Who We Are
Our Mission:
To increase the pace and scale of farmer-led efforts to improve water quality in Iowa.
What We Do
Development – Much of what we do is behind the scenes. We build programs and connect dollars with projects and people who can drive change. A large part of this includes the development of cost share programs.
Communication – We create engagement from the ground up by informing people about the needs, opportunities, and solutions of water quality problems. Positive change doesn’t happen when you tell someone what to do. It happens when you give people the tools and motivation to do it.
Why We Do It
The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy guides our statewide tactics.
AWA’s mission is rooted in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, created by these three organizations to impact both local communities, and downstream water all the way to the Gulf off the coast of Louisiana. The Iowa NRS outlines science-based practices like wetlands, cover crops, prairie, and more that can make a real difference downstream when implemented in quantity. The NRS’s agriculture goal is a 45 percent reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus losses.
Our Driving Forces
Relationships come first.
Strong relationships are the foundation of success. Farmer relationships build trust. Partner relationships accelerate change.
Recognize unique strengths.
IAWA and every organization we work with has its own unique strengths. By recognizing that, we can work more efficiently together toward massive goals.
Clean water starts with you.
Each and every one of us has a role to play in water quality. From rural communities to rolling farm fields to the bustling cities, everyone in Iowa can make a difference.
Information empowers.
Conservation cannot be successful without the understanding of why it’s needed, how it works, and how to be successful. That’s why outreach is a pillar of our work.
Our Strategic Approach
IAWA has four strategic focus areas to improve water quality. Learn about them below.
MAXIMIZE FOUNDER COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
Our founders – Iowa Corn, Iowa Soybean, and Iowa Pork – support, advocate for, and inform thousands of farmers statewide. They have built decades of trust and demonstrated leadership with their advocacy. Our ability to reach farmers is amplified 10-fold because of these channels! Their magazines, email newsletters, and websites reach every corner of the state!
LEVERAGE MARKET-BASED SOLUTIONS
IAWA leverages market-based solutions to drive adoption of conservation practices. Simply put – we promote solutions that make money, or at the very least, don’t cause losses. How? We promote soil health practices. We seek out cost share programs and promote them. We work with businesses who innovate profitable conservation product lines.
increase funding with public & private partners
Sometimes getting a project funded is like putting together a puzzle. For one wetland, we might partner with 10 different groups to get the project over the finish line. For a multi-million dollar USDA project, we might bring 100 partners together to contribute cash and in-kind support to help more farmers. Funding is about matching opportunity with strategy to get the most acres covered.
REACH MIDDLE AND LATE ADOPTERS WITH PARTNER INFLUENCE
We are much stronger together than we are alone. IAWA’s councils help to reach even more farmers, including those who have never considered conservation before. Those middle and late adopters are criticle to forward progress. At IAWA, we lift up partner voices and strengths. We collaborate together to figure out the best way to create lasting change.
Meet the IAWA Team
Jeff Lucas
Executive Director
Jeff Lucas, a native of Fort Madison, Iowa, is a proud alumnus of Iowa State University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree. Jeff has a heart for service and a talent for collaboration. Throughout his career, Jeff has embraced diverse experiences across the United States, from the high desert landscapes of Idaho to the vibrant music scene of Nashville, Tennessee. His professional journey includes managing a non-profit organization dedicated to raising beef cattle for food banks and pantries and serving as the Marketing Director at YSS, a substance abuse treatment center.
Most recently, he excelled as the Chief Operations Officer for a leading livestock trailer manufacturer. Jeff’s passions include bass fishing, travel, family time, and rodeo. Alongside his wife, Brooke, Jeff enjoys life with their young daughter, Emmy Lu, and their Australian Shepherd, Khloe. Now, he is excited to embark on a new chapter with IAWA.
Rebekah Jones
Director of Communications
Rebekah leads communications for IAWA, one of two pillars of IAWA’s work. As a former journalist, Rebekah told stories around the country — talking to farmers in Iowa about the cost of land, growers in California about fruit production, and small business owners in Alabama about the importance of coastal conservation. In Colorado Springs, Rebekah won a Regional Edward R Murrow award as the weekday morning anchor for the local CBS affiliate.
IAWA brings Rebekah back to her roots. She was raised on a farm in Northeast Iowa and will always remember when her dad took her out to the fields, put dirt in her hands, and explained what kind of topsoil is the backbone of their farm. She and her husband, Ryan, bought a farm with their family in 2022. Together they’re planning conservation strategies to protect the soil and water for years to come.
Jen Williams
development director
Jen leads development for IAWA, one of two pillars of IAWA’s work. She connects people, projects, and funding opportunities that support IAWA’s mission. Throughout her 25-year career, she has had the privilege of supporting row crop farmers and livestock producers in nearly every state as they tirelessly feed, fuel, and clothe the world. She is excited to partner across the agriculture industry to accelerate the adoption of conservation practices to protect our most valuable resources – soil and water. As a resident of northern Missouri, she has hands-on experience implementing conservation practices on her family’s farm. In her spare time, Jen enjoys gardening, making unique jams from home-grown produce, and all outdoor activities (especially those that involve water!). Jen’s educational background includes degrees in animal science, agricultural economics, and business.
Tom Collins
Communications Specialist
Tom focuses on farmer and partner communication initiatives that involve collaboration and innovative storytelling. Before coming to IAWA, Tom graduated from Iowa State University with a BA in Advertising and a minor in Entrepreneurship. Currently, he lives in Ankeny and runs a natural soap making business outside of work. Tom’s experiences as an Eagle Scout and sustainable business owner make him excited to contribute to the future of Iowa water quality. And like farmers, he’s passionate about seeing small businesses and their communities thrive!
Ben Porepp
Conservation Program Coordinator
As IAWA’s Conservation Program Coordinator, Ben specializes in the delivery of project funding, deliverable tracking, and partner engagement across numerous federal, state, and private projects. Before coming to IAWA, Ben served Iowa’s farmers in the field as a conservation agronomist for the Iowa Soybean Association. Ben’s knowledge and experience from the field, provide real-world insight for managing and delivering complex programs to Iowa’s producers and consumers. In his free time, Ben enjoys cheering on his favorite sports teams, spending time with friends and family, and fishing the clean waters Iowa’s farmers work hard to provide. Ben graduated with a BS in Agronomy from Iowa State University.
Kailah Schmitz
Strategic Advisor
Kailah thrives on collaboration and infusing ingenuity into all that she does. In her role as managing director, she excels in situations that provide new opportunities and forward-thinking to support the mission of the clients she serves. Hailing from the very center of rural Iowa, Kailah is an alum of Iowa State University and holds the credential of Certified Association Executive. She also serves her local community as president of the Roland Area Development Corporation. When Kailah isn’t at the office, she is spending as much time enjoying the outdoors as possible with her husband Jeff chasing their littlest sources of inspiration, Torran, Wade and Chase.
Libby Fries
Administrative Support
Libby Fries is from southern Illinois, right across the river from St. Louis. She attended the University of Iowa where she met her fiancé. Libby moved to Des Moines in 2022 and loves it. She lives with her cat named Kylo. In her free time, Libby loves reading, shopping, and spending time with friends.
Our Beginnings
IAWA’s story begins with a clear vision for cleaner water – and three founders dedicated to progress. In 2014, the Iowa Soybean, Iowa Corn Growers, and Iowa Pork Producers associations formed the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance. They wanted to bring all stakeholders to the table, generate financial and technical assistance for Iowa’s farmers, and find new resources and innovations to improve water quality.