Joe – CEO of Catchwind, director at Trokt and Trokt UK. Catchwind is an SMS/text message marketing business. Trokt is a platform that efficiently, accurately, and securely organizes complex collaborations. Kerry – director of account management at UnitedHealthcare. She oversees a team of 12 account executives, helping companies with their health and wellness benefits strategy.
Both of us love to travel and read. Joe is an avid bicyclist and all-around tech geek. He serves on Central’s National Advisory Council. Kerry is involved in volunteering for a local book sale, volunteering for UnitedHealthcare’s employee action council, is on the curriculum committee for The Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, and is a volunteer vice chairperson for the Principal Charity Classic golf tournament.
Our study abroad experience would top the list of most memorable Central College moments. Joe embraced his Dutch heritage by studying in Leiden, the Netherlands. Kerry retraced some of her family’s military days by spending a semester in England, where she had once lived as a child.
We both participated in Symphonic Wind Ensemble, orchestra, and jazz band for Joe. Many friendships were formed in the music department – in fact we met on our very first day freshman year while signing up for SWE auditions. We became great friends before finally starting to date after graduation. Kerry loved living in the French language house.
Kerry is a graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute’s community leadership program. She has been honored to have twice been in the top 10% of account managers nationwide in her role at UnitedHealthcare. She holds a Life & Health license and ACS and FLMI designations.
Joe spent many years working with other Central grads (including incoming board president Tej Dhawan ’91) at Advanced Technologies group. After leaving there in 2011, he entered the world of small business, and finally acquired Catchwind in 2012. He has embraced entrepreneurship (as it beats working for someone, in his opinion) and has started (and stopped) several other ventures in addition to Catchwind; Trokt being the most recent.
We enjoy spoiling their schnauzer-poodle mix who we’ve named Oscar, and being the cool aunt and uncle for their two nieces.
Our time at Central was one of the most formative experiences of our life, and choosing to attend Central was one of the best decisions we ever made. We are sure other alumni feel the same way, and feel giving back is our way of making sure others have the chance to have that experience. Give your gift today.
To encourage serious, intellectual discourse on Civitas, please include your first and last name when commenting. Anonymous comments will be removed.