Des Moines Business Record 

 

Dear Jason, 

 

It is my pleasure to nominate Barbara Lukavsky for the Business Record Women of Influence Award for 
2014. 

 

I have known Barbara for thirty-plus years and have always admired her business savvy combined with 
her spirit of fun-a unique and dynamic duo. 

 

She has combined a successful entrepreneurial career which includes manufacturing with worldwide 
distribution of her beauty products, beauty publications and authored a motivational book and a more 
recent book dealing with her journey through the grief process after losing her son and husband within a 
six month period. She is truly a renaissance woman. 

 

As testament to her business acumen, Barbara was the first woman to serve on the Board of Directors 
of Principal Group’s Princor Mutual Fund where she served for two decades. I know how diligently she 
prepared for and how seriously she took her fiduciary responsibilities for each board and audit 
committee meeting. She also served on the national Merle Norman Cosmetics board and was 
recognized for her three Merle Norman locations as Gold Medallion Studios performing in the top 2% in 
the nation. 

 

Her community service has included chairing and emceeing various fundraising events for the Young 
Women’s Resource Center and Amanda the Panda. This work demonstrates her heart for helping young 
women make good decisions and find their way with good outcomes and helping children who have lost 
loved ones work their way through the grieving process. She is always an enthusiastic doer with a sense 
of fun. She’s even organizing a doggie style show this fall to benefit the Animal Rescue League. This 
event will raise lots of money and everyone will be assured a very good time. 

 

I can attest to her personal and business ethics. I was her banker and know how she guided her 
companies to success through lots of hard work and always ethical practices. Barbara served on the 
Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Association of Business and Industry lobbying for a 
progressive business climate to encourage business growth and economic expansion in our state. 


Additionally, she is a woman in business advocate and has received state and national honors for her 
work in this arena. She’s a member of the Nexus Breakfast Club which was organized to promote 
reciprocity among women in business. 

 

Barbara bleeds red, white and blue and is very interested in developing ways to assure that veterans get 
the medical care they so deserve as a thank you for serving their country. I predict this will be her next 
personal involvement. 

 

I wholeheartedly recommend Barbara Lukavsky for the 2014 Business Record Women of Influence 
Award. She will serve as an endearing role model for your event attendees and bring spirit, intelligence, 
energy and humor to the podium. 

 

Respectfully submitted, 

 

Joyce Chapman