West Des Moines-based communications company Strategic America has announced that its CEO and president will retire. John Schreurs will retire this year, after his successor has been named. Schreurs’ retirement will conclude a seven-year tenure as chief executive and a 42-year career with the integrated marketing and communications firm. Schreurs joined the company a few years after its founding in Waterloo in 1983 and became CEO in 2018. During his leadership, he guided the organization’s growth into an employee-owned firm of more than 100 associates, serving a diverse portfolio of clients, from national brands to local nonprofits. “Throughout his time at SA, John demonstrated an unwavering commitment to client success — diving deep to understand businesses and building strategies to exceed marketing goals. His legacy is defined by service — putting people first and modeling SA’s core values for future leaders,” Joe Garcia, member of SA’s board of directors and regional vice president, Aflac, said in a news release. Beyond business growth, Schreurs championed community engagement, leading SA to be an advocate for industry and community causes by providing marketing and communications services that helped move brands forward. Following retirement, Schreurs will remain with SA through much of 2026 to guide the onboarding of his successor and continue serving on SA’s board of directors. To identify the next CEO, the board is partnering with Jennifer Bryant of Human Pivot Consulting.