Hello,
I'm Laurie DePhillips
I'm a third-generation Iowan that has chosen Grimes as my home. Below is some background about me, my experience, and why I'm running for re-election for Grimes City Council. Once you're done reading about me, I would appreciate the opportunity to learn about you. Contact me and let's set up some time to talk.
Iowa born and raised.
I am an Iowa native, born in Pella. My parents are both second-generation born and raised in the Des Moines area. My mother is from Urbandale and my father is from West Des Moines.
I've lived in New York, Indiana, Michigan, and Colorado but the Des Moines area was always home since both sides of my family were here. I moved back to Iowa to attend Iowa State University and then moved to the western suburbs of Des Moines. I spent a few years in Colorado before moving back to replant roots. I am so excited to have chosen Grimes as my home to plant myself.
Work-life balance.
I love the Iowa State Cyclones and I'm proud to be an alumnus. I started my professional life as a high school English teacher at Perry High School but moved into marketing by taking a job as a Marketing Specialist at Marsh for several years. I have also worked as a Senior Account Manager at ITA Group and Account Director at AKC Marketing. Currently, I am the Vice President at Red Dot Branding + Marketing in West Des Moines.
I’m also very active outdoors by biking, hiking, camping, skiing, and paddleboarding. I rode RAGBRAI in 2019 and spent a camping season as a guide for Wander Women. While in Colorado, I volunteered with the Chill Foundation, which is a positive youth development program where snowboarding and skiing are used as a vehicle for empowerment.
Why I am running for re-election for Grimes City Council.
I'm running because I want to continue to help grow Grimes the right way. And I feel like I am just getting started.
Like many of you, I chose to live in Grimes because I wanted to enjoy the benefits of the Metro without sacrificing the connection you get living in a close-knit community.
Grimes embodies so many of the things we all love best about living in Iowa: neighbor-to-neighbor values that help us support each other through the good and the bad.
We have accomplished so many great things the past four years, but there is a lot more to do. I want to continue to partner with our Economic Department and the Grimes Chamber to support and attract unique small businesses that differentiate us from other fast-growing places in the Metro. And I will prioritize continued updates and new construction to our trail system and parks. Let’s celebrate our small-town heritage while welcoming the growing diversity of Central Iowa by providing affordable housing and inclusive neighborhoods that every type of person wants to move to.
The completion of the WRA connection and our water plant were large, and much needed infrastructure projects, but we have more to do. Our aging roads continue to need maintenance, and we have to plan for our current a future growth. While you have seen, and felt, the update of some of our main roadways, we have more work to do.
If we choose to keep growing Grimes the right way, we will continue to have a remarkable community that offers the opportunities and amenities we need without sacrificing our distinct character and heritage.
