Long before she led Amanda the Panda, the organization had left its mark on Laura Holms.

Eight years ago, Holms lost her father. Following his death, she and her family became acquainted with the West Des Moines nonprofit, which helps families cope with the loss of a loved one through services including support groups, camps and counseling. The goal of the organization is to connect children and families so they can better help one another through the grief process. 

Through services she received, Holms said, Amanda the Panda played a pivotal role in helping her and her family move forward after the loss. 

“So many families are affected by a death, and the programs here are designed to fit everyone in need,” Holms said. “I am honored to be part of the organization that provides an opportunity for children who are grieving the death of a loved one to find hope and healing.”  

Holms started as executive director of Amanda the Panda in September. Prior to that, she had experience working for various nonprofit organizations in the areas of leadership, development and community relations. Holms said she’s looking forward to increasing community awareness about the need for grief support in today’s world. 

How did you first learn about the role of executive director? 
I learned of this opening from colleagues who were members of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute’s 2013 class, a group that spearheaded a huge portion of the fundraising to renovate Amanda’s House. I was drawn to Amanda the Panda, though, because of the long history the organization has in the Des Moines area. Our founder, JoAnn Zimmerman, is a member of the church I have belonged to since I was a child. I grew up knowing about the great work JoAnn and her volunteers did for children. 

Why did you feel Amanda the Panda would be a good fit for you? 
It’s a good fit for a number of reasons. Our mission is one I strongly believe in, and we provide such an important service to children and families in need. With a strong base of community support and volunteers, Amanda the Panda has been a presence in our community since 1980, serving 32,000 individuals. With my past knowledge of our programs, I knew I could bring my past experiences in community awareness and fundraising to help our organization move to an even higher level.

Describe your leadership style and how you plan to lead this organization.
I have high expectations of our organization and our great staff. I am enthusiastic and want the staff to be energized, and I feel my leadership style reflects that. I plan to lead Amanda the Panda with enthusiasm, professionalism, high goals and an aim-high attitude. 

Talk about your first few months in this job.
I’m working with our board to evaluate the way we do business to ensure we are being good stewards of our donor dollars. This led us to join forces with HCI Care Services and Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa in November. The fellow nonprofit organizations now handle support functions for us, including human resources, accounting, marketing and building maintenance. The partnership enables us to focus on our mission. These first few months have been very busy, and learning about a new organization and leading our staff in that transition has been exciting. Aside from that, we also had a successful year-end campaign and served more than 140 families with our Holiday Cheerbox program.

Have you set any short-term goals? Long-term? 
Our goals are to add more services for children and families across the state and to collaborate with the staff at HCI-VNS to ensure that existing program participants receive all of the services they need. We are looking for ways to reach out to others experiencing grief and to those struggling with a long-term terminal illness, as well as their families. We are excited to celebrate Amanda the Panda’s 35th anniversary in 2015. We have a number of exciting events planned, including a gala celebration in August with our honorary chairs, Gregory and Suzie Glazer Burt. 

What do you enjoy doing outside work? 
I am involved with St. Pius X School in Urbandale. I volunteer with the Holy Family School Inner-City Youth Foundation and serve on the board of Iowa Irish Inc., an organization that supports the Foy School of Irish Dance and cultural events in Central Iowa.