Making a Difference For Students and the State
Chris and Denise Vernon
If there is one thing Denise and Chris Vernon appreciate it is quality. As such, they share a fondness for Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and the role it plays in preparing the next generation of Iowa’s leaders for the workforce while serving as an economic engine across the state.
Specifically, the couple is enamored with the Iowa Culinary Institute (ICI). They are so impressed with the program that they recently established a planned gift that made the DMACC Foundation the beneficiary of one of their life insurance policies.
The couple comes by their love of DMACC honestly. Denise is a graduate of the Financial Services and Business Administration program on the Ankeny Campus. Chris, who serves as the fourth-generation CEO of Newton-based Vernon Company, learned from his parents the importance of supporting high-quality education at institutions like DMACC. Together, they take pride in Chris and Denise Vernon knowing their planned gift will provide a meaningful helping hand to students long into the future.
“We have experienced in person the good works that are done at DMACC and the many thousands of people who have been helped,” Chris says. “That is what resonates with us. Having parents who modeled philanthropy throughout their lives also encouraged us to thoughtfully plan the way we would support the organizations we felt a connection to.”
Chris and Denise say they review their estate plan regularly to ensure their vision for giving remains in alignment with their passions. When it comes to DMACC, that passion is centered on the ICI.
“We ask each other regularly what we are most connected to,” Denise says. “There are some common themes that always are there, and one of those is the ICI at DMACC. Number one, we love great food, so that is part of it. But we also appreciate the many close friendships we’ve made and what this world-class food preparation leadership program offers students. Education is something we feel strongly about.”
The couple regularly attends the ICI’s Gourmet Dinner Series and gives annually in support of scholarships and the French Chef Exchange. They see establishing a planned gift as a logical way to extend their impact, even after they are gone.
“When it comes to the ICI, the impact for us is that most of these chefs and food-service students stay in the community or remain in Iowa—that is very important,” Chris says. “It is exciting to go to a restaurant or a club and see a chef that has come up through the ICI. That is improving quality of life right here where we live. In all respects, when we give to DMACC, we feel like our gifts make a difference for the students and for Iowa.”