Mary Chapman, Vice President, Community & Workforce

Dr. Mary Chapman currently is the Vice President of the Community and Workforce Partnerships Division. This Division is charged with the responsibility to increase access to postsecondary education and services for underserved and underrepresented populations in the metro Des Moines area.

From 1990-2001, Chapman served as the Executive Dean of DMACC's Des Moines/Urban Campus. Prior to her position as Executive Dean, Chapman held various positions with the Des Moines Public Schools which include two principal assignments and Educational Coordinator at Edmunds Fine Arts Academy. Her professional experience also includes teaching as an adjunct professor in the Urban Leadership Program at Drake University.

Chapman has a Bachelors in Elementary Education and an Education Specialists degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Drake University. She was awarded her Masters in Special Education from Iowa State University. In 1990, Chapman completed her Education Doctorate (Ed.D.) from Vanderbilt University in Education Leadership.

Phone: (515) 697-7702
Email: mlchapman@dmacc.edu

Deborah Green, Administrative Secretary

Debbie is a graduate of North High School. Before coming to DMACC in 2002, she worked at John Hancock Insurance Agency for ten years, as a receptionist, at Drake University with the Head Start program for eleven years, Tiny Tot Child Care for eleven years as Secretary and then Personnel Director and Oakridge Neighborhood as Administrative Secretary for 6 years.

Debbie has 2 sons, Anthony and Torrey and 3 grandchildren. She enjoys music, dancing and traveling.

Phone: (515) 697-7701
Email: dlgreen@dmacc.edu

Melody Riley, Office Assistant

Melody previously worked at Ekkiott Equipment for 13 years and Reuter's in Johnston for the past two years. She has been married for 22 years and has four children and 13 grandchildren.

She enjoys biking, cooking, baking, hiking, camping, fishing and spending lots of time with her family.

Phone: (515) 697-7700
Email: mariley3@dmacc.edu

Karen Webb, Education Outreach Advisor

Karen received a B.S. in Psychology and M.Ed. in Counseling from Northern Arizona University. She worked for TRIO programs in AZ and IA for 10 years, including Student Support Services, Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search. Most recently, she worked at Iowa State University from 1999-2004. Karen started work for DMACC and College Prep in May 2004.

Karen enjoys working with pre-collegiate students while they explore their career and educational futures. She says she works with a lot of great people in the Des Moines Public Schools and Metro agencies who are dedicated to helping people.

Karen has two sons and loves watching sports and spending time with my family and friends.

Phone: (515) 697-7713
E-mail: kswebb@dmacc.edu

Leonard Bell, CWP Education Outreach Advisor

Leonard earned a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in 2003.  Prior to joining DMACC, he had a myriad of work experience working with youth and  young adults through his employment and volunteerism with various organizations, initiatives, and companies.  He most recently worked for the PEP Academy Program as an Advisor/Interim Program Coordinator serving African American and Latino middle/high school students from 2004 – 2006. 

Leonard is also the host of SAY WHAT! POETRY – a local open mic experience he co-founded in Feb 2004.  Leonard is married with two sons and enjoys creative writing, community service, traveling, watching movies, performing live, filmmaking/photography and playing video games.

Phone: (515) 697-7766
Email: lbell3@dmacc.edu

Donenchanh "Don" Southammavong, Education Outreach Advisor

Don is a long time resident of Des Moines and a graduate from Herbert Hoover High School. She attended Iowa State University where she received her Bachelor's of Science degree and her Master's of Education degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Prior to joining DMACC, Don worked as a Multicultural and Academic Advising Counselor as well as being the Co-Director of New Student Orientation. Don is married to Souriya Southammavong. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, but especially her 18 month old niece, Emily. She enjoys outdoor activities, watching football, and traveling. Don is very excited about working at DMACC and being able to give back to the community she grew up in. Don can be reached at

Phone: 515-697-7795
Email: dinthalangsy@dmacc.edu

Kathleen Wilson, Life Skills Specialist

Kathleen Wilson is a new Life Skills Specialist at the Newton Correctional Facility. Kathleen earned a B.S.E. in Special Education/Learning Disabilities from Truman State University in Kirksville, MO.

She has taught 7-12 grade special education; was the ICFMR Director at the Jasper County Care Facility in Newton; taught evening GED classes at the DMACC Newton Campus and taught English Language Learners L-12 for the Newton Community School District.

Kathleen is married and has four children, two dogs, five cats, three birds and a blind and deaf hamster. Kathleen enjoys attending her boys' high school events, trying out new recipes, reading and working on her acreage.

Phone: (641) 792-7552 ext. 564
Email: kawilson@dmacc.edu

Gerald Jauron, Life Skills Specialist

Gerald Jauron is the new Life Skills Specialist at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women. Gerald earned a B.A. from the University of California Santa Barbara and an M.A. from California State Polytechnic University.

He previous worked in the Los Angeles Office of Education at Camp Challenger, in the West Side School District in Lancaster, CA and in the Sioux City Community Schools in Sioux City.

He and his wife, Susan, have a daughter, Michelle, a son, David and five grandchildren. Gerald enjoys family related activities and fishing, especially in the clear lakes of the Eastern Sierra mountains of California.

Phone: (515) 967-4236 ext. 266
Email: gjauron@dmacc.edu

Gerald Waldorp, Life Skills Program Specialist

Gerald Waldrop is the new Life Skills Program Specialist with the Community and Workforce Partnerships Department in Rockwell City.

Gerald earned his master's degree in urban education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He came to DMACC from the Omaha Public School System. He and his wife, Janine, have two children, Chantel and Owen. Gerald enjoys flying, walking and bicycle riding.

Phone: (712) 657-8306
Email:gowaldorp@dmacc.edu

Kay Maher-Sharp, Workforce Employment Training Specialist

Kay earned a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Northern Iowa. She has a MS degree and is a Certified Rehab Counselor.

She has worked at DMACC in other capacities, including Project Self-Sufficiency and HCOP. She has also been a Family Violence Center Counselor, a Cedar Valley Hospice grief case manager and an Educational Advisor at UNI.

Phone: (515) 697-7710
Email: klmaher-sharp@dmacc.edu

Lisa King, Workforce Literacy Specialist

Lisa earned her B.S. in psychology from the University of South Dakota and her M.S. in rehabilitation counseling from Drake University. She is a certified rehabilitation counselor and a certified vocational evaluator.

She previously worked as an employment specialist at Easter Seals, as an employment specialist/case manager at Golden Circle Behavioral Health, and as an assessment specialist at Square One Assessments. Lisa has three cats and enjoys spending time with friends, reading, watching football and animals.

Phone: 697-7705
Email: lrking1@dmacc.edu

Sue Gibbons, Career Pathways Coordinator

As Career Pathways Coordinator, Sue works closely with business and industry leaders, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Workforce Development, Iowa Employment Solutions, higher education and school districts. Career Pathways is one strategy in the regional comprehensive workforce system that is being built to address the impending workforce and skills shortage. The goal of the program is to provide job seekers and individuals looking for advancement with career opportunities and training to assist employers in finding qualified employees.

From 2001-2007 Sue was a Training Consultant for DMACC Business Resources working with business and industry in the DMACC District to provide needs assessment, training and administration of state training fund programs. Prior to joining DBR, Sue was a Director of Continuing Education at the college for 23 years working with numerous organizations and professional associations.

Sue earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Missouri. She has many years of teaching and facilitation experience in the areas of customer service, supervision/management, accounting and management support. She is a certified facilitator in DDI (Development Dimensions International), MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) and workplacelean®, a product of Iowa’s Community Colleges.

Phone: 515-697-7736
Email: sagibbons@dmacc.edu

Marlana Schnell, Education Pathways Coordinator

Marlana Schnell is now the Education Pathways Coordinator at Community and Workforce Partnerships. Marlana earned a B.A. in Human Behavior from Grand View College and an M.P.A. in Public Administration from Drake University. She is also a certified trainer of Framework for Understanding Poverty.

Marlana was the Reentry Coordinator for DMACC and a Middle School Drug and Violence Prevention Coordinator for the Des Moines Public School system.

She is married and has two daughters. Marlana enjoys reading, gardening, traveling and going to water parks with her family.

Phone: 515- 697-7709
Email: mschnell@dmacc.edu