The majority of top high school graduates in Greater Des Moines are young women, but a recent study by a women’s breakfast club has shown that there is little correlation between the numbers of high-achieving women in the academic world to the number of women at the executive level.

The Nexus Executive Women’s Alliance, a Des Moines breakfast club, has released the results of its 2004 Nexus Index after 18 months of statistical research, which shows a comparatively low number of women in high-earning positions of leadership. Many in the community are now left scratching their heads, trying to determine what they can do to ensure bright futures for up-and-coming female professionals.

“The Nexus breakfast group is full of great women leaders in Iowa, and they on an individual level are trying to tap talent in Iowa to the fullest,” said Sheila Riggs, vice president of applied research and consulting for Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa.

Nexus researched a set of education, peak earning potential and leadership indicators, each considered a snapshot of the progress made by Iowa girls and women from high school through the top positions in commerce, education and public service.

“Everyone intuitively knew what was going on in each indicator, but they just hadn’t seen it as a whole story,” Riggs said. “That’s what garnered excitement about the role we could play long term and lead some action to better prepare the next generation of peak earners.”

The education indicators showed a high level of achievement among young women at the high school and college level, as well as female enrollment at professional schools.

Of the 247 high school honor graduates in Polk County in 2004, 164, or 66 percent, were female. At 14 of Polk County’s 17 high schools, more than half of the honored graduates were female.

Female graduates at Iowa’s three public universities received 61 percent of the top honors awarded in 2004 – 69 percent at the University of Northern Iowa, 58 percent at Iowa State University and 56 percent at the University of Iowa. At the University of Iowa College of Law and Carver College of Medicine, a steady increase is pushing female enrollment close to 50 percent.

“For [those statistics] to have absolutely no correlation to the top positions of leadership and earning potential, it makes you wonder if we’re giving our young girls the educational training they need to succeed,” said Leann Jacobson, Nexus spokeswoman and president of Capitol Gains Inc.

In considering peak earning potential, Nexus examined publicly available statistics from Central Iowa law firms, which showed that 19 percent of partners/shareholders at the region’s largest firms were women. Of the area’s top eight firms, the number of women partners ranged from 7 percent at Belin, Lamson, MCormick Zumbach, Flynn P.C. to 25 percent at Hopkins & Huebner P.C.

Among other peak earning indicators, information showed that 12 percent of the highest paid employees at Iowa Regents institutions were female in 2003, up from 6 percent in 2002. In the casualty insurance industry, five percent of the most highly compensated executives in those companies were women, from 2000 to 2003.

Several leadership indicators show more equality between the genders on boards and commissions when gender equality is mandated. Forty-eight percent of the members on Iowa state boards and commissions are women. State legislation requires all state boards and commissions be balanced by gender, political affiliation and geography.

“Women do make up half of Iowa’s boards and commissions and do a great job at it and are very integral in how our Iowa resources and tax dollars are used across all of state government by their service on boards and commissions,” Riggs said.

Gender equality within corporate boards is not mandated, however, and some disparity can be seen. Among the top 10 publicly traded companies in Iowa, women represent 17 percent of board members. Winnebago Industries Inc. of Forest City and Heartland Express Inc. of Coralville do not have any women on their boards. At Des Moines-based Principal Financial Group Inc., 36 percent of board members are women, the highest among the 10 corporations.

“The women’s movement was 20 to 30 years ago, and many of us have been climbing corporate ladders, but there aren’t many women able to break the glass ceiling,” Jacobson said. “There seem to undoubtedly be additional cultural barriers in play keeping women from reaching these top positions.”

Other studies have shown that Iowa’s results, for the most part, mirror national trends. On average, women hold 13.6 percent of board seats for Fortune 500 companies, up from 9.6 percent in 1995, according to a 2003 study by Catalyst.

Riggs noted an initiative within the Norwegian government that would require the country’s top 600 companies to reach a quota on their corporate boards. Companies that fail to fill at least 40 percent of their board positions with women by 2005 would face financial penalties.

“People worldwide are awakening to the lost potential when you don’t tap into the community as it’s defined,” she said.

In the political world, Iowa has not elected a woman to the U.S. Congress or the governor’s office. The state legislature saw a slow but steady increase in women’s representation until 2000, and Iowa has since reached a plateau, Jacobson said.

“At this point, what’s it going to take?” she asked. “We need not just to reach parity, we need critical mass.”     Call to action

Nexus women and leaders from several organizations do not exude discouragement, but rather excitement over the opportunity to incite change. Several groups have recently been involved in discussions on how to create visible change, which, some say, is possible with a framework in Iowa that can make it happen.

“I think we’re terrific learners,” said Martha Willits, president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “When we see something, we take action on it, and research is always helpful to that. Nexus offering to bring that information forward will enhance several areas.”

Mary Riche, a marriage and family therapist in private practice, said the Nexus Index has helped her commit further to her role as president of the Chrysalis Foundation, a public foundation that grants funding to organizations that work with girls and women in Central Iowa. She applauded the work Nexus has done to bring attention to an issue her organization constantly faces.

“This study then becomes important information as we are granting our monies,” Riche said.

Chrysalis’ recent strategic planning process identified several goals, such as developing economic strength and well-being through career training, financial literacy and educational enrichment through nontraditional careers. The second goal has been to create mentoring and leadership opportunities, which Nexus members say could be key strategies.

“This Nexus Index feeds into both of those because we know where we need to put our money and we know we want to be at the table and serve as a change agent and be a part of an initiative,” Riche said.

Jacobson and Riggs say Nexus is committed to reviewing these statistics annually and working with community organizations to determine how each group can contribute to the discussion and the solution.

“That was our number one goal – to raise public awareness and discussion and to have people ask these questions so that we can, in the short term, look at if we are giving our girls the skills and education and training they need to be successful,” Jacobson said. “Do they need other skills that you might get through mentoring? Are there things we can change in the environment to help them fully participate? And in the long term, what sort of cultural changes do we need to ensure that women can fully participate, and then we can actually change this data from year to year.”