50 Years of Women in the Hawkeye Marching Band Networking Event
On Thursday, November 17 at 7 PM, we will host a Hawkeye Marching Band Networking Event featuring women alumni of the Hawkeye Marching Band who are in leadership positions. Being part of this event is very easy: Simply log on to a Zoom session (invite below) which is open to all HMB members and staff. The panel will provide some information on what they do in their careers, have some Q&A with you, and then leave their contact info for you to use in the future. We are proud to feature HMB alumni:
Courtney Long, Band Director, Davenport West High School
Barb McKenzie, Senior Executive Director, Principal Financial
Ellen Ramsey-Kacena, Assistant Attorney General of Iowa
Cathy Shires, Vice-President and Actuary at National Life Group
Meet the Panelists
Courtney Long
Courtney Long is in her 5th year as the Assistant Band Director at Davenport West High School in Davenport, Iowa. Before starting at West in 2018, Courtney held two long term sub positions as a middle school band director in the Davenport School District, with the goal of landing back at her Alma Mater (Dav West). Courtney currently co-directs the Falcon Marching Band, Pep Band, Concert Band, and also serves as the Drumline Instructor, Percussion Ensemble Instructor, and Show Choir Pit Band Director.
Courtney started off on the Pre-Pharmacy track at Iowa, but auditioned for the Iowa Percussion Studio in November of her first semester. She graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor's in Percussion Performance and Music Education. Courtney marched four years on Snare in the HMB, receiving multiple Rank of Honor awards and serving as Drumline Captain her junior and senior year. She was lucky enough to spend her last two years in the HMB with her now wife, Shelby.
Barb McKenzie
Barbara A. McKenzie is senior executive director-investments for Principal Global Investors, the asset management arm of the Principal Financial Group. She is responsible for several equity investment teams managing approximately $190B as of year-end 2021. In addition, she serves as a director for asset management businesses in the US, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore and manages an asset management team in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
She joined the firm in 1984 in their private market commercial real estate team, after which she led the firm’s fixed income portfolio management team, served as international sales and business head, managed numerous funds platforms globally and headed risk, compliance, operations and technology for the firm among other responsibilities. She has extensive M&A experience domestically and abroad and has launched numerous organically built product lines or companies including Principal’s US based ETF business and two businesses in Japan.
Barb holds an MBA from Indiana University, Bloomington in finance and real estate, and a BBA from University of Iowa in finance. She also serves as a director for the University of Iowa Foundation and chairs their investment committee.
A native of Des Moines, she joined HMB in 1978 playing alto saxophone never guessing she would have the opportunity to be in the 1982 Rose Bowl parade and game.
Ellen Ramsey-Kacena
Ellen Ramsey-Kacena is an Assistant Attorney General working in the human services division. Prior to taking this position, Ellen was a sole practitioner in Cedar Rapids for seventeen years, where she had a general practice, including but not limited to civil litigation, juvenile law and family law. She is an NACC certified Child Welfare Law Specialist. She also served as a Judicial Hospitalization Referee in Johnson County, presiding over civil commitment cases for several years. Ellen previously worked as a Clerk in the Sixth Judicial District and as an associate at the Cedar Rapids law firm of Bradley & Riley PC. She received her B.A. degree from the University of Iowa and her J.D. degree, with high distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law. She is admitted to practice in the state of Iowa and U.S. District Courts, Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa. Ms. Ramsey-Kacena is an active member of the Iowa State Bar Association, where she chairs the Family and Juvenile Law Section and the Juvenile Law Committee. Ellen is also on the State Council for Iowa Children’s Justice. Ellen previously served as the President of the Friends of the Linn County Family Treatment Court board. She has also previously served on the Iowa State Bar Association’s Young Lawyer's Division Executive Council, as Chair of Professional Development and as a member of the State Fair and Membership Committees. Ellen is also active in her community. She is an alumni of the Leadership for Five Seasons program. She also served as President of the Junior League of Cedar Rapids.
Ellen was a member of the Hawkeye Marching Band in the late 80s. Her mother, Rose Ramsey (then Rose Harms), was a Scottish Highlander in the 60s. Her son Joshua was in the HMB a few years ago and her daughter Elizabeth is a current member of the HMB.
Cathy Shires
Cathy Hansen Shires is the Vice President and Actuary, Inforce Management at National Life Group in Montpelier, Vermont. Cathy received her Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science at the University of Iowa. She later attained her Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and became a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA). She worked in a variety of actuarial positions at Sun Life Financial in the Boston, MA area for over 25 years. 8 years ago Cathy moved to Vermont to take a role with National Life Group. She has worked in Group Benefits, Individual Life Insurance, and Individual Annuities. Her current role as the head of Inforce Management is focused on optimizing the profitability of the company’s Life and Annuity business by balancing the needs of the long-term financials of the company, the needs of the policyholders and the agents.
Cathy was a trumpet player in the Hawkeye Marching Band from 1982 through the Rose Bowl in 1986, having played in a bowl game all 4 years of her time in HMB. Cathy still talks regularly with some of the people she marched with on a Friday night (FAC) zoom call which started as a new tradition during the pandemic. She also has a fondness of her time in HMB as she met her husband, Steve, through the band. He makes professional trombones and French horns in the basement of their home just outside of Stowe, Vt. so music is still an important part of their life together.
