved.

“That was definitely a turning point for me,” she said.

“With Michelle as its founder,” wrote Planned Parenthood of the Heartland board chair Fran Fleck, “PPYL has emerged as a vibrant group of young professionals raising awareness, discussing issues and doing volunteer and fundraising projects in the community.”

In 2009, Lange implemented and managed $42 million of online advertising campaigns for Meredith. Prior to that, she spent three years as a special events coordinator for the company, planning client visits, meetings and events.

“I really enjoy meeting people,” Lange said, noting that she thrives on building relationships, a quality she said was likely bestowed by her mother.

“Michelle always steps up to the plate to take charge and it’s one of her most endearing qualities,” wrote Jill June, president of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland.

Lange received a full academic scholarship to attend the University of Iowa and graduated with honors in 1999.

She’s involved with Bravo Greater Des Moines, Rebuilding Together and the United Way of Central Iowa.