27. Anne Carter | The Iowa Idea

Subscribe: Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | RSS

The Iowa Idea: Anne Carter

“It takes work. It takes effort. It takes intentionality.”

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I sit down with Anne Harris Carter. Anne has more than twenty-five years of experience in corporate leadership. A graduate of Yale, Anne conceived and created diversity strategy roles at two corporations, including the former May Department Stores. We also discuss her work with Iowa’s Healthiest State initiative, with a focus on the “Make it OK” campaign to reduce the stigma around mental illness, as well as her Bipolar II diagnosis. Anne shares with me her parents’ struggle to buy a home in an all-white Cedar Rapids neighborhood.

I appreciated Anne’s insights on diversity and inclusion, and how we might cultivate more diverse and inclusive teams and organizations.

I really appreciated Anne’s insights. It was an honor to have her on the podcast. Links to Iowa’s Healthiest State’s Make It Ok initiative and more details about the Harris Family can be found in the links in the episode description. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Anne

Anne Harris Carter has more than twenty-five years of experience in corporate leadership in the retail, banking, and energy sectors. Anne returned to her Iowa hometown, Cedar Rapids, in 2012 and joined Alliant Energy, a Midwest utility with nearly 4000 employees and 1.4 million customers. While at Alliant, she held Director roles in Diversity and Inclusion, Energy Efficiency, and Recruitment, launching a new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion vision in 2020.

A graduate of Yale, Anne conceived and created diversity strategy roles at two corporations, including the former May Department Stores. Prior to serving as Vice President of Diversity at May’s corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, she held positions in merchandising, stores, and operations, including Vice President of Merchandise Information Systems for the Kaufmann’s operating division, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Anne is dedicated to community service. She is currently a board member for Orchestra Iowa and Unity Point Health – St. Luke’s Foundation and serves on the Policy Committee for the Creating Safe, Equitable and Thriving (SET) Communities Fund. She has served on the Diversity Committee for the Cedar Rapids Community School District and is a former board member for Waypoint Services. Anne also co-chaired the Leadership and Diversity workgroup for the Madison Region Economic Partnership in Wisconsin and co-chaired the 2017 giving campaign for United Way of East Central Iowa.

Anne plays violin and is exceedingly grateful for her three adult children and granddaughter.

The story of her parents’ search for a place to live and controversy around the property they ultimately purchased begins on page 18.

https://www.unitypoint.org/cedarrapids/article.aspx?id=2bb37e8f-e4d1-4f27-846e-1820c8365f88

Iowa Healthiest State Initiative – Make it Ok: Anne’s Story

http://www.iowahealthieststate.com/blog/make-it-ok/anne-harris-carter-bipolar-type-2-cedar-rapids/

Iowa Healthiest State Initiative – Make it Ok Campaign

http://www.iowahealthieststate.com/resources/individuals/makeitok/

Credits

Episode produce by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/)

The Iowa Idea Podcast music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).