Born and raised in Iowa, Lynnae attended college in Denver and the Philippines, followed by a journey through S.E. Asia and Europe before finishing her B.A. in Sociology at Iowa State University. She earned an M.B.A. from Keller Graduate School of Management in Chicago. She spent ten years in Chicago as an educator and business analyst. Over the next ten years, Lynnae’s family moved to Colorado and then Texas before making a deliberate move back to Iowa to be closer to family.
In 2005, Lynnae Co-Founded the non-profit Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC), along with Beth Jarot and Chaden Halfhill. As COSC’s initial Executive Director, she guided its growth to become a state-wide organization; serving as a trusted, educational resource in green building for both professionals and homeowners; helping to create a market shift toward more sustainable communities.
She has served on many boards and councils including the Iowa Environmental Council, the Governor’s Energy Efficiency Commission, the Green Advisory Board for Traditional Home Magazine, and the Steering Committee for the Des Moines Metro’s Regional Plan for Sustainable Development.
For the past nine years, Lynnae has been hosting a weekly radio show and podcast, Green City, focused on sustainability aired on KFMG 98.9 FM in Des Moines.
On the show, Lynnae interviews a diverse array of guests who are doing their part to nudge sustainability throughout Iowa and beyond in fun and innovative ways. Her favorite professional role in life is to highlight the good work of others.
Outside of work, Lynnae enjoys traveling, hiking, reading and spending time with her family and friends.
Her personal message on sustainability is to remember our heritage. Our grandparents knew how to be resilient and sustainable — they bought local, used natural materials, built things to last, carefully managed their resources, and connected with and gave back to their community. We can learn a lot from their example.
