Lutheran Services in Iowa was tapped to lead the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families.
In a news release, Lutheran Services in Iowa said it will work to ensure the growth of a vital community organization that has served central Iowans for more than a decade. Lutheran Services in Iowa is a nonprofit that offers child abuse prevention and services for children and families, people with disabilities, and immigrants and refugees across the state.
“We are deeply honored to be entrusted with continuing the legacy of the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families,” Lutheran Services in Iowa President & CEO Renee Hardman said in a statement. “This Center has long been a cornerstone for family stability and economic opportunity. Our commitment is to preserve its mission while strengthening and expanding its impact in partnership with the community.”
Des Moines Area Community College’s board of directors announced in September its plans to sell the property at 1171 Seventh St. and turn over the center’s programs to nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines. But feedback from residents at a forum pushed officials to reconsider, former DMACC President and CEO Rob Denson previously said.
A few hundred community members gathered March 24 at DMACC Urban Campus to hear presentations from two finalists: Lutheran Services in Iowa and the Director’s Council, a nonprofit coalition of Black CEOs and directors of area businesses and organizations. Leaders from both organizations presented their vision for the center’s next chapter.
Community members were able to submit written input about each presenter to help inform the final decision, which the DMACC Board of Directors made this week.
Since opening in 2012, the Evelyn K. Davis Center has provided education, workforce training, financial empowerment, and family‑support services to individuals and families across central Iowa, according to the news release. Under Lutheran Services in Iowa’s leadership, the center will continue to offer core services while exploring ways to grow the program and deepen collaboration with community members, the release said.
“Our goal was to identify the steward best equipped to guide the Evelyn K. Davis Center into its next chapter,” Kyle Collins, DMACC interim vice president for academic affairs, said in a statement. “We are confident in LSI’s ability to provide a smooth transition and bring the leadership, stability, and vision needed to carry the Center forward, preserving what works today while building for what comes next.”
Debra Carr, who sat on the advisory committee and is president of Des Moines Cheatom Park Neighborhood Association, said at the March 24 meeting that it was important for the community to remain central to the selection process. Carr said the community’s input reflects a shared commitment to “getting this right not just for today, but for the future of this community.”
Area resident Bobbretta Brewton told the Des Moines Register that Davis was her mentor and the center is important to her. She said both organizations would be qualified to carry on the center’s legacy but whichever organization was tapped would need to build on its successes.
“When people walk out of there, they should be looking at where they’re heading next,” she said of the program’s participants.
The transition to LSI is expected to be complete by July 1. The center, which will continue to carry the name of Evelyn K. Davis, will stay at its current location.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines’ Evelyn K. Davis Center has new leadership
Reporting by Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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