Iowa
Principal appoints Deanna Strable as first female CEO; Iowa native has deep local ties
Deanna Strable, a native Iowan and a Dowling Catholic High School graduate, will be the next CEO of Principal Financial Group, the company announced Tuesday.
Strable, the first woman to lead the Des Moines-based Fortune 500 firm, will take over Jan. 7, 2025. She will succeed Dan Houston.
“I am honored to be appointed as the company’s next president and CEO and build upon the strong foundation we’ve established under Dan’s leadership,” Strable said in a news release. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen Principal strengthen its position as a leading global financial services company dedicated to helping customers build strong financial futures. Alongside our committed and passionate colleagues around the world, I look forward to continuing our culture of innovation, inclusion, and service, with a focus on meeting customer needs to drive growth and create shareholder value.”
Houston will continue to serve as executive chair of the Principal board of directors, the company said.
“It has been an honor to serve as president and CEO and work with so many talented employees around the world,” Houston said in the news release. “Deanna has been a trusted partner and a co-architect in the company’s growth strategy. I have the utmost confidence in her leadership and business acumen and look forward to working with her to ensure a smooth transition.”
One of Iowa’s largest financial firms, the company has nearly 19,000 employees worldwide serving 68 million customers. It has $288 billion in assets and had $14.9 billion in revenue and $1.3 billion in profits in 2024, according to Forbes.
Strable will join the Principal board in January. She has been the company’s president and chief operating officer since August, and before that had been chief financial officer since 2017. She also has been president of the company’s workplace benefits and insurance business.
“Deanna brings strategic vision, strong leadership experience, and a deep understanding of the company’s interconnected business units and great culture,” Scott M. Mills, lead independent director of the Principal board, said in the news release. “She has cultivated a breadth and depth of experience during her 35 years with Principal and held key leadership roles in shaping its strategy and portfolio of businesses. We look forward to her continued leadership driving Principal into the next phase of growth.”
The news release said Strable has been instrumental in leading business strategy and operations. It said she helped build the company’s benefits and protection business as the first leader of its specialty benefits division before stepping into the role of business unit president in 2015.
Locally, Strable serves on the board of directors at Simpson College and previously held various positions for the United Way of Central Iowa.
Houston has served as president and CEO of Principal since 2015 and has held several leadership positions during his 40 years with the company. During his tenure, Principal’s market capitalization grew from $13 billion to more than $20 billion, the news release said.
“Dan has been the driving force behind Principal’s evolution over the last 10 years,” Mills said in the release. “He set the company’s growth agenda and led the company through significant transformation. Principal is in a position of strength today and is well positioned for continued growth thanks to his leadership.”
Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.
An Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor committed to one of the Hawkeyes’ conference foes instead. Former Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare took a visit to Iowa during her transