A Legacy of Opportunity: Honoring the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families as It Enters a New Chapter

When Regina Turner learned how to build financial stability through a program at the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families, she didn't keep that knowledge to herself.

A single mother of five, she brought the lessons home, encouraging entrepreneurship and financial independence in her children from a young age.

She shared them with dozens of young people through a summer financial literacy camp, teaching practical skills like understanding credit, writing checks, and how to build a business. By the end of the youth program, 28 of the 30 participants walked away with businesses of their own. Their success, Regina Turner said, was proof of what happens when young people are given the right tools and taught to believe in themselves.

Regina's story is one of thousands that have unfolded because of the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families' impact over the past decade - stories of new careers, stronger families, more secure futures, and dreams made possible by opportunity and resources.

As the Center enters a new chapter under the stewardship of Lutheran Services in Iowa, those stories remain the true measure of its legacy.

For nearly 15 years, the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families has stood as one of Central Iowa's most unique community partnerships, a hub of accessible education, workforce training, and community services together under one roof. Since opening in 2012, the Center has helped thousands of individuals overcome barriers to employment, education, and economic mobility while carrying forward the vision of one extraordinary community leader whose life's work centered on helping working families thrive.

June 30, 2026 marks the final day of the Center operating under DMACC, closing one chapter in its unique history and opening another as it transitions to new leadership.

A Vision Ahead of Its Time

From the beginning, the Evelyn K. Davis Center stood apart from other organizations.

Long before concepts like "integrated service delivery" became common in workforce development initiatives, Evelyn K. Davis - a pioneering Des Moines educator, childcare advocate and community leader whose lifelong commitment to helping working families - understood something many others had overlooked: people couldn't simply find a job and expect every other challenge to disappear.

"Evelyn K. Davis believed that people deserved the opportunity to earn a living, continue their education, and support their families at the same time," said Cassandra Halls, a Des Moines nonprofit consultant who helped establish the Center and supported DMACC in the process of finding a new operating entity over the past year. "She knew and advocated for the reality that meaningful employment alone wasn't enough if someone couldn't access childcare, complete a credential, or overcome the many barriers standing in the way of long-term success."

In Evelyn K. Davis's honor, community leaders came together to design a coordinated approach that brought education, workforce development, financial coaching, family support, and employment services together in one welcoming place.

That philosophy became the foundation of the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families and turning it into reality required years of collaboration.

More than 16 years ago, leaders from DMACC, United Way of Central Iowa, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, and dozens of other local organizations developed a shared goal: create a place where families could access education, employment services, and community resources without having to navigate a fragmented system.

Among those who helped make the mission possible was Dr. Mary Chapman, Vice President Emeritus of DMACC, the college's former Vice President for Community and Workforce Partnerships, and the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families first founding executive director.

Already a trailblazer for her work in the community (and for being DMACC's first female executive dean) Chapman had spent her career expanding educational access for underserved populations. She established face-to-face college credit programs inside the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women, which continues to this day, developed partnerships supporting Des Moines Public Schools, and ultimately helped create what became one of Iowa's first integrated workforce and family resources in the Evelyn K. Davis Center.

Programs and People Making a Difference

According to the Evelyn K. Davis Center 2025 Community Report, more than 14,000 people walked through its doors last year. The Center held 56 community events, volunteering 374 hours, and provided resources to nearly 4,000 new individuals.

Over the years, the Center evolved to meet changing community needs while remaining rooted in its mission of creating opportunity.

Programs expanded to include the Polk County Financial Empowerment Center, Digital Literacy, English language learning, parenting education, entrepreneurship support, youth programming, Opportunity Passport, career coaching and the Men on the Move Career Closet.

Initiatives like the Men on the Move closet provide something as simple but critical as professional clothing for individuals entering the workforce.

One participant, named Jeremy, shared, "You have no idea how much these two pairs of pants are going to help me." His new job at a restaurant required black pants, but he "couldn't afford them until I got my first paycheck."

The Digital Literacy Program helped bridge the technology gap for adult learners and students. After completing coursework, 73 participants earned laptops to continue their education [2025 Community Report]. One recipient, Naw Say Phaw, shared, "This laptop has been very helpful to me. It makes online learning and completing school homework much easier."

Programs like Opportunity Passport helped remove financial barriers that often stand in the way of stability. One participant, Angela, reflected on the impact: "I used to be so stressed out all the time, but the Opportunity Passport matching funds helped me get a reliable car. Now I can go to work, school, and my doctor's appointments."

Halls has heard countless testimonials such as these, from individuals and families who found support, opportunity, and a path forward through the Center.

What makes the Center a source of hope, however, is not a building or a specific program, she said.

"It's the people whose lives were changed because someone took the time to help them move forward."

The People Behind the Mission

Behind every success story were staff members who believed deeply in the Center's mission.

Administrative Assistant Mel Riley, who retires alongside this transition, reflected on years spent serving clients and supporting coworkers.

"I have loved working with our clients and staff at the Evelyn K. Davis Center for many years," Riley said. "I know they will continue to provide the necessary services to all clients that come through the doors. As I retire, I will look back and feel good knowing how many people's lives we enhanced through my time here."

Administrative Assistant Lisa Saffell has witnessed nearly every chapter of the Center's history.

"I have been with EKDC from the beginning," she said. "And I will stay with EKDC to be a part of the next chapter."

Those sentiments embody the spirit that has sustained the Center from its earliest days: while organizations and leadership may change, the mission endures.

A Thoughtful Transition

The Center's original business plan, and a strategic plan developed years later, both highlighted that its future might lie in a different operating structure - whether as a standalone entity or under the umbrella of a more traditional nonprofit whose core services were more closely aligned with its own.

By 2025, DMACC began evaluating more closely that question of the Center's alignment against its own primary mission of serving as a public institution of higher education. Budget concerns were also a factor, as the enrollment cliff and potential changes to community college funding in Iowa were both on the horizon.

As DMACC began to look toward the future of the Center, the College approached the transition with deep respect for the Center's legacy, for the community it serves, and for the responsibility of ensuring its continued success.

DMACC found a nonprofit partner eager to assume stewardship and carry the Center's mission forward. What it had not done, however, was build consensus within the community the Center serves. The community spoke up.

"We've always wanted the best for the Center, even if it was no longer going to be a part of DMACC," said Kyle Collins, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and executive co-sponsor of the process to find a new operating entity for the Center. "But it quickly became clear that finding a new partner was not enough. We had to develop trust and buy-in from the community."

DMACC listened. Rather than proceed with appointing a new nonprofit partner for the Center, DMACC went to work designing a selection process that would be thorough, open, inclusive, and worthy of the trust the community had placed in the Center over the years.

Through a rigorous Request for Proposals process, DMACC invited organizations to step forward with their vision for the Center's future. Clear priorities guided every stage of the work - long-term sustainability, financial strength, operational readiness, and alignment with the Center's purpose - ensuring that each proposal was considered thoughtfully and consistently.

What made the process especially meaningful was the breadth of voices that helped shape it. DMACC intentionally created opportunities for input at multiple stages, bringing together insights from community members, advisors, and stakeholders alongside detailed reviews of each organization's plans, experience, and capacity. Community Conversations and advisory committee discussions provided important perspective, grounding the process not only in analysis, but in lived experience and shared investment in the Center's future.

Throughout, the College remained committed to fairness and transparency. Expectations were clearly defined, timelines were consistently applied, and each organization was evaluated against the same criteria. This disciplined approach ensured that the process itself reflected the same integrity and accountability that has long defined the Center's work.

The final decision ultimately came down to identifying the partner best positioned to sustain the Center's impact while providing stability and continuity during the transition - preserving what works today while enabling growth for the future.

DMACC's selection of Lutheran Services in Iowa represents the culmination of that thoughtful, community-informed process. It reflects both a confidence in the strength of the path ahead and a deep appreciation for all who contributed to shaping it.

Above all, it ensures that the legacy of the Evelyn K. Davis Center continues to evolve, guided by the same spirit of opportunity and support that has defined it from the beginning.

For Halls, the hope amid this transition is that as programs and partnerships may change, and community needs will change, the Center never loses sight of why it was created.

"At its heart, the Evelyn K. Davis Center has always been about people - their potential, their resilience and their aspirations," Halls said. "Preserving that spirit will be essential as the next chapter begins."

As stewardship passes from DMACC to Lutheran Services in Iowa, the Center's address may stay the same, its leadership may evolve and new programs will undoubtedly emerge. Its iconic "Future" mural will remain an uplifting presence.

But its legacy was never defined by a building or an operating entity.

It lives in the parents who found stable employment.

The students who earned new skills.

The entrepreneurs who launched businesses.

The families who discovered hope when they needed it most.

And the community that came together around Evelyn K. Davis's enduring belief that when barriers are removed and opportunity is within reach, brighter futures become possible.

That legacy now continues into its next chapter.