UNI Family Business Center

06/15/2026

🟡 Registration is OPEN for the sixth annual Iowa Family Business Conference 🟢

Adam Farver of Pella Windows & Doors will headline the 2026 Iowa Family Business Conference on Nov. 11 at Vermeer Corporation in Pella. As a fourth‑generation owner and board chair, Adam brings a powerful message about stewardship, next‑gen leadership, and the responsibility family businesses carry to their employees, customers, and communities.

This year’s conference, hosted by the UNI Family Business Center, features sessions on next‑generation development, family councils, branding your company as family‑owned, and more. Plus, we’re gathering inside Vermeer’s Museum and Global Pavilion for a day of learning, connection, and celebration.

Registration is now open. Earlybird pricing runs through Aug. 31.
🔗 unifamilybusinesscenter.com/events/iowa-family-business-conference

05/21/2026

SAVE THE DATE for the sixth annual Iowa Family Business Conference this fall!

🟡 Wednesday, November 11, 2026
🔵 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
🟢 Pella, Iowa

Keep your eyes peeled for the day registration opens, and for when we announce our keynote speaker and location!

05/04/2026

05/01/2026

Please join us in recognizing Veronica Kelly as part of the FBC Advisory Board! Veronica Kelly is part of the second generation at CCR Technologies, a family business founded in 1986 by her dad and uncles. What began as a computer rental company has evolved into a technology solutions company serving industries including media, telecommunications, construction, and agriculture.

Veronica has been with the company for nearly seven years and is one of twelve family members actively working in the business. In her role as a Senior Software Developer, she helps build and maintain software systems that support the company’s operations and client delivery.

Veronica has been an active participant in the UNI Family Business Center’s NextGen Peer Group for six years. Her involvement with the peer group as well as her family’s involvement in the broader UNI Family Business Center has been a core contributor to the development and growth of CCR’s Family Council and family-side structure. On the family side of the business, Veronica serves on the Family Council through involvement in the activities, communication, and governance committees, which support family engagement, communication, and ownership-related initiatives. Through this work, she has seen how strong communication, shared values, and a shared vision within the family contribute to healthier ownership relationships and the long-term health of the company.

Thanks to Veronica for lending your unique insights to the FBC advisory board!

Check out the full advisory board crew here: https://unifamilybusinesscenter.com/center/our-advisory-board

04/29/2026

04/24/2026

Please join us in recognizing Heidi Vermeer-Quist as a member of the FBC Advisory Board!

Heidi is a third-generation member of the Vermeer Corporation family and a trained psychologist. At the UNI FBC, she serves as a peer group facilitator for our next-generation and current-leader peer groups. Thank you to Heidi for her years of support to family firms — both within Iowa and beyond our borders!

Check out the full advisory board crew here: https://unifamilybusinesscenter.com/center/our-advisory-board

04/17/2026

Cheers to family business! 🍻 Thanks to our Cedar Rapids crew for showing up to happy hour at Lion Bridge Brewing Company yesterday.

04/17/2026

Please join us in recognizing Jenny Steffensmeier as a member of the FBC Advisory Board!

Jenny is the owner of Steffensmeier Welding and Manufacturing. Her late husband started the business, and now Jenny and her children make it go 'round! The Pilot Grove-based company creates laser-cut, machined, welded, and fabricated products. We thank Jenny for her dedication to supporting other family firms like hers!

Check out the full advisory board crew here: https://unifamilybusinesscenter.com/center/our-advisory-board

04/16/2026

🗣️Meet Jennifer Pendergast, board expert and basic training leader

Before you can recruit independent directors or tackle succession, you need a rock-solid foundation. In our first session of Board Bootcamp, Jennifer is taking us "back to basics" to clarify the core principles of governance.

When: Tuesday, May 19, 8-10 a.m. (CDT)
Where: Online via Zoom (Free for family business leaders)

P.S. Can't make the live sessions? Register anyway, and we’ll send you the recording after the event concludes!

04/16/2026

Today is Live Purple Give Gold, a University of Northern Iowa holiday that celebrates our Panther family! If you would like to be part of our mission to support Iowa family businesses in succession and governance, we invite you to follow the steps below:

1) Click this link to visit the Live Purple Give Gold donation page: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/75154/donations/new?event_id=16402141&amt=150.00
2) Fill out your information. Under the Designation box, type in and select "Family Business Center Fund" to ensure your gift goes directly to the FBC.
3) Make a gift of any size to support UNI and family business programming in Iowa!