Past Speakers

FFBC members enjoy breakfast and a speaker during our monthly gatherings. Breakfast begins promptly at 7:00am. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are at Hoyt Sherman Place. To view upcoming speakers, click here.

Hoyt Sherman Place (Web site)
1501 Woodland Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50309

EVENT DATE	SPEAKER(S) / EVENT

March 1, 2019	John-Paul Chaisson-Cardena, Consultant/Owner at Transition Facilitator Group Click here for audio
February 1, 2019	Brad Anderson, Executive Director of AARP of Iowa Click here for audio
January 4, 2019	Randy Mayer, Director, Office of Cannabidiol Click here for audio
December 7, 2018	Rev. Debbie Griffin, Downtown Disciples Church Click here for audio
November 2, 2018	Cindy Axne, US House Candidate Click here for audio
October 5, 2018	Samuel Brinton, Head of Advocacy & Government Affairs for The Trevor Project Click here for audio
September 7, 2018	Brad Clark , Executive Director of Gill Foundation Click here for audio
August 3, 2018	Teree Caldwell-Johnson , Board Chair, Des Moines Public Schools Click here for audio
July 6, 2018	Tom Vilsac , Democrat, 40th Governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007 and former United States Secretary of Agriculture. Click here for audio
June 1, 2018	Nate Monson, Executive Director of Iowa Safe Schools
May 4, 2018	Keith Snow, CEO of the personal data “mining” firm, B2E Data Marketing, Inc. Click here for audio
April 6, 2018	Sergeant Paul Parizek, Public Information Officer for the Des Moines Police Department. Click here for audio
March 2, 2018	Ann Selzer, founder of Selzer and Associates, a polling firm. Click here for audio
February 2, 2018	Carol Hunter, Executive Editor for the Des Moines Register. Click here for audio
January 5, 2018	Matt McCoy, Incumbent Democratic Iowa State Senator from the 21st District. Click here for audio
December 1, 2017	Matt Mardis-LeCroy, Senior Minister of Plymouth United Church of Christ. Click here for audio
November 3, 2017	Dean Lerner, retired attorney who spent 30 years in Iowa public service as Assistant Attorney General, Chief Deputy Secretary of State, and Deputy/Director of the Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals Click here for audio Additional Resources
October 6, 2017	Reverend Mark Stringer, current pastor of First Unitarian Church who recently announced his retirement and will be taking a leadership position at the Iowa chapter of the ACLU. Click here for audio
September 1, 2017	Michelle Book, President and CEO of Food Bank of Iowa. Click here for audio
August 4, 2017	Ryan Berg, author of 'No House to Call My Home,' and an advocate for homeless LGBTQ youth. Click here for audio
July 7, 2017	Dr. Loren Olson, psychiatrist and book author. Click here for audio
June 2, 2017	Reverend Anna Blaedel, Executive Director of the University of Iowa Wesley Student Center and self-avowed and avid practicing lesbian, whose complaint filed against her in June, 2016 by three Iowa Conference clergymen, was dismissed on Aug. 30 by Bishop Julius C. Trimble. Click here for audio
May 5, 2017	Bob Hopper, CEO at Boy Scouts of America, Mid-Iowa Council Click here for audio
April 7, 2017	Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel, the new Executive Director for One Iowa Click here for audio
March 3, 2017	Robert Warren, Executive Director for Hoyt Sherman Place Click here for audio
February 3, 2017	Dennis Goldford, Professor of Political Science and Department Chair at Drake University. Click here for audio
January 6, 2017	Bill Moulder, former Police Chief of Des Moines, Iowa who now owns and operates Moulder and Associates Police Management Consultants. Click here for audio
December 2, 2016	Mel Duncan Executive Director and Cofounder of the Nonviolent Peaceforce, the Preeminent International Unarmed Civilian Protection Advocacy Agency, based in Brussels, Belgium. Click here for audio
November 4, 2016	Dr. Maria Filippone, D.O. Advocate for Physicians for Social Responsibility, who recently journeyed to the Gaza Strip. Click here for audio
October 7, 2016	Jim Mowrer Democratic Candidate for United States Representative for Iowa's 3rd District. Click here for audio
September 2, 2016	Jack Schuler, a trans male Iowa high school English teacher. Click here for audio
August 5, 2016	Shadley Grei, local filmmaker and performance artist.
July 1, 2016	Congressman David Young, U.S. Representative for Iowa's 3rd District. Click here for audio
June 3, 2016	Joshua Barr, the new Human Rights Director for the City of Des Moines. Click here for audio
May 6, 2016	Tyler McCubbin, who Dowling Catholic High School declined to hire as a teacher because he is gay and getting married. Click here for audio
April 1, 2016	Joseph Bolkcom, Iowa Senator who introduced an Iowa Death With Dignity statute. Click here for audio

March 4, 2016	Andy Mcguire, head of the Iowa Democratic Party for a post-mortem on the Iowa Caucuses.
February 5, 2016	Suzanna De Baca, President/CEO Planned Parenthood of the Heartland Click here for audio

