March 15, 2019
Three EveryStep Volunteer Leaders Named to Forty Under 40
EveryStep Foundation trustees Melissa Knutson and Brandon Foldes, along with Angela Kruse, Amanda the Panda advisory board member and grief counselor, are among Des Moines Business Record’s Forty Under 40 honorees.
Forty Under 40 is an annual list of 40 Central Iowa business leaders, who were chosen by past award winners, are under the age of 40 and have demonstrated impressive career achievements and community involvement.
Melissa Knutson
Melissa is vice president of professional liability programs at NCMIC Group.
In addition to her EveryStep involvement, Melissa and her daughter founded Give Grace, Give Hope — a program to increase access to feminine hygiene products for girls and women in homeless shelters, schools and non-profit organizations.
She is also active in Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Johnston School District, Habitat for Humanity and several other organizations.
Brandon Foldes
For several years Brandon has chaired EveryStep’s Good Grief Golf Open and before that, the Amanda the Panda Golf Open. He currently serves on the Amanda the Panda advisory board.
As a 13-year-old, Brandon experienced the death of his younger sister and now advocates and raises funds for services that offer comfort and understanding to those grieving a loved one.
He is president and CEO at Shyft Collective.
Angela Kruse
Angela is a vice president of Community Outreach for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and manages the Military Homes Donation program.
In addition to being a camp counselor for EveryStep’s Amanda the Panda program, she coordinates the Professional Women’s Group Committee of Dress for Success, is a One-2-One facilitator through Lutheran Church of Hope, and was selected for Wells Fargo’s servicing leadership lab class in 2017.