Jonathan Brendemuehl considers Des Moines the “Goldilocks of cities.” 

Growing up, the Spring Valley, Ill., native thought his hometown was too small but that Chicago would likely be too big for him. 

He said he found the right sized city in Des Moines, when he moved here in 2004 to attend Drake University. 

“Des Moines has such a generous spirit, and there’s just so much opportunity here because of the incredible leadership we’ve had and the way in which they embrace folks like me who want to be here,” Brendemuehl said.  

Brendemuehl graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 2008 at the start of the recession but secured a job at Drake as assistant director of alumni and parent relations while working toward his master’s degree.

“That was kind of my first great taste of a culture of philanthropy and learning from some of the best fundraisers in town. [I] got some great mentorship, had a lot of great opportunities to meet people who shared their passion for the university. It was a really excellent first job,” he said.

From there, Brendemuehl worked for Bankers Trust as a marketing events coordinator and then as a corporate communications manager and officer. 

He then spent nine years at Des Moines Performing Arts as communications manager and director of communications before becoming the director of foundation for Broadlawns Medical Center in January.  

The Business Record recently met with Brendemuehl to discuss his transition to the Broadlawns Medical Center Foundation, his passion for philanthropy and his first month in his new role. 

The Q&A has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.  

What led you from director of communications at Des Moines Performing Arts to this position at Broadlawns? 

Proctor Lureman, who is our CEO here, has been a great mentor of mine for probably going on 18 years. He and I have a monthly lunch, and at one of those lunches we were talking about things at Broadlawns and how things were going, and we got talking about the foundation and this role, and it just kind of went from there. 

A little bit of background on this connection, in 2014 to about 2016, there was a group here at Broadlawns called the Advocacy Circle, and I served as part of that group. One of our goals was raising awareness and funds for the behavioral health area here at Broadlawns. That was my first exposure to the incredible work that Broadlawns is doing and what a true gem it is for this community. So between that experience and then talking to Proctor about the opportunity is how I found my way over here. 

What first inspired you to get involved in philanthropy?

I think the opportunity to have your career make a difference, and truly being able to see that impact in your community is such a gift, and it’s so rewarding. That’s always been a component of what I’ve done in my career. I’ve just been inspired by so many leaders throughout this community who have shown me how you can leave an impact and how you can do that through your career, and that’s been so rewarding for me. 

Who were some of those early leaders who had an impact on you?   

Diane Caldbeck at Drake really took me under her wing and taught me a lot about the culture of philanthropy and how to connect folks with their passions. Fundraising can be intimidating, but if you are confident and you listen and you figure out what really excites people, you can start making really big changes through that.

What are you most looking forward to about leading the foundation here at Broadlawns? 

There is so much passion from the providers and the staff at this hospital, and they are doing such incredible work and making sure that there’s high-quality care for everyone. Any community can be judged by how it takes care of its most vulnerable populations, and as the safety net hospital, Broadlawns is truly making a difference in the lives of so many folks across Polk County. To be able to be a part of that and to be able to amplify the stories of the amazing caregivers here and the amazing doctors and professional staff here is a really rewarding opportunity.

How can community members and businesses help support the foundation?

There are an incredible amount of ways that you can. Obviously financial donations are welcome and needed, but people can volunteer their time. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed seeing is community members knit baby blankets for our birthing center. If you have the time or a talent, we can find a way to help amplify that and make sure that it’s helping our most vulnerable populations.

What’s this first month as director been like?

It’s a lot of learning. Obviously moving from the arts to health care is quite a switch. The folks here at the hospital have been wildly kind. It’s been such a warm and welcoming environment, and there’s so much passion in these folks. Getting to hear their stories and what moves them through their day has been great. It’s been a lot of listening, a lot of learning and a lot of asking those questions. There are a lot of acronyms in health care, so sometimes you just have to ask people to tell you what something means. But it’s been great.

What are some other strategies you’ve found to be successful when working in philanthropy?

It’s about storytelling. We understand the world through narratives, so being able to share the stories of the people who are being helped by Broadlawns is really the key. I think introducing Broadlawns to folks who maybe aren’t aware or don’t know enough about the hospital and what the medical center is doing across Polk County. Our residency program trains doctors, and many of them end up going out to rural communities that are underserved and need skilled medical professionals. The reach of this place and how for over 100 years it’s made just such a vital, essential contribution to our community can’t be overstated. 

What’s one thing you wish people knew more about the foundation at Broadlawns? 

Broadlawns really is for everybody. It is so important that we have a community hospital that is flourishing, and this place really is doing well and doing really important work. One of the things that I think is really interesting and that I’ve learned in my first month here is that our Memory Center is a real leader in that area and in its approach to caring for patients with dementia. And one of the things I heard one of the providers say here is that thinking about where the conversations are at with dementia and memory is really where we were at with mental health about 20 years ago, when people weren’t always comfortable talking about it. But early detection is such an important component that if we can really change the way we’re talking about memory care, we’re going to see so much more growth and be able to really improve the quality of life for so many more folks. It’s having those conversations, and Broadlawns is in such a great place to be leading those conversations.

---

At a Glance

Hometown: Spring Valley, Ill. 

Family: Partner, Chris, and two chihuahuas, Roscoe and Halsted 

Education: Bachelor’s in journalism and mass communication and Master of Public Administration from Drake University. 

Hobbies: Theater, live entertainment, playing Yahtzee, staying active and an avid user of Peloton