Age 26 | Manager of art and philanthropy, Kum & Go LC

Liz Lidgett describes herself as the quintessential boomerang kid. She grew up here in Des Moines before moving away to attend the University of Missouri and later the University of Southern California.

She moved from state to state with her now-husband, Nick Renkoski, who is from Des Moines, too. The two met during her senior year of high school.

Not fond of being away from family, the couple moved back home. Lidgett is now the manager of art and philanthropy for Kum & Go LC. She said her post requires her to wear several different hats: She oversees the company’s art collection, builds relationships with museums and auction sites and meets with organizations to decide how to distribute the 10 percent of profits the company donates to charities every year.

But Lidgett’s love for the arts doesn’t stop there. She is president of Art Noir, the young professionals affiliate group for the Des Moines Art Center, and is on the board of directors of Ballet Des Moines.

Lidgett said her history with the two groups pushed her to help lead them today.

“I took classes (at the Art Center) since I was 5 years old. I interned there in college,” she said. “There’s that same history with the ballet. I watched my mom serve as board president.” She said both organizations played huge roles in her life, and she wanted to bring them to the next generation.

The art lover also helped co-found 100 + Chicks for Charity, a philanthropic group that pools money and donates to local causes, and writes a monthly column for The Des Moines Register’s Juice magazine for young professionals.

“You know it’s really just about the importance of starting a collection,” she said about art. “Taking down those college posters from your wall and surrounding yourself with something beautiful.”

Five reasons she’s a 40:

• Works as the in-house curator of Kum & Go’s modern art collection and manages the Krause Gentle Foundation and the Kum & Go charitable fund.

• President of Art Noir, the young professionals affiliate group of the Des Moines Art Center.

• In 2011, Lidgett ran the Big Hair Ball, Art Noir’s fund-raiser. The ball had more than 600 attendees and raised a record amount.

• Lidgett is a co-founder of 100 + Chicks for Charity, a group of young professional women who give money to support charities in Des Moines.

• Serves on the boards of directors of the Junior League of Des Moines and Ballet Des Moines.

Fun Fact:

Lidgett’s favorite artist is Jackson Pollock. “He was doing something that no one else was doing,” she said. “There is so much energy and passion in his pieces.”