Meghan Malloy

Lobbyist and general counsel, Heartland Strategies LLC

Age: 38

Spouse: Dr. Christopher Disbro

Children: Judah, 12, Luca-Naphtali, 5, Zipporah, 3

Mentor: Lee Rood, Reader's Watchdog columnist, Des Moines Register

Reasons she is a Forty: She was the first two-year-term president of Junior League of Des Moines, from 2018 to 2020, which meant navigating the organization through the beginning of the pandemic. She was a member of the first Polk County Juvenile Drug Court Collaborative, established in 2015 by the late Judge Colin Witt; she now serves as a board member of the newly re-formed Polk County Foster Care Review Board. She also gives at least one tour of the Iowa state Capitol each year to young women in Judge Susan Cox’s Too Good to Lose court program. 

What are your goals in your role at your company? Government relations gives me the privilege to help effect positive changes for all Iowans. I plan to continue working for underrepresented populations or marginalized communities and have their voices heard at our state Capitol. It is, after all, the people’s house.

What are your goals for your community involvement? There are more than 1,000 children in foster care in Polk County annually. I want to actively work toward meeting the needs of children in foster care and their families, particularly increasing the accessibility to mental health and addiction care services to prevent separation and promote family reunification. 

What's your biggest passion, and why? I am passionate about voting access, especially for marginalized communities. Democracy only works when people know their rights and can vote easily. This means supporting laws that do not place additional requirements on being able to access the ballot box, and supporting initiatives that help people get to the polls. 

What is it that drives you? There have been setbacks – both personal and professional – throughout my life which required tenacity to push through and keep moving forward. Government relations is a career where things may not go as planned, and I’m driven by my tenacity to keep moving forward and designing solutions to positively impact Iowans.

What are your future aspirations? I wrote my first story before kindergarten, and I still love writing short stories and novellas during my free time. Professionally, I will probably always be close to politics, but I also dream of seeing a dust jacket with my name embossed on the front.

Three hobbies: If the Hawkeyes are playing, I’m watching or listening. I love going to concerts and music festivals around Des Moines. (Who else can’t wait for Hinterland?!) I never say no to thrift and antique shopping!

Fun fact: She was a storyteller at the February 2018 Des Moines Register Storytellers event, telling the story of her “everyday miracle,” her son Judah, who will turn 13 this year.

One word to describe you: Intrepid.

What is your wish for the Central Iowa business community? Supports and services for kids with disabilities are plentiful, but less so for adults. I would love to meet with Sen. Tom Harkin, who wrote the ADA, to discuss how business leaders can better support adult employees with disabilities.

Anything else you haven't addressed that people must know about you? I geek out about Des Moines history. There are so many unique stories about our city and how the current physical and cultural landscape was shaped. I love researching the Midwest’s best-kept secret and its history.

What's one piece of advice that you would give to a young professional? Try it or forever wish you had. Accept the board director invitation, get your name on that ballot, try that new idea. Remember: Everything will be OK in the end. It is better to have tried new ideas and experiences than regret never having tried at all. 

What is one issue you would like to see Central Iowa leaders address? We know COVID placed people in financially precarious positions. Business and government leaders must work together to address homelessness and financial vulnerability that people are facing to provide them with stability so they and their families may thrive – not simply survive. When people’s basic needs are met, they are productive, and our whole community benefits. People want to work, and they can do their best when they feel safe and stable at work and home.