Kris Maggard says the jobs and experiences she’s had since graduating from college nearly 30 years ago prepared her for the position of executive director of the Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand.

Maggard, who was recently hired as the group’s first executive director, says the job fits well with her background in marketing and storytelling as well as her interests in urban planning and development.

Maggard worked for 15 years at Business Publication Corp., where, among other things, she oversaw the publication of various economic development guides.

“I got to know the economic development leaders in the different metro communities and learn what they were doing to grow their communities,” she said. “We talked about the projects and companies that were coming in and investing. At the same time, leaders talked about quality of life – that if you didn’t have parks, good schools, affordable housing, all those kinds of things, you’re not going to be as strong a community.”

A year ago, Maggard moved into a house located north of Grand Avenue and “immediately had a sense of belonging.”

When the job as executive director of the Avenues was created, she said it felt like a natural fit.

“I really had a yearning to serve a nonprofit and to make a difference in the community and make lives better, and at the same time use my skills and passions,” Maggard said.

The Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand is a district that stretches from Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to 42nd Street along Ingersoll and Grand avenues.
Maggard talked to us about her new job, which she began in August.

When I worked on [Grand View College’s] newspaper, it was fascinating to me how [university officials] were looking 20 years out and looking at blighted property and what roads do they close or not close, what properties do they buy, and having that 20-year plan. So even back in college, I was pretty fascinated with that type of urban planning.

Talk about your first job after graduating from college.

I worked for the Altoona Herald. It was a community newspaper. I was the advertising manager, but I also was a features writer and I did design work. I launched a series of special sections. I got very involved and engaged in the community. … A lot of my love for journalism – community journalism in particular – is just driven by my natural curiosity of people and their stories. Each person has this unique story, and finding where those stories live, and then realizing how it all connects to create community.

Where did you go after the Altoona Herald?

I was communications director for the Iowa Newspaper Association. … Their office was – and still is – in the East Village. At the time, there was almost nothing there. This was before any projects, any redevelopment. I got to be part of that movement to create the East Village, and to revitalize it.

How did those jobs prepare you for your new position with the avenues?

I was on the board of the downtown chamber for about three years. I got to experience what the city of Des Moines was doing and having the inside view of some projects that were happening around town, what’s going to happen with this particular lot, working more in understanding the needs of developers in town. It was just a fascinating time for me. When I did the program Leadership Iowa through [the Iowa Association of Business and Industry], it just opened so many facets of building community. In Leadership Iowa, you spend nine months going around to other communities and having leaders come in and talk about how they accomplished their greatest projects and explain their long-range planning and other things like that. … I was definitely bitten by the bug of city planning.

What attracted you to this new job?

When I was told about the position and that they had just created this role, I really couldn’t take my eyes off it. I remember thinking that, boy, they’re just really looking for a unicorn because they wanted someone who could drive some economic development deals and meet with new people and have relationships and connections, but also someone who could raise the profile of this district because they’re doing great things. They just need people to know about [the avenues]. … I also had a strong belief in placemaking, which is the buzzword for creating a sense of place. I definitely was drawn to positions that were looking at placemaking because I felt like it was a very innovative and new way to build community and drive economic development.

What are the top three things the board of directors for the avenues was looking for in an executive director?

What they need is someone who can market and promote and assist with economic development. … It was a corridor for a trolley. So they needed someone that could understand the parallel of Grand Avenue being that stately living corridor and Ingersoll being a service corridor, and how those could mesh. One of my goals moving forward is to connect those corridors more. Here’s one example: One is to consider parklettes – mini parks – that could run between Ingersoll and Grand and connect people and connect the neighborhoods, provide a calming green space.

What projects are on the horizon?

I think the biggest project coming up is the streetscaping. In 2009, they did their original round of streetscaping and rebuilding a section of street on Ingersoll. Starting in the spring of 2020, there is another phase that’s beginning and it’s going to ultimately run from Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to 28th Street. It’s a $17 million plan for public improvements. Nearly all of the infrastructure and public utilities are going to be upgraded. The best part is that it’s really about creating a safe, beautiful community for decades to come for those that live and work along Ingersoll.

Anything else?

We are working right now with the city on options for improving incentives on Grand Avenue. That’s exciting. There are some places along Grand that we can have infill and develop.

Talk a little bit about Des Moines University and what the effect their move to West Des Moines in three years will have on Grand Avenue, where they are now located.

They are one of the top medical schools in the country and they needed more space. We wish them the best. Obviously, we’re thinking about uses for that space. That area is very resilient and ever evolving. There’s really been no discussions on exactly what could happen to the property when they do leave.

What do you do in your free time?

I love live music and concerts.

What was the last concert you attended?

The Brazilian 2wins at the World Food Festival.