IPI Managers Celebrate Promotions and Achievements

On May 12th, 2023, Chad Squires became the new Home Building Program Manager for Iowa Prison Industries in Newton. Previously, Chad had been the Supervisor of the program. He will continue the progress he has made since the inception of the HFI partnership and startup of the work program for the State of Iowa and the Department of Corrections.

After four years of working as a correctional officer in Newton, Chad became a part of the IPI family in 2001, where he played a major role in the startup of the Central Canteen program with the Department of Corrections. He then moved into a supervisory position at the Canteen in 2006, until he was offered the opportunity to begin a new project at Homes for Iowa in 2019.

“The majority of my career has been with IPI, and I have an enormous amount of pride in, and respect for the opportunities we provide for incarcerated individuals.”

Chad served in the Active Duty Army from 1992-1996 and the Army Reserves from 1999-2005, during which he served tours of duty in both Egypt and Iraq. He is happily married to his wife Michelle, and they have three sons. Chad and his family love to camp, travel, spend time outdoors and cheer on the Alabama Crimson Tide during the college football season.

On April 28th, 2023, Ann Baughman became the Sales and Marketing Manager for IPI in Des Moines. In her new position, Ann will provide leadership and direction for the commercial team to bridge the market to potential and existing customers.

She also recently completed the CPM Program through Drake. The Iowa Certified Public Manager Program is the nationally accredited professional certification for public sector managers and directors.

When asked about the motivation behind her certification, Ann responded, “I applied for the Certified Manager Program offered through Iowa Dept. of Administrative Services and Drake University to enhance my personal leadership skills both in my work and personal lives.”

The coursework covered a variety of topics essential to leadership in a public agency, but Ann says she was most impacted by those revolving around teamwork, coaching, conflict resolution and project management; skills she will apply to build upon interpersonal relationships and the work environment each day.

“I'm excited to apply what I've learned in my new role,” Ann says, “and to lead the Commercial Team through whatever challenges come our way.”

Ann has been a member of IPI’s sales and marketing team for over 20 years. She lives in West Des Moines with her son Bryce and boyfriend Cory. Ann enjoys spending her free time outdoors cycling, enjoying nature, going to local events and working in the yard when the weather is nice.