New Greater Des Moines Partnership CEO Tiffany Tauscheck says she has uplifting stories to tell

Tiffany Tauscheck is beginning her tenure as CEO and president of the Greater Des Moines Partnership with a familiar goal: to tell stories.

The economic development nonprofit announced in May that its board voted to promote Tauscheck, a former TV journalist who has served as the Partnership's chief operating officer since January 2021. She replaces Jay Byers, who announced his departure after a decade at the helm to become the president of his alma mater, Simpson College.

Tauscheck, a Creston native, graduated from Drake University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2001, then started her professional career as a reporter for local TV stations KCCI and KDSM. Tauscheck transitioned from television to marketing in 2004, and the rest is history.

Despite her departure from journalism, Tauscheck’s passion for understanding and shaping narratives continues, whether it's how a business was founded, how a donor decided to get involved, or how feedback was taken into consideration for a major project.

“I believe that sharing stories from the individual’s perspective, as well as hearing stories from our 400-plus investors and 6,500 members, that those stories can help impact positive change and create additional momentum around big ideas,” she said. “My history and who I am, that belief in storytelling, is really going to be something we'll continue to lean into at the Partnership.”

Tauscheck first started working at the Partnership as chief communications officer in 2015 and later transitioned to chief strategy officer in 2017.

Byers, her predecessor as CEO, oversaw the organization during a period when the Des Moines metro grew faster than any other major Midwestern metro, and helped rally the business community around goals that included transformative projects in Des Moines' downtown. By the end of his tenure, the Partnership had developed into one of the country's largest regional chambers of commerce, encompassing 24 affiliate chambers with about 6,500 members.

More: Why downtown Des Moines' population exploded over the last decade

Byers cast a large shadow, and his role was one that city officials noted would be “hard to replace.”

Tauscheck doesn’t plan to approach the job as another business person or marketing savant, but as a community facilitator, helping residents, cities and businesses work toward common goals.

“I’ve been preparing for this moment my entire career,” she said.

A clear choice, Partnership's leaders say

Mike McCoy, Partnership board chair and CEO of NCMIC Insurance, said the decision to name Tauscheck president and CEO was an easy one.

“The board recognized that we had the right leader at the right time who was prepared to step into this role with a running head start, and it was a slam-dunk decision to unanimously vote for her to take this position,” McCoy said in a statement to the Des Moines Register.

The Partnership connects business leaders with local elected officials, helping companies secure tax incentives to build or expand in the area. It also lobbies state lawmakers on business priorities and hosts local events like the Des Moines Downtown Farmers' Market and the DSM Book Festival.

In her time with the Partnership, Tauscheck has been a cheerleader for the organization’s vision. The Partnership credits Tauscheck for leading a pair of five-year fundraisers, Maximizing Momentum 2022 and Moving Forward Together 2027. She also assisted with fundraising for the Lauridsen Skatepark, which opened in 2021 in downtown Des Moines.

McCoy also appreciates Tauscheck's commitment to seeking out individual perspectives. The board already has come to see Tauscheck as a master collaborator, he said.

“She has the ability to lift others and help them see their fingerprints in the end results,” McCoy said.

Turning central Iowa tourists into transplants

Before working for the Partnership, Tauscheck served as the vice president of marketing and development at Catch Des Moines, the city's convention and tourism bureau. That experience, she said, made the switch from media to economic development all the smoother.

“I was able to see that today's tourists are tomorrow's talent,” she said. “Being able to make that transition to an economic and community development organization was a great fit, because it's just a continuation of that journey from visitor to talent.”

Tauscheck inherits the organization’s 2023 strategic priorities, which include identifying and promoting site-ready developments, continuing to enhance the region with major “placemaking” projects and, notably, establishing national marketing efforts to attract new talent.

A new digital, hyper-targeted campaign is set to launch soon, one that aims to home in on those currently living in or hoping to move to communities that are similar to Des Moines.

“If you're willing to look at a city that we would consider a peer, then you might be willing to look at Des Moines too. We're targeting those individuals and helping them see what their lives could be like here," Tauscheck explained.

Tauscheck says that there’s plenty of evidence that the Partnership's past efforts to lure prospective residents have worked. Over the last decade, the area’s population has increased by 16.3%, U.S. Census data shows, meaning Des Moines' growth has outpaced other Midwest hot spots such as Indianapolis; Omaha, Nebraska; and Columbus, Ohio. In more practical terms, 27 people on average move to the Des Moines metro every day.

Tauscheck said she plans an 11-county listening tour, speaking with business leaders, regional economic development partners and county, city and chamber leaders to garner feedback on how the Partnership can better serve them. Their responses will be forwarded to legislators.

"We'll be talking about what's important. What are they hearing, seeing? What projects are they proud of? What opportunities can we lean into? And we'll be sharing, as we always do with outreach to our investors and members, feedback with policymakers so they can see and understand the opportunities that our residents see."

The Partnership also has its hands in plenty of developments, including the planned Des Moines International Airport terminal, a whitewater course on the Des Moines River, the city's emerging Market District, a downtown pro soccer stadium and more. Tauscheck noted that these projects, like the completed Lauridsen Skatepark, have the power to be "game changers." She sees it as imperative for the Partnership to make sure the funding is secured for them.

"(These projects) create a unique sense of place that individuals will be able to feel, see and experience here (that) they're not going to get anywhere else," she said.

Tauscheck said conversations are ongoing to determine the future of a parking lot that Polk County recently purchased near its historic downtown courthouse. Together with a lot the county already owns, it represents one of the last large undeveloped spots in the Court Avenue entertainment district.

Byers’ advice to Tauscheck: 'Keep doing what you do so well'

In a statement to the Register, Byers touted Tauscheck's data-driven decisions and ability to get communities to buy in on projects. During their time working together, he noted, she helped set their strategic direction, working with board members and investors to identify the organization’s five-year vision.

"My advice is to keep doing what she does so well — leading, listening, collaborating, lifting up others and telling our region’s story," he said. "I have full confidence Greater Des Moines will reach new heights with Tiffany as President and CEO of The Partnership."

When asked how her approach to leading the Partnership would compare to Byers’, Tauscheck stated that she hopes to continue his upward climb.

“We've had a number of leaders over the years that had a vision for what this community could be, and a number of leaders who stepped up along the way. We need to continue to drive that momentum,” she said.

“I really believe that we're standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Addison Lathers covers growth and development for the Des Moines metro. Reach her at ALathers@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Tiffany Tauscheck embraces big ideas as new Des Moines Partnership CEO