January 8, 2015	Governor Martin O'Malley, Democratic Presidential Candidate 2016 Click here for audio
December 4, 2015	John Clayton, Representative of the Al Gore Foundation and 'The Climate Reality Project' Click here for audio
November 6, 2015	Jeremy Rosen, Executive Director of ACLU Iowa Click here for audio
October 2, 2015	Robbie Mook, Campaign Manager for Hillary Rodham Clinton 2016 Click here for audio
September 4, 2015	Mike Draper President and Owner of Raygun
August 7, 2015	Marty Martin, Drake University President Click here for audio
July 3, 2015	Dana Wingert, New Des Moines Police Chief Click here for audio
June 5, 2015	Reverend Dr. Larry Sonner, United Methodist Minister Click here for audio
May 1, 2015	Jennifer Harvey, Drake University Associate Professor of Religion Click here for audio
April 2, 2015	Bill LaHay and Paul Koeniguer, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) Click here for audio
March 6, 2015	Dr. Richard Deming, Founder, Above + Beyond Cancer Click here for audio
February 6, 2015	Dr. Frank Filippelli, Medical Director, MECCA Services
January 2, 2015	Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D, Iowa House District 35 and Islamic Imam Click here for audio
December 5, 2014	Bishop Richard Pates, Des Moines Catholic Diocese Click here for audio
November 7, 2014	Kathie Obradovich, Des Moines Register political columnist Click here for audio
October 3, 2014	U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley (D, IA 1st District), Candidate for US Senate
September 5, 2014	Michael Keegan, President, People for the American Way Click here for audio
August 1, 2014	Steve "The Round Guy" Pilchen, Stand Up Comedian and former "Biggest Loser" contestant. Steve will perform his comedy for us. Click here for audio
June 6, 2014	Michael Gartner, Journalist and Businessman Click here for audio
May 2, 2014	Zack Bunkers, State of Iowa Archivist Click here for audio
April 4, 2014	Jack Hatch (D), Iowa Gubernatorial Candidate Click here for audio
March 7, 2014	Donna Red Wing, Executive Director of One Iowa Click here for audio
February 7, 2014	Brad Buck, Director of the Iowa Department of Education Click here for audio
January 3, 2014	Anne Starr, CEO of Orchard Place Des Moines Click here for audio
December 6, 2013	Rabbi Edelman-Blank, Tifereth Synagogue, Des Moines Click here for audio
November 1, 2013	Jody Jenner, President and CEO of Broadlawns Medical Center Click here for audio
October 4, 2013	Brad Anderson, Candidate for Iowa Secretary of State Click here for audio
September 6, 2013	Zachary Mannheimer, Executive Director, Des Moines Social Club Click here for audio
August 2, 2013	Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, Executive Director, World Food Prize
June 7, 2013	Dr. Jason Glass, Executive Director of the Iowa Department of Education Click here for audio
May 3, 2013	Sean Faircloth, Executive Director of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Science and Reason Click here for audio
April 5, 2013	Rep. Daniel Lundby (D), Openly Gay Iowa House Representative from Cedar Rapids/Marion Click here for audio
March 1, 2013	Greg Gross, Director of Project HIM (AIDS Project of Central Iowa) Click here to see the YouTube clip Greg showed during his presentation. Click here for audio
February 1, 2013	Sean Strub, Founder of POZ Magazine and filmmaker, with his guest speaker Nick Rhoades. Click here to see the YouTube clip Sean showed during his presentation. Click here for audio
January 4, 2013	Senator Mike Gronstal, Iowa Senate Majority Leader D-District 50 (Council Bluffs) Click here for audio
December 7, 2012	Reverend Jonathan Page, Ames United Church of Christ Click here for audio
November 2, 2012	Bill McCarthy, Polk County Sheriff Click here for audio
October 5, 2012	Carol Greta, Legal counsel to the Iowa Department of Education Click here for audio
September 7, 2012	Justice Michael Streit, Former Iowa Supreme Court Justice, JFK Profiles In Courage Award recipient Click here for audio
August 3, 2012	Donna Red Wing, Executive Director of One Iowa Click here for audio
July 6, 2012	Matt Russell, Drake University Agronomist Click here for audio
June 1, 2012	Rabbi David Horowitz, National president of PFLAG
May 4, 2012	Scott Schoettes, The regional head of Lambda Legal Click here for audio
April 6, 2012	Dr. Steven Leath, President of Iowa State University
March 2, 2012	Ellen Krug, Lawyer and contributor to AccessLine
February 3, 2012	John Berry, Director of the White House Office of Personnel Management
January 6, 2012	Senator Liz Mathis, Iowa Senator
December 2, 2011	Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, National President of The Interfaith Alliance
November 4, 2011	Senator Jeff Angelo founder of Republicans for Freedom
October 7, 2011	Rebecca Gruber Director of the Des Moines Gay men's Chorus
September 2, 2011	Dr. Dwight Watson Dean of the University of Northern Iowa