Kelli Todd
Accountable care organization director of government programs, UnityPoint Health
Age: 36
Mentor: Susan Judkins, client development director, RDG Planning & Design
Reasons she is a Forty: She participated in the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute’s 2021 Community Leadership Program. She serves as president of the Iowa Rural Health Association. She volunteered with a variety of organizations including the Drake Adult Literacy Center, Anawim Housing and the National Association of ACOs and contributed to national discourse on health care through publications. She was recognized as a White House Fellows candidate and as a David A. Winston Scholar, and was appointed state commissioner on the Iowa College Student Aid Commission.
What are your goals in your role at your company? I have dedicated my career to improving health care access and affordability and producing better care and better outcomes in our health care system. In my role as the ACO director of government programs at UnityPoint, I’m fortunate that I can do that for over 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Iowa.
What are your goals for your community involvement? This year, my goal as president of the Iowa Rural Health Association is to actively engage local leaders and stakeholders across rural communities in meaningful dialogue on strategies to address and elevate issues uniquely impacting the health of Iowans in rural communities.
What's your biggest passion, and why? I’m passionate about building new approaches, strategies, products and programs that others can believe in and that inspire the mind, that remind the heart of why we do what we do, that empower people, and that encourage creativity. To achieve this is to awaken and motivate others to be a part of it, too.
What is it that drives you? After college, I realized I could complain about issues in our world and hope things would change or I could actively be part of the solution. Each day I seek the latter. As Mary Oliver stated, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
What are your future aspirations? One day I’d like to start my own company in health care consulting. I currently support a couple of organizations as a copywriter and adviser in the health care space and would enjoy doing this full time in the future with the flexibility to live anywhere in the world.
Three hobbies: Golfing; trying new restaurants, bars and entertainment; and (soon to be) rooting for our new professional soccer team on a regular basis.
Fun fact: She has a unique background and diverse interests. She’s interned at Vogue magazine, studied abroad in Spain, and is helping Nepal develop its first electronic medical record.
One word to describe you: Purposeful.
What is your wish for the Central Iowa business community? One wish I have is to “uncomplicate” a complicated health care system for consumers, and that requires innovating in the consumer space. I would love to be mentored by someone like John Pappajohn to bring practical concepts to reality.
What's one piece of advice that you would give to a young professional? Challenges today require new ways of thinking. Be creative, be willing to try new things and always ask for what you want or need. Regardless of circumstance, the answer is always “no” if you don’t ask or don’t try.
What is one issue you would like to see Central Iowa leaders address? The COVID-19 pandemic magnified differences in leadership and work styles across generations. Executives across Iowa have been forced to rethink management approaches and employment policies or risk doing business as it has always been done without recognition of evolving workplace expectations with younger leaders. With the recent “great resignation,” companies are pressured to attract talent and retain a competent workforce. Central Iowa would benefit from an executive mentorship program that pairs executives with upcoming leaders.