Diane Thacker to attend Engage DSM Academy

Diane has been accepted to the program and will post updates!

This program aims to allow residents to:

• Meet City leaders and learn how each department operates

• Discover how to access City services and engage with your local government

• Tour key City facilities and get a first-hand look at how they serve YOU

Learn more about Engage DSM

Stay tuned!

April 2nd-2025

April 3, 2025:

Envision gaining insight into the form of government in Des Moines, Iowa. Yesterday, the first Engage DSM Cohort of 2025 convened at the Municipal Building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Out of 100 applicants, 30 residents were selected to participate. Attendees enjoyed a meal, networking opportunities, and the chance to engage with current City Officials to share their thoughts and ideas on improving the city. It is both impactful and empowering to understand how our voices can influence the future of Des Moines. During the session, we learned about the Council-Manager government system adopted in 1945 to serve the city. We also discovered how residents elect the Mayor and City Council Members, how the City Council establishes policies and adopts an annual budget, and how the City Manager administers these policies. Additionally, we collaborated interactively with fellow participants and City Officials to discuss ways to support the Dart System. A particular focus was on ensuring that bus stops are well-maintained, especially during winter months, to accommodate individuals with situational anxieties, invisible disabilities, and sensory health concerns. Tonight's first class was informative and impactful, enabling our "lights " to illuminate those spaces for change. More to come next week.

April 10th-2025;

Last night, Engage Des Moines participants got started by being asked if we had the means to dive into the world of dreams and turn our ideas into realities. Delightfully, we all said yes especially when we learned from one our speakers, Librarian Nikki of the Franklin Library, that all we needed to kick start our adventures was a library card, and if we hadn't with the help of a super easy librarian to acquire it so that we can then we could, all according to age, title, situations, and genres.

This said, situations and genres of all kinds can guide us toward new directions we might not have considered, igniting a spark in our dreams.

Inspiringly, last night the speakers of Engage Des Moines shared their journeys and their stories with us on how they first saw Des Moines Iowa and through their efforts, educational backgrounds, and experiences, planned, developed, and shaped Des Moines, Iowa into a city more so transformed to ensure that everyone within its boundaries is safe and supported especially for those who deal with situational anxieties invisible disabilities and sensory health concerns who navigate within it, again reflecting "that you too can start with a dream and create change" that can be read about someday".

April 16, 2025

Enclosed Shelters act as hubs for family gatherings, community events, and safe havens during challenging seasonal moments. With support from the City of Des Moines, a new Enclosed Shelter has been established at Martin Luther King Jr Park on E. 15 Street. This shelter accommodates families of various sizes and ages, offering them access to vital resources such as food, funding, and transformative information. In this week's EngageDSM session, our group explored the City's funding for various services and resources, examined cost breakdowns, and, regrettably, noted which services might not fit into this year's budget. We also engaged in an interactive "bean counting" exercise to understand how the City's budgeted funds are allocated, realizing that without a sound budget, even the City's best plans can fall short.

April 23rd-2025

The aroma of grilled hamburgers, potato salad, and an array of side dishes in a meticulously designed and spotless kitchen was a welcome sight for the hungry members of EngageDSM this evening. The meal was expertly prepared by the Fire Chief of the Des Moines Fire Department. As we gathered and networked, the sights, scents, and even the ambient sounds of the Fire House Training Center enveloped us, setting the stage for a memorable presentation that resonated deeply with all attendees, where agility intersects with passion. Subsequently, we were engaged and informed by the Sergeant of the Police Department, who provided insight into the various roles and services offered by the Des Moines Police Department beyond traffic stops. His presentation personalized the presence of the police, fostering a sense of personal interaction.

In terms of A-NOD its mission and vision, this represents the situational spaces we are striving for. Together, supported and safe for all.

April 30, 2025

A-NOD highly recommends exploring and learning all you can about our City. Des Moines is home to 600,000 residents. Behind the scenes, many dedicated individuals are continuously networking, efficiently coordinated by two municipal buildings: one at 1551 E. Martin Luther King Jr Parkway and the other at 1700 Murray Avenue. These relatively new buildings function as hubs for servicing and maintaining our City Equipment. Visiting the City of Des Moines website provides a wealth of information. The Public Works Department is among the most informative in handling sanitation, street maintenance, sewer maintenance, forestry, sewer planning, and wastewater treatment plants. City Sanitation is crucial, especially with our waterways, highlighting the importance of being mindful of how we treat our lands, streets, and recycling choices, as everything is interconnected on multiple levels. Another highly informative department is IT. The name alone indicates why learning more is beneficial, especially considering there are over a billion cyberattacks daily. Thanks to our City, people and services are in place to maintain the infrastructure.

May 7th-2025

As we conclude our exploration of EngageDSM, we had the privilege of visiting the Pioneer Columbus Park Pavilion. During this visit, we gained valuable insights into the membership options and the range of services provided for individuals of all ages. Additionally, we enjoyed Scornovacca's Pizza, renowned as a culinary favorite of the South Side. Furthermore, we acquired a deeper understanding of the operational functions of the Human Resources department. Please tune in next week as I will be writing from the perspective of an EngageDSM Graduate, who, with twenty-plus peers, receives a certificate, snacks, and a photo or two with the Mayor, etc.

May 14th-2025: Graduation Ceremony at City Hall Council Chambers- Reflections afterwards, May 16th-2025

What is a Graduation? By definition, it is an acknowledgment of having achieved something, typically related to a course, class, or learning endeavor that helped the individual in gaining knowledge, expanding perspectives, and acquiring a new understanding of something they chose to engage in.

With that said, I, along with 24 of my peers, have completed six weeks of our involvement with the City of Des Moines through EngageDSM. This program allowed us to engage behind the scenes with seventeen services of the City of Des Moines, providing residents like us with key insights needed to understand their operations and purposes so that in the end, we, the first cohort of it, could help create dialogues, comment about decisions, and changes that could potentially impact the City of Des Moines growth and its populations as well as encourage the next cohort to engage and help transform this space of awareness advocacy and aid.

Because dedicating six weeks to anything is a significant commitment, especially when it takes time away from "already busy lives filled with family obligations." In truth, there is value in "being recognized for something that matters," something that one tried to convey to others before and after the class, not just for acknowledgment, but rather to encourage them to "join the journey with you in the moment " so they can learn as well in the moment and then on the day of graduation your loved ones who are there to witness the graduation can then hopefully become inspired to "step out of their comfort zone" for the sake of the good and proactive changes. How beneficial for all involved at that shared moment, an engaged moment, like my peers and I had, captured in the pictures that were taken.

P.S.:

Throughout my graduation and the period following it, I noticed three significant changes that resulted from my experiences, as I had come full circle in those four years. Sitting with my graduating class in City Hall, I remembered my previous visit there in 2021 during the COVID pandemic. At that time, I had to remove my mask to speak about A-NOD, accompanied by my middle son, Michael, and my prayer friend, Janice Biddle, who were there to present A-NOD. The meeting lasted an hour, but my presentation on A-NOD was just a minute long in front of Connie Bosen and Linda Westergaard. Now, I was standing with them again—Linda Westergaard, still a City Council Woman, and Connie Bosen,

now the Mayor, for more than just a minute, is captured in a photograph with them and my graduating class. Additionally, in 2021, there was a riot that afternoon, which the police managed to stop, as it was covered by the television news. This said, we learned that the news media was there during our graduation yet on our day at City Hall that afternoon, our room was now peaceful, filled with attentive individuals who understood the significance of our accomplishments, especially my mother who found what I had achieved impressive (a notable plus) mentioned she wished she had enrolled as well and might do so next year. Moreover, my twins, particularly Larry Jr., were inspired to join the Youth Advisory Board after hearing a presentation from a young lady on the board, and because he said, "Mom, because of what you do and did! And because of Larry Jr, James signed up as well, and it was at that moment I knew "that was the true purpose of graduations", that it had achieved what it was supposed to do, all achieved, captured within this moment, pictures and memories.