The organization “One Iowa” works to advance, empower and improve the lives of LGBTQ Iowans statewide.
This fall, Courtney Reyes was named Executive Director of “One Iowa”.
She recently visited Sioux City and talked to Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer about her new post, future goals and her thoughts of inclusiveness in northwest Iowa.
Reyes helped host a “One Iowa” event in Sioux City last month that featured Sioux City native Chris Godfrey. Godfrey won a major lawsuit against former Governor Terry Branstad and the state for sexual-orientation discrimination.
Biography from “One Iowa”:
Courtney Reyes has always been drawn to helping people. After graduating from Iowa State University she worked at a substance abuse treatment facility. This work opened her eyes to the world of advocacy. Courtney then stayed home to raise her two boys. This was one of the most rewarding and challenging times of her life.
She was inspired to become more involved in the community after the 2012 election. Since then, injustice in our state has become more apparent to her, and she’s ached to do more. As the political climate continued to change, the ache became unbearable and an opportunity came from One Iowa at the perfect time.
Over the past two years, Courtney has stepped into many roles in the organization and is thrilled to lead the team of amazing humans that make up One Iowa. She is committed to educating the broader community, encouraging future leaders, and activating Iowans to make real change in our state.