Abby Delaney

Assistant vice president, corporate communications officer, Bankers Trust

Age: 30

Spouse: Madison Delaney

Children: Cecilia, Andrew 

Mentor: Emily Abbas, senior vice president, chief consumer banking and marketing officer at Bankers Trust 

Reasons she is a Forty: Abby serves as the first-ever LINC representative on the United Way of Central Iowa board of directors. (LINC is United Way’s “Lead. Impact. Network. Change.” program.) She has served on the board of the Public Relations Society of America Iowa Chapter for nearly a decade and is currently president-elect. The Greater Des Moines Partnership recruited Abby to serve on its Partnership Communications Board. She created Bankers Trust’s first-ever digital marketing strategy and financial education blog.

What are your goals in your role at your company? Engagement and visibility. Internally, I help connect Bankers Trust team members to the bank’s strategy, mission, vision and values so they feel engaged in their work. Externally, I build upon the bank’s strong reputation by lifting up our employees and the difference we make through community involvement. In co-leading our marketing and communications department, I support the team in developing innovative campaigns that help meet the bank’s business goals. 

What are your goals for your community involvement? I am working to grow membership in the LINC affinity group, which helps engage young professionals with United Way of Central Iowa. LINC-designated gifts support essential needs, such as safe housing and healthy food, and by connecting members with volunteer opportunities at LINC-funded organizations, they see this important work in action.

What's your biggest passion, and why? Challenges are my biggest passion. What they require, what they reveal. I’m energized by “testing and learning” and building something that’s never been done before. I love the process of diving deep into problems, finding a solution, developing a strategy and working with my team to bring it to life. 

What is it that drives you? To live a life worthy of the generosity others have provided me. From my parents to mentors to colleagues, I’ve been fortunate to learn from many servant leaders who inspire me to believe in my potential, take an active role in making the community better, and pay that generosity forward. 

Three hobbies: Visiting parks and the zoo with my kids, running, hand lettering (the art of drawing letters).

Fun fact: Every spring, Abby creates traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs called pysanky. It’s an art form she learned from her mother and hopes to pass on to her kids someday, too.

One word to describe you: Determined.

What is your wish for the Central Iowa business community? Collaboration, innovation, inclusion and a shared commitment to building a community where families want to grow and young people want to stay. 

What's one piece of advice that you would give to a young professional? Start with the belief that you can make a difference. In your company, think about how you can expand your team’s abilities, make a process easier or engage employees. In the community, align your volunteerism with your passions – it’s easy to invest more deeply in a cause you truly care about.

What is one issue you would like to see Central Iowa leaders address? I would like to see Central Iowa leaders address the child care shortage and other barriers to access. I believe child care is not just a family issue, it is a business issue. Many people struggle to find quality, affordable child care options, and these issues have led working parents, and mothers in particular, to make tough decisions regarding care for their children and staying in the workforce.