Each year, the Business Record honors a member of a previous Forty Under 40 class to recognize their contributions since being named a Forty. The 2026 Forty Under 40 Alum of the Year is Scott Raecker, executive director of the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University. Raecker was honored 25 years ago as a member of the class of 2001.

Raecker has served as executive director of the Ray Center since its founding in 1997 by former Gov. Robert D. Ray as a lasting legacy of the Iowa Sesquicentennial. The Ray Center provides character education and leadership development resources to improve civility in schools, organizations and communities.

Raecker also serves as co-executive director of the Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy at Drake.

In addition to his work at Drake, Raecker has been deeply involved in public service throughout his career, including 14 years as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1999 to 2012. During his legislative service, Raecker held several leadership roles, including chair of the House Appropriations Committee, chair of the Ethics Committee and chair of the Midwest Council of Governments’ Legislative Leadership Institute.

Through the Ray Center, Raecker’s work has reached state legislative leaders and staff in all 50 states and U.S. territories, as well as leaders in Canada and Mexico.

Raecker is also active in a wide range of civic and volunteer efforts. He currently serves as chair of the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation and is a board member of the Drake University School of Education International Advisory Board, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation Advisory Board, the Rotary Club of Des Moines AM and the Shining City Foundation. He is a board member emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Studies and is a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce.

Throughout his career, Raecker has received numerous recognitions, including the Sanford N. McDonnell Award for Lifetime Achievement in Character Education in 2018.

Raecker earned a bachelor of arts in political science and religious studies from Grinnell College. He is also certified as a character development specialist and corporate ethics trainer through the Josephson Institute of Ethics.

Raecker and his wife, Martha, live in Urbandale. Their children include Emily, who is married to Adam, and Max.

Raecker will be featured in the March 20 issue of the Business Record and honored at the annual Forty Under 40 event on April 2.