Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel originally had a different plan for his life. At first, the youngest of four children was focused on a medicine-related career.

His personal experiences, however, set him on a different path, aligning those, as well as his professional and civic involvement, with causes he holds close, like wellness and social equality.

Hoffman-Zinnel grew up on a farm in Pomeroy. He became a proponent of wellness after a childhood illness required the removal of two-thirds of one of his lungs. 

Also, his experience coming out as gay after high school helped him develop an empathy for those who are marginalized by factors including sexual orientation, gender and disability.

“The adversity of that really helped shape me into who I am and helped me home in on the social justice movement,” Hoffman-Zinnel said. “Before that, I was pretending to live as a straight white male and had all the privilege in the world without realizing it.”

Both experiences propelled him toward a career working with nonprofit organizations. The man who later became his husband encouraged him to apply for a job as a caseworker at Lutheran Services of Iowa. 

“That job opened my eyes,” he said. “Eventually, I wanted more responsibility. I wanted to do more.”

Hoffman-Zinnel worked for organizations including Proteus Inc., the Iowa Cancer Consortium and One Iowa. He’s also an adjunct professor at Iowa Central Community College and is working on a doctorate in leadership.

Outside work, he volunteers for organizations including the Iowa Cancer Consortium, the LGBT Health Initiative of Iowa and the Iowa Public Health Association. In his free time, he enjoys exercise, biking, politics and the occasional guilty pleasure of watching a night of Bravo television.

Hoffman-Zinnel didn’t expect to travel this path, but he’s grateful he did.

“I’ve finally found my voice,” he said. “I’ve coined myself a ‘thoughtful agitator.’ I want to challenge people … to be inclusive in their beliefs, but advance themselves to be better.”

Reasons he’s a forty:

• He sits on committees of organizations such as the Iowa Cancer Consortium, LGBT Health Initiative of Iowa and the Iowa HIV and Hepatitis Community Planning Group.
• He is a member of the Iowa Public Health Association, the Iowa Society for Public Health Education and the Lifespan Respite Coalition.
• He is a board member-elect of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network.
• He received the Karen Packer Spirit Award at the 2012 Iowa Cancer Summit.