Jay Byers is being remembered as a man who helped shape Des Moines’ future through his innovation and who was the special ingredient in the “secret sauce,” that he often said made the Des Moines metro successful.

Byers, the president of Simpson College and past president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, died unexpectedly Thursday. He was 54.

He was found dead at Sigler House, the university president’s residence near campus, the college shared Thursday at a press conference.

Simpson board of trustees chair Terry Handley said a wellness check was conducted in cooperation with the Indianola Police Department around noon after Byers missed several meetings that morning.

Indianola Police Chief Brian Sher said the investigation into the cause of Byers’ death is ongoing.

“At this point, we do not believe a criminal act caused the death of President Byers,” Sher said.

Handley said Byers and his family had been living in their Des Moines home, but were in the middle of remodeling Sigler House. Byers used the space to host various campus activities, he said.

Byers is survived by his wife, Katie, and two daughters.

A 1993 Simpson alumnus, Byers had “tremendous passion” for the college, Handley said.

“Jay loved this place. He loved everyone associated with Simpson College,” he said. “I was involved in the search for this position. We had a lot of wonderful candidates. Jay certainly rose above, and that passion, that love of Simpson is infectious. And that was a huge reason for Jay being chosen as president. His personality, his conviction, his passion for the people here on campus, for what Simpson College meant to him and the future of Simpson College, his experience as a student. It was his vision that current students and future students could have that same experience. It was all about setting our students up for success. Jay put everyone else ahead of himself.”

Handley said a meeting is being held today to discuss establishing interim leadership at Simpson. He said additional details will be shared in the next week about how “Simpson College moves forward together.”

“This will take some time. We will take that time to grieve. We will take our time to recover, and then we will move forward. That’s exactly what Jay would expect,” he said.

Byers had served as Simpson’s 25th president since July 2023 after 18 years with the Greater Des Moines Partnership. He joined the Partnership in 2005 as senior vice president for government relations and public policy and became CEO in 2012.

Community leaders said Byers’ visionary leadership and relationship building helped set the Greater Des Moines region up for future success. Among his achievements at the Partnership, the organization expanded to represent 11 counties and 24 affiliate chambers of commerce with more than 6,500 members, making it the fourth largest regional chamber of commerce in the country. During his tenure, the Des Moines metro was also ranked the fastest-growing major metro in the Midwest in terms of population, GDP and job growth.

Tiffany Tauscheck, president and CEO of the Partnership and a close friend of Byers, said she and her colleagues were “heartbroken by the terrible news of Jay’s passing.”

“Jay was a transformational leader for Greater Des Moines and for the Greater Des Moines Partnership,” said Tauscheck, who succeeded Byers in leading the Partnership. “He continuously shaped the future through his bold ideas and strategic vision. Jay believed deeply in the power of kindness, optimism and community. He was a friend to everyone and a genuinely wonderful person.

“His positive impact cannot be properly summed up in words, rather it will be seen and felt by many for decades to come through the numerous people, projects, events and ideas he believed in and supported. His friendship, guidance and belief in me, the Partnership and our community will not be forgotten. Jay was simply the best and we will miss him deeply. Our hearts are with his family during this incredibly difficult time.”

Before joining the Partnership, Byers was district director for Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell and an attorney at the Ice Miller Law Firm in Indianapolis. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Simpson and his Juris Doctor degree from University of Iowa.

He served on several boards of directors, including Catch Des Moines, America’s Cultivation Corridor, ChildServe and the Blank Park Zoo Foundation as well as 11 years on Simpson’s board of trustees. Byers was a Business Record Forty Under 40 honoree in 2006 and was selected as the Forty Under 40 Alum of the Year in 2012. He was voted by Business Record readers as the No. 2 Most Influential Business Leader from 2019 to 2023.

Outside of his career, Byers was a musician and self-defined “super-fan” of live music. He sang and played guitar starting in high school, playing with bands such as the Blitz, the Rodeo Clowns, Johnny and the Spitballs, the Dead Yellow Canaries and most recently Homeward Bound, a Simon & Garfunkel tribute duo.

Jay Byers in the Business Record archives:

• A Closer Look: Jay Byers
• Video: Jay Byers plays guitar
• Byers eager to tackle challenges of new Partnership position

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How leaders are remembering Byers

Share your memories with Jay: The Business Record invites the community to share their memories of Jay Byers and the impact and legacy he leaves on Greater Des Moines and the many people he knew. Comments may be included in future coverage of Byers’ life and legacy.

Share a memory

Connie Boesen, Des Moines mayor

“My heart is broken today for Jay’s family during this incredibly difficult time. Jay dedicated his career and his life to making our Des Moines community a better place. His passion shone through his visionary leadership with the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Simpson College and many other local organizations working to improve Central Iowa. His eye for innovation and ability to build relationships helped foster the incredible transformations and growth we have seen in downtown Des Moines and across the whole region. Jay will be remembered as a shining star in every sense of the word and an influential leader in our community. He left his mark on me as a leader and a friend, and I’ll be eternally grateful for my time with Jay.”

Angela Connolly, Polk County supervisor

“I am devastated by the loss of not only a dear friend and a generous, kind human, but a pillar of our community. Jay always said that DSM has the ‘secret sauce’ and he was the main ingredient. Jay was the biggest cheerleader for our community but also the hardest worker. He had big ideas and wasn’t afraid to tackle them. This is a devastating loss for our community and my sympathies are with Katie, his daughters and the hundreds of friends, family and colleagues whose lives he touched. I know he has touched my life and I will miss him dearly.”

Greg Edwards, president and CEO, Catch Des Moines

“Our community is heartbroken over the loss of JB. Jay did so very much for our metro and state, from his work with elected officials, to leading the Greater Des Moines Partnership and then to Simpson College. So many talents from economic development, to strengthening our region’s economy to heading up an aggressive vision for Simpson. His handprints will remain on so much and his gentleness touched us all. God bless him and his family.”

Joe Murphy, president of Iowa Business Council

Murphy worked with Byers at the Partnership from 2016-2019 as senior vice president of government relations and public policy.

“Jay’s impact on our community is immeasurable. He brought out the very best in everyone he came in contact with whether it was a CEO of a major company or a wide-eyed freshman at Simpson College. He inspired those around him to think big and lead with compassion. A true servant leader, he was unafraid to put forward bold ideas that always led to a positive outcome for the DSM community and his alma mater. Jay was a great boss, a great friend and an even better person.”

Senior Staff Writer Michael Crumb contributed to this reporting.