Des Moines Area Community College

10/22/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/22/2024 15:29

DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center Celebrates New Chapter With Sign Dedication Event

Staff members at DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families​ join DMACC President Rob Denson (above, front row, third from left) and Dr. Eric Idehen, the new manager of DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center (above, front row, fourth from left), for a group photo in front of the Center's new exterior sign on Oct. 17, 2024, following a special dedication event at the Center.

Dr. Eric Idehen (above), the new manager of DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families in downtown Des Moines, welcomes attendees to a special event and exterior sign dedication on Oct. 17, 2024, at the Center.

Since opening its doors in 2013, DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center has provided thousands of unemployed, underemployed and underserved Central Iowans with access to education and job training, career services, personal finance and small business coaching, and youth development programming. These services are also part of a broader mission by DMACC to serve Iowans at all stages in their lives.​

Dr. Idehen said the Center's new exterior sign will help provide greater visibility and awareness for the Center's role as an important community resource.

Dr. Eric Idehen (above) stands in front of the new exterior sign at DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families, which is located adjacent to the DMACC Urban Campusin the heart of Des Moines, during a special sign dedication event held Thur., Oct. 17, 2024, just outside the Center's main entrance. Dr. Idehen, who was recently named the new manager​of the Evelyn K. Davis Center, shared his vision for the Center while also reflecting on its remarkable growth over the past decade during the event.

DMACC President Rob Denson (above, right) shakes the hand of Dr. Eric Idehen (above, left), the new manager of DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families, during an Oct. 17, 2024, sign dedication event at the Evelyn K. Davis Center.

The creation of DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center, which was founded in 2013, was made possible through generous gifts and leadership provided by the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, DMACC, United Way of Central Iowa, The Director's Council and Prairie Meadows, as well as countless hours from community members and community-based organizations.

Erin Davison-Rippey (above), Senior Community Impact Officer for United Way of Central Iowa, speaks during a special sign dedication event on Oct. 17, 2024, at DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families. The United Way of Central Iowa is one of the Center's founding community partners.

DMACC Vice President Emeritus Dr. Mary Chapman (above) shares her memories of working to develop DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families as a first-of-its-kind partnership between education, business and community that connects families and individuals with education, support services, career pathways and employment. ​​

Dr. Chapman, who retired from DMACC in 2013, was the first woman to serve as Executive Dean at the DMACC Urban Campus in Des Moines.

Evelyn Moore (above), granddaughter of the late Evelyn K. Davis​, poses for a photo in front of her grandmother's portrait at DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families in Des Moines while attending an Oct. 17, 2024, sign dedication event at the Center. Moore, who recently moved back to Des Moines from Atlanta, said it's wonderful to see her grandmother's legacy of service continue.

Dr. Mary Chapman (left to right), DMACC Vice President Emeritus; Rob Denson, DMACC President; Dr. Eric Idehen, manager of DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families; and Erin Davison-Rippey, Senior Community Impact Officer for United Way of Central Iowa, pose for a photo in front of the new exterior sign at DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Centerin downtown Des Moines.

To learn more about DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families, visit evelynkdaviscenter.org.

Contacts:

- Dr. Eric Idehen, Manager, DMACC's Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families, (515) 697-1476, [email protected]

​​- Mike Hoffman, DMACC, Acting Associate VP of Community Outreach and Continuing Education, ​(515) 256-4901, [email protected]

- Lisa Schmitz, DMACC, Public Relations Specialist, (515) 964-6813, [email protected]

Photo credit for all images: Lisa Schmitz for DMACC