Executive Leadership Program (ELP) Announces 2025 Cohort

Posted February 13, 2025

The Executive Leadership Program (ELP) provides local executives and business leaders an immersive deep-dive into today’s most pressing leadership challenges, giving them the tools to successfully lead and grow their organizations. In partnership with the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, Greater Iowa City, Inc. launched the 2025 ELP cohort with 15 local leaders and area executives.

Marcelo Aruani

Bio

Marcelo Aruani, native of Mendoza, Argentina, living in the USA since 2010 and in Iowa City since 2016. Shares his life with his wife Amanda and daughters Luciana and Juliet. Architecture professional since 2005, currently Senior Associate at “Emergent Architecture” in Cedar Rapids with previous tenures at “OPN Architects” in Iowa City and at “Pelli Clarke and Partners” in New Haven Connecticut. Always available for soccer related activities.

Sara Barth

Bio

I received my BA in Geography and Social Change from the University of Iowa in 2003. I have worked and volunteered at numerous non-profits in Iowa City.

My tenacity earned me my role as Office Manager at the Housing Fellowship in 2005. Under incredible leadership, I learned the operations of a successful and compliant, nonprofit business office.
I joined the Events Team at Pearson in 2010 and was promoted three times. Pearson holds a special place in my heart and has played a major role in developing my leadership skills.

In 2022, I started a new chapter. I joined the team at CommUnity Crisis Services as Director of Support Services. I have dedicated my life to service and my heart is in nonprofits. This role has enabled me to serve and connect with my community and help our most vulnerable neighbors.

During my free time I love traveling, live music and above all spending time with my family.

Brian Boelk

Bio

I am co-founder of Axiom Consultants, LLC, a full-service engineering firm with offices in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. I serve as an Executive and the Civil Services Team Leader. I am a graduate of the University of Iowa and have worked in both the public and private sector for 26 years. I am married (24 years) to my amazing wife Amy, and we have four children ranging in age from 20 to 22. I love most outdoor activities and am an avid runner, biker, and swimmer. I also enjoy being heavily involved with our church and in our faith.

Ian Cawley

Bio

Ian is the Executive Director of Houses into Homes in Coralville, IA. HiH is a nonprofit furniture bank working to provide the basic comforts of home: gently-used beds, furniture and household items for families in Johnson County who are exiting homelessness, domestic violence and other crisis situations.

He spent 15 years building a career in for-profit corporate sales before a mid-life clarity last spring caused him to seek out a career helping others and building community.

Ian is a graduate of Luther College in Decorah, IA and has lived in the Iowa City area for (most of) the last 20 years. In his abundant free time, you can find Ian spending time around Iowa City with his wife Emily and 5 year old daughter, or playing cello in a string quartet at his local congregation.

Jill De Young

Bio

Jill De Young is Senior Vice President, Director of Administration at Hills Bank. She joined the bank in 2024. Prior to that, she served as Chief of Staff at the University of Iowa College of Law. Jill graduated from University of Michigan and the University of Iowa College of Law. She lives in University Heights with her husband Paul and youngest daughter, Sylvia (16), and their small dog, Nelly. Her older daughters are Ella (20) and Ceci (19) who are occasionally home when not in college at their respective schools in Minnesota. She fills her free time with family, friends, travel (or at least planning an annual family getaway), and reading with a bit of yoga, walking, and cardio tennis mixed in.

Amber Jedlicka

Bio

Amber Jedlicka is the Director of Health Services/Administrator for Oaknoll Retirement Residence in Iowa City. With 22 years of leadership experience in three top-tier full-service retirement communities in Iowa, Amber brings a wealth of expertise to the aging services field. She holds a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa and an MBA from the University of Dubuque. Passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders, Amber is dedicated to continuous learning and leveraging her skills to guide organizations and teams into the future. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband, Nick, and their 4 kids. They live in Solon, where both she and Nick grew up.

Nick Kaeding

Bio

Nick Kaeding is the Senior VP of Finance & Administration at Think Iowa City and the Iowa City Area Sports Commission. In his professional role, Nick provides executive administrative support for Think Iowa City’s mission to advance our community’s economic vitality and quality of life for residents and visitors as Iowa’s premier destination. A native of Coralville, Nick is proud to work for an organization that is dedicated to promoting the place he calls home. Nick and his wife (Leslie) reside in North Liberty with their 3 children. Nick is also a proud youth sports coach, Rotarian and member of multiple community non-profit boards.

Cindy Meis

Bio

A Wisconsin native turned Hawkeye, Cindy Meis is the Director of Tippie Undergraduate Career Services at the University of Iowa, bringing over 20 years of experience in higher education. With a background in project management, sales, marketing, and client services, she has worked across industries at companies such as Direct Supply Medical, Retek/Oracle, and Goldman Sachs. Cindy is passionate about helping students navigate their career paths through hard work, dedication, and creativity. Outside the office, she enjoys all that Iowa City has to offer, making her home here with her husband, Mitch, a local business owner, and their four children.

Jillian Miller

Bio

Jillian Miller is a community engagement enthusiast who has dedicated her career to placemaking in Johnson County. As the Assistant Community Relations Director for the City of North Liberty, where she has worked for nearly nine years, Jillian has designed and executed countless programs and staple events, and has played an integral role in the development of Centennial Park’s event hall and amphitheater. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband cheering on their two daughters at softball, basketball, swimming and dance.

Ben Muhlenbruch

Bio

Ben Muhlenbruch is the Director of Product Management at CCR Technologies, leveraging 15 years of experience to drive product strategy and innovation. He leads a team of product managers, collaborates with executives to shape strategic vision, and optimizes resources across product lines to achieve key business objectives. Ben is passionate about uniting people and technology to create impactful solutions.

A lifelong Iowa Citian, Ben and his wife, Lauren, are proud parents to their daughter, Grace, with a baby boy on the way this summer. Their family wouldn’t be complete without their dachshund, Rizzo (Go Cubs!). Outside of work, Ben enjoys golf, fishing, and perfecting his pizza-making skills.

Leslie Prideaux

Bio

Leslie Jensen Prideaux is a non-profit leader with more than 15 years of experience at both large and regional public universities. With an innovative approach and a proven track record, Leslie has consistently demonstrated her ability to create strategic, integrated programs designed to engage university constituents while building lasting relationships that drive institutional loyalty and support. Leslie earned her BA and MA at the University of Iowa and her PhD at the University of Nebraska. She currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. Leslie and her spouse, a fellow University of Iowa alumnus, are proud parents of three children and two Chihuahuas.

Hillary Ramaker

Bio

Hillary Ramaker is an Iowa native and alumna of Luther College. She earned her MBA in nonprofit management from the University of Denver before returning to Iowa. Hillary has extensive experience working in higher education, having worked in the University of Iowa Departments of Theatre Arts and Industrial Engineering, as well as with non-profits, where she served as Executive Director of TRAIL of Johnson County and in the fundraising management division at Ruffalo Noel Levitz. Hillary joined the Tippie College of Business in 2023 where she now serves as the Director of Administrative Operations.

Juli Seydell Johnson

Bio

Juli Seydell Johnson is the Director of Parks and Recreation for Iowa City, Iowa, a position she has held since January 2016. In this role, she oversees the city's 50 parks, an extensive trail network, City facility management, and recreational programming. Prior to her tenure in Iowa City, she served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Eagan, Minnesota, and the City of Coralville, Iowa. An Iowa native, she earned her under graduate degree from Iowa State University and her master’s degree from the University of South Dakota. Beyond her professional commitments, she likes to be outside walking and is an artist primarily focusing on textile art and Norwegian Rosemaling (painting). Juli and her husband, Todd, live with their energetic puppy, Sven, on the eastside of Iowa City. They have two grown children.

Travis Tittle

Bio

Travis Tittle is the Senior Manager of SAP Applications at Integrated DNA Technologies in Coralville. Travis has been part of the company for 15 years. He oversees IT Developers, Analysts, and System Administrators who maintain the company's ERP system SAP, advancing global order to cash business processes in a methodical, efficient, and compliant way. In his free time, he and his wife enjoy following their children around the midwest participating in various sporting events, enjoying great food and music along the way.

Michael Villhauer

Bio

Mike Villhauer is a partner and senior project manager at Build to Suit, Inc. He attended the University of Iowa earning his bachelor’s degree from the Tippie College of Business. Throughout his 12+ years with Build to Suit, he has managed and worked with construction teams to complete projects in 28 states and counting. While his primary focus is delivering high-quality developments nationwide, he also takes pride in managing projects that enhance the local community he grew up in.

Strategy & Leadership programs

Business support & network

Community Development

ECONOMIC Development