It doesn’t take long to hear the passion in Jenae Sikkink’s voice as she talks about her role as senior vice president of talent development at the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Sikkink joined the Partnership in September in a position that she says is a “bucket list” position for her career. 

A lifelong Pella resident and Central College alum, Sikkink worked for Central College as director of external engagement before joining the Partnership. Prior to that she worked as public liaison in the administration of then-Gov. Terry Branstad, and then moved into deputy communications director and became a scheduler and communications person under Gov. Kim Reynolds. She worked as a Republican campaign consultant during the 2014 and 2016 election cycles before moving back to Pella and beginning work with Central College, where she first worked as the college’s social media director before becoming director of external engagement. 

But it’s her current position that Sikkink describes as her dream job, and she tears up talking about the opportunity it presents to help others and to do something greater.

How did your prior work experiences prepare you for your current role?

I think my time in state government really showed me the impact an organization can have on an individual. One of my favorite things was traveling the state and meeting people, advancing town halls, seeing what Main Street Iowa looked like and the ways in which our work was affecting theirs and their quality of life. My political campaign experience made me savvy from a political perspective and communicator perspective. And when I moved to Central, I’m always the first person to raise my hand, happy to help and be a team player, and I’m always willing to work across departments and different people to come up with different solutions. Academia can be very hierarchical and you work vertically in academia, and I was the person who would work across campus. I liked it that way because I liked the different atmosphere and working with other departments. I just love to learn new things.

What about this position appealed to you?

In 2018 when I worked at Central we were starting to create the Work Smart Connector out of Pella, which is the apprenticeship work-based learning hub for the community, and we came to  meet with [former senior vice president of talent development Mary Bontrager]. On the way home Mark Putnam, the president of Central, asked how I thought the meeting went. And I said, “I think I can really do Mary’s job. That is really interesting to me.” So I always kept that in the back of my mind. In 2018-19 I went through Leadership Iowa and had to complete a profile, and on that it asked what my dream job would be, and I said I want to work for a chamber of commerce, so I’ve always had this tucked in the back of mind, a bucket-list opportunity. Before my husband and I were married on July 2 last year I told him I felt called to do something greater and to help people. He was like, “Just wait, I really think it’s going to happen after our wedding.” So we got married and went on a honeymoon to Florida, and two days after we got back from our honeymoon I got a call that this job was available. What has attracted me to this organization is I always loved that it swung above its weight class. To me that was something I could support because that’s always how I felt about myself, as I like to swing above my weight class and just see what my potential is. 

How much of a challenge has it been starting your new role in the midst of an ongoing labor shortage coming out of a pandemic?

I love the challenge of finding those solutions. I’m a problem-solver. And I want to help. One of the things to think about in terms of the workplace of the future is what are you doing for workplace culture? How do people feel connected? How do they feel like they belong? Do they have the amenities they need to be successful? Leaders are having those thoughtful conversations in the region, and I think it’s needed. There’s a lot going on in talent, but I absolutely love it.

What isn’t being done right now that you think companies should be doing more of when it comes to talent development?

The more companies can focus on onboarding and getting their individuals connected into the community, the more likely they’re going to retain that talent. So we are launching our national talent campaign. That campaign is very thoughtful in looking at the talent pipeline. From a talent perspective, we’re extending that window all the way to what I’m calling community integration. You almost need your talent to be here through year three. Get them involved in the community, get them connected to a nonprofit board, going to events, experiencing different things with their family … their friends, their neighborhood, because that will retain the talent here. That’s really my focus. Once you raise your hand, how do we get you all the way to being a resident and integrated into the community?

Does the Des Moines region have a hidden secret that people need to know about?

The secret to our region is you get out of it what you put into it. If you’re willing to go to things, try new experiences, to volunteer, that will be so rewarding for you. But also our business leaders really network. They are eager to engage. They want to grab coffee with folks. They want to mentor young professionals. That may not always be the case in larger markets and cities. But we just have some really great visionary leaders.

Describe your management style.

I’m a servant leader. I will never give someone on my team a task I won’t do myself. No job is too small. No job is too big. We’re all in this together. I want to remove barriers. It really comes down to how can I help you be successful? How can I help you reach your greatest potential?

What is the region’s greatest challenge?

I think our greatest challenge is our greatest opportunity, and that’s talent attraction and retention. We need people to move here. We have to help our current workforce create their greatest potential. We have to invest in that space and be really thoughtful in order to meet employer needs.

What have you learned about yourself since you started this role?

I have learned that I am a person that likes to move quickly. I like to be busy. I like to be fast-paced. I like to have a full schedule. But on the flip side I’m also a person that needs time to think and I just need time to get away to really think about issues, create strategy, future plan. Because I need time outside. I need vitamin D. I need fresh air. I need exercise in order to really think deeply, so it’s creating that opportunity for myself. It really comes down to pace. Pace crosses them both. The pace and the speed of everyday business, but then also the pace in which I’m doing my thinking.

Tell us something about yourself people may not know.

I know how to make Dutch letters. My first month here, my mom and my grandma came and I put on my Dutch costume and we made Dutch letters, so that was fun. I’m also a rural girl at heart. Growing up, it was a treat to go to Cabela’s. I own my own camo boots. Get me out there, walking in the timber, looking at the deer. I grew up huntin’ with my dad, and that’s huntin’ without a ‘g.’ I’m just very outdoorsy. I was a tomboy growing up.

At a Glance

Age: 32

Hometown: Pella

Family: Married, husband Drew

Education: Central College in Pella with a degree in communications and a minor in political science.

Activities: Going to Central College football games, running, walking, gardening, cooking and home decorating. 

Contact:
Email: jsikkink@DSMPartnership.com