.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Kirk Irwin joined the Greater Des Moines Partnership on Sept. 4, in the middle of its campaign to raise $30 million to support the organization over the next five years. Irwin joins the Partnership as chief administrative officer, with 15 years of experience as a financial and operational leader. He most recently served as chief operating officer for United Way of Central Iowa, and previously was chief executive officer of a business unit of Lauridsen Group Inc./Proliant and controller of Life Care Services Corp. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Iowa State University, a master’s in business administration from Drake University, and is a certified public accountant.

.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Have you always lived in Iowa?

I was born in Western Iowa and have lived in Iowa pretty much my entire life. I moved to Des Moines and started working right after college and have pretty much been in the community since.

Is the work you’re doing now very different from United Way?

Before I started at United Way, I did a lot of things in the for-profit world. United Way was really my first nonprofit experience. In a lot of ways, the Partnership blends the for-profit experience with the nonprofit work at United Way. It’s really an ideal mix of everything I’ve done.

What are your primary responsibilities in this new role?

My primary responsibilities are around the financial oversight and management of the organization, so (they include) things like financial forecasting, planning and reporting, and then it also includes things like information technology and human resources.

What brought you from the for-profit to the nonprofit world?

I had a role as a CEO of a business unit, and I had to turn the business around and at the end of that, get it ready to be sold and negotiate it and plan the transition. At the end of that process, I felt I wanted to do something totally different. Then the United Way opportunity presented itself. What’s ideal about community-focused organizations is you can have a great job while at the same time benefit the entire community.

Did you always have nonprofit work in mind as a career goal?

Earlier in my career, I was just the opposite. I was really driven about business growth and what’s in it for me. And fortunately, I moved beyond that at some point when I got a little bit more mature.

What’s your top priority in your new job?

We’re at a really exciting time in the history of this organization. We’re wrapping up our campaign, so it really is the time when we lock in support from the investors and start to plan what our next five years will look like based on the outcome of the campaign.

What do you like most about your job?

I really enjoy the reach within the community. It’s really just an incredible organization where you have the brightest minds in the community helping this organization do its work.

What’s the worst part?

There is no worst part. The most challenging thing now is not only are we in this five-year campaign cycle, but we’re nearing the time to start budgeting for next year. It really was just being thrown right into it.

What’s one change you would like to see for Des Moines?

I think it’s a lot like the phrase “rising waters raise all ships.” I think anything that strengthens the infrastructure of the businesses and attracts and retains the best workers, anything that happens to improve downtown will help the community at large.

What do you do outside of work?

I like to run. I’ve got two children, a 10-year-old daughter, Kate, and an 8-year-old son, Nicholas. I enjoy spending time with them.

How did you make your first dollar?

As a kid I used to walk beans. Then during college in the summers, I worked in a pork processing plant.