Jeremy Weiss had a master’s degree at 22 and thinks nothing of logging 605 volunteer hours in a year. 

In short, he keeps moving. 

Growing up in Barnum, near Fort Dodge, Weiss could feel the pull of metro areas. 

“I definitely knew I had a passion for large business and a larger-market city,” he said. “I knew that was important.”

He landed an internship in employment recruiting through Principal Financial Group Inc. while he was a student at Iowa State University, and that got him interested in the technical aspects of landing good employees.

“Professional mentors at Principal coached me to work in information technology,” he said. “I am really a business person at heart. I later spent 2 1/2 years in a business analyst role at Principal.”

Now, he helps retool businesses. 

“What we do is work with targeted clients on business transformation,” he said. “That could be staffing, new technology, cost reduction, processes or digital media.” 

Among his clients: heavyweights Vermeer Corp. and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

Outside work, he benefits from his days in 4-H, which taught him to try new things. He remembers food drives and cleaning ditches along the way. He eventually led the ISU blood drive. 

Now, “I might be involved in six different projects, with six different organizations,” Weiss said.

“Jeremy is a classic example of a young leader who knows no boundaries,” wrote Tony Dickinson, vice president of marketing at Wells Fargo Bank.

Brenda Schuldt of Principal Financial Group’s RIS Markeing-Meeting Planning Services department also sees great potential for Weiss.

“I am confident that with Jeremy’s strong passion for Des Moines, he will undoubtedly continue to leave a significant footprint on the ever-evolving state of our city, including a more youth-centric feel,” Schuldt wrote in a nomination letter.

Reasons he’s a forty:

• He serves as board president for Community Youth Concepts.
• He volunteers for American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa, Iowa Pride Network/One Iowa, Winefest Des Moines, Greater Des MoinesHabitat for Humanity and the Iowa State Fair.
• He served on event management teams for the Des Moines Arts Festival and the World Food Festival.
• He’s a committee member for Friends of St. Jude Children’s Hospital.