FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Iowa Interfaith Power & Light Names Irene DeMaris as New Executive Director
Contact: Irene DeMaris, Iowa IPL • 515-216-4895 • idemaris@iowafaithandclimate.org
DES MOINES, IA- The Iowa Interfaith Power & Light’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Deaconess Irene DeMaris will be the new executive director. Irene previously served as the acting executive director, and prior to that as associate director and multi-issue organizer.
“From the moment Irene began working for Iowa IPL we have been blessed with her extraordinary gifts,” says John Stender-Custer, Iowa IPL’s board president. “She is a wonderful blend of prophetic witness, passionate faith leader, detail-oriented manager, and compassionate supervisor. She earned her leadership role through her dedicated service to Iowa IPL and the environmental community in Iowa. Irene is a faith leader that is able to recognize the intersectionality in the work that we do and her commitment to marginalized communities has won my admiration and that of the board. I know I speak for the rest of the board when I say that we are both excited and proud to make this announcement.”
Irene joined Iowa IPL two years ago in March 2020 as the multi-issue organizer and was promoted to associate director in July 2020. During her time at Iowa IPL, she has helped expand Called to Climate Action and Faith Farms & Climate, led outreach, and increased fundraising efforts including the new Iowa Gives Green.
Originally from Washington state, Irene has spent her career working in faith-based nonprofits. Before moving to Iowa in 2018, she was the associate director for the Center for Public Theology at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. She is a United Methodist Deaconess called to live a lifetime of love, justice, and service. Irene holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Washington State University and a Master of Divinity from Seattle University. She lives in Des Moines with her spouse.
“Over the past few months, I’ve been proud to lead Iowa IPL as the acting executive director. We’ve traveled to Washington county, Waverly, and Storm Lake to run Faith Farms & Climate discussions, hearing from farmers and faith leaders about climate action in their communities,” says Irene. “The stories and experiences that were shared have cemented my belief on how important faith is as an avenue into deep and meaningful conversations on climate. There is no other place that I would rather be than at Iowa IPL working with Iowans of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on climate. What we do is unique and needed, and I feel so blessed to continue in the role as executive director.”
We are excited that our programming will continue to grow and flourish. We are confident that our goal, of building increased capacity for Iowans from all walks of life and all faith traditions to take climate action, will continue under Irene’s leadership as executive director. Iowa IPL will continue to expand our Faith Farms & Climate program, as we are fully invested in uplifting farmer and rural voices on climate solutions. We also look forward to recruiting a new group of Called to Climate Action Iowa college student leaders this month.
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Contact: Irene DeMaris, Iowa IPL • 515-216-4895 • idemaris@iowaipl.org