A Closer Look: Jen Cross

Director of development and partnerships, Catch Des Moines

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Jen Cross had every intention of leaving Des Moines, and she did — for a year.

But the pull of family, Cyclone football and basketball, and a city that was fast becoming a darling of national “best of” ratings pulled her back. Now she is moving up the ladder at Catch Des Moines, which works to bring conventions, sports events and visitors to Des Moines. 

She’s definitely sold on this place. We asked her about her path through knee-wrecking basketball games to a communications career that veered into fundraising (thanks to Tiffany Tauscheck, we hear. More on that later). 

Did you plan to stay in Des Moines all along?

I did not. I could not wait to get out of Des Moines, because it was not the Des Moines it is now. I was set to go to Chicago. I was there for a year, and realized I was coming home more often than I was staying. It seemed better to move back. My family is really close. I saw Des Moines’ growth and saw what it was on the verge of becoming, and I wanted to be part of that.

You went to West Des Moines’ Dowling Catholic High School. Did you go to St. Ambrose University to stay in the Catholic system?

It was the need to play a sport. I had a scholarship to play basketball. I played post in high school, and shooting guard at Ambrose because I was no longer the tall girl. I retired my senior year because I had had three knee surgeries. 

How are the knees now?

If you ask my doctor, it probably needs to be fixed, but I’m good. When I was in high school, I had a cartilage surgery. But when they were in there, they saw my ACL was partially torn. After my [first year of college], I had my ACL repaired. Then after my junior year, I needed another knee surgery to repair my meniscus. So cortisone shots are keeping me from another surgery. Which is a laugh because I did a half marathon last year and Dam to Dam this year. I probably shouldn’t be doing that. 

What attracted you to this position? This was a promotion for you at Catch Des Moines, right?

I’ve been here for four years. I was development partnership manager. Now my position is more a strategic focus on the private sector revenue. I raised that from about 6 percent of our budget to about 10 percent of our budget. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Tiffany Tauscheck [former vice president of marketing and development at Catch Des Moines, now chief strategy officer at the Greater Des Moines Partnership] hired me and I thought it was more of a marketing role because that is what my past positions had been. But they also had some sort of sales focus. When I came here it was more sales and trying to gain partners. I developed a passion for the fundraising aspect and more of the relationship-building. You don’t get far on development and fundraising without that. I have really developed a passion for people, and for raising the funds for our organization to make sure we can do what we need to do. 

What is the financial goal? 

Our fiscal year begins July 1, so we are really going to be cranking up the gears with some new promotional stories to tell the story of what we do and why people should invest in us. Our goal is to show the cities and counties that we are raising money to supplement the [hotel-motel taxes] they are already giving us. We want to show that private businesses are willing to invest and that we are able to do more with additional funds. That brings more people to town, which helps those businesses that invest. I’m responsible for raising 27 percent of our nontax revenue.

Was part of the need for that the arrival of events such as March Madness?

Definitely. To support these larger events, it is not only dollars but also it’s volunteers. 

As I understand it, you run around town and ask for money. What is that like? 

I was scared at first. But my dad will tell you I’ve been [asking for money] my whole life. I’m not afraid now, because if you give me a “no” it gives me a chance to negotiate with you and try to make something work. What makes me love it is the relationships. It’s been fun. 

How are you wired? 

I played basketball at St. Ambrose for three of the four years. As a player, you really get a sense of hard work and patience. I couldn’t just show up. I really had to work. My dad always taught me to work hard, and my mom taught me to be open-hearted and care about people. Those lessons have served me well.

What is your best day on the job?

When I get a “yes” for a nice big dollar amount [laughs]. I would say if I am not at my desk [it’s a good day], because that means I am out there doing things. I am a happier person when I’m around people. It’s a rare occasion that I don’t have a smile on my face. I don’t like silence. I like music. I can go into a room full of people and find someone to talk to. I always try really hard to make sure people have my full attention. 

What do you do when things go wrong? Have you kicked a trash can?

Oh, yeah, I’ve kicked some things. It’s not all sunshine and butterflies. My mom always taught me that nothing is ever as bad as it seems. As hard as it is some days, I try to take every bad moment as a learning opportunity. How can you learn from it? How can you grow? I’m not perfect. Sometimes I get very angry and frustrated. If I have a really bad day, I sit on my patio and drink a hefty glass of wine.