Around Des Moines

The 33rd Annual Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame Ceremony was held on August 25, 2007, at the State Historical Building. Of the four women inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, two live or work in Des Moines.

Ruth Ann Gaines has been the drama teacher at East High School for 36 years. She is pictured here after the ceremony (left) with Sandy Renshaw (right) of AroundDesMoines.com. Renshaw was a student in a speech course Gaines taught at DMACC.

Renshaw is available to talk to groups in central Iowa on the topics of blogging for communities and blogging for business. Guest writer. M.R. Field, who still remembers her speech course taken at Vanderbilt many years ago, also is available to talk to groups around Iowa. She covers the areas of journalism, business funding, and public transportation. Des Moines is rich in the number of women, and men, who live here and who have gathered knowledge and expertise in a variety of subjects. Leading Voices: Iowa has been working on gathering a list of women who can talk to groups and to the media on subjects that help build political knowledge and promote dialogue beyond the status quo, while also helping women to become accustomed to letting their voices lead.

Connie Wimer, publisher of the Des Moines Business Record and dsm, also was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. The plaques bearing the names of all the women inducted into the Hall of Fame are being moved to the third floor of the State Historical Building. Previously, they hung on the walls of the offices of the Human Rights Commission, of which the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women is a part.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.