The Business Record has named Jessica Meisner as the 2023 Dentons Davis Brown Human Resources Professional of the Year. Meisner is the vice president of human resources at UnityPoint Health.

The award, launched by the Business Record in 2020, is designed to highlight an outstanding HR professional from Central Iowa for their professional accomplishments and community engagement.

Matthew Romanin, chief operating officer for UnityPoint Clinic, and Maria Volante, president of Volante Consulting, nominated Meisner for the award.

“In a health care industry rocked by the recent pandemic, Jessica has been a steadfast leader on behalf of all our stakeholders,” Romanin wrote in a letter nominating Meisner. “Employees feel the value of her expertise, and critical and forward-thinking in benefits and role design. UnityPoint Health can deliver on its mission to serve our communities with a healthy and vibrant workforce. And those communities are healthier because of their access through various pathways to the care and service that we provide.”

Meisner has worked for UnityPoint Health since 2004, becoming vice president of human resources in July. Before the recent position change, she served as vice president of human resources consulting from 2022 to June 2023 and was vice president of human resources for UnityPoint Clinic and UnityPoint at Home from 2014 to 2021.

Meisner’s community involvement includes serving on the Des Moines Golf and Country Club board of directors, as well as serving as a board member for Des Moines University Masters of Health Care Administration and Vision Soccer Academy. She’s also been a board member for Friends of Iowa CASA and Foster Care Review (2021 to 2022), Junior Achievement of Central Iowa (2020 to 2022), a committee member for Des Moines Golf and Country Club Solheim Cup (2018), and a member of the Couture for the Cause planning committee (2015 to 2018).

Meisner will receive the 2023 Dentons Davis Brown Human Resources Professional of the Year Award during the Business Record’s Jobs Outlook event on Oct. 19.

Past honorees:
2022 – Monica Friedman, executive vice president and chief human resources officer of Des Moines-based Life Care Services Corp.
2021 – Jennifer Bryant, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at American Equity
2020 – Beth Nigut, executive vice president and chief people officer at EMC Insurance Cos.