Civic leader Renee Hardman, a human resources consultant and West Des Moines city councilwoman, has been selected to lead Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa as its chief executive officer. 

Hardman has served on the organization’s board for the past 17 years, and prior to that was a volunteer Big Sister mentor to a young girl from Sierra Leone. She credits Big Brothers Big Sisters with launching her lifelong passion for civic engagement, which has included service on the boards of nearly 20 nonprofit and education organizations. 

“I think the most important [qualification] is having lived the mission of making sure our youth have positive connections in their lives,” she said. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa, which is celebrating its 50th year this year, last year matched 555 kids with volunteers who dedicated 28,000 hours to their “Littles.” More than 90 percent of the children matched with mentors come come from low- to moderate-income families, and 72 percent are living in single-parent homes. 

“Renee is the ideal match for this organization,” said Tyler Dingel, the nonprofit’s board chairman. “She not only has rich experience with fundraising and nonprofit leadership, she also has a strong corporate background, with specialty in disciplines that impact the human side of business.” 

Hardman still maintains a close friendship with her “Little,” whom she would spend between two and four hours with each week from the time she was 8 until she graduated from high school. “She’s not so little anymore,” Hardman said with a laugh — she’s now 40 years old and an intensive care nurse living in Florida. 

Hardman has been recognized with numerous awards for her community service, among them 2018 Woman of Impact and the 2013 National Alumni awards from Drake University. She was named to the Des Moines Register’s 2018 People to Watch List, and has also been honored as a Woman of Influence by the Business Record and as Community Role Model of the Year by the NAACP.

Read more about Hardman’s achievements and plans for BBBS.