Claudia Schabel has been named president and CEO of the Iowa Women’s Foundation, effective April 1. She joined the nonprofit organization in June 2025 as vice president of programs.

Schabel is the founder and CEO of Schabel Solutions Inc., a workplace culture and leadership consulting firm, and she has held key roles at multinational corporations, including DuPont, Principal Financial Group and the Iowa Council for International Understanding (now the Iowa International Center).

Schabel succeeds Deann Cook, who began serving as CEO in 2023.

“The Board has selected Claudia as our new president and CEO for her deep commitment to the women and girls of Iowa and her proven abilities in strategic visioning, advocacy, and stakeholder collaboration. … On behalf of the Board and the entire IWF community, we also express our deepest gratitude to outgoing president and CEO, Deann Cook. Her dedication to shattering barriers has not only strengthened our organization but has created lasting change for women and girls across Iowa,” Barb Baker, chair of the IWF board of directors, said in a prepared statement.

Schabel has served on the city of Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry board and held roles with the Iowa Chapter of NAWBO and the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery. Some of the organizations she is currently involved with include the Iowa SHRM State Council, Capital Crossroads and the boards of the Science Center of Iowa, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club of Des Moines.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Drake University.

The Iowa Women’s Foundation has also opened its 2026 grant applications. Grant recipients receive up to $50,000 for programs addressing one of the six identified barriers to economic prosperity for women and girls in Iowa: Child care, housing, transportation, employment, mentorship or education/training. Eligible organizations include Iowa-based nonprofits, licensed child care centers and registered in-home child care providers.

Last year, the foundation awarded $400,000 in grants. The deadline to apply is May 18 at 5 p.m. More information is available at iawf.org/grants.

Grant recipients will be announced at the 2026 IWF annual Fall Luncheon on Oct. 20 in Coralville. 

The Iowa Women’s Foundation is a statewide organization working to enhance and improve women’s economic self-sufficiency and address barriers to women’s success through advocacy, research, education, collaboration and grantmaking.

Editor’s note: This article was updated at 8:05 a.m. on April 10 to correct the total amount of grants awarded by the Iowa Women’s Foundation in 2025.