Kari Carney, Executive Director

Kari Carney joined 1000 Friends of Iowa as the Executive Director in the fall of 2015. Prior to coming to 1000 Friends of Iowa, she worked on farming and environmental issues around the state. She was born and raised in Iowa and has a BA from the University of Northern Iowa and  her MPA from Drake University. She and her husband, Kevin reside on a small farm near Norwalk. Kari raises a flock of Cheviot sheep and working border collies.

Lauren Luerkens, Transportation Organizer

Lauren joined 1000 Friends of Iowa in the spring of 2024. Prior to coming to 1000 Friends of Iowa, Lauren is a recent graduate from the University of Iowa with a major in Environmental Planning and Policy and a minor in Global Health Studies. She has 3 years of experience in the AmeriCorps program, serving with both state and national programs covering issues such as climate change and food insecurity. She also has a background working with housing policy issues on a national level. Lauren leads our new Community Transportation Academy and other key transportation work in Iowa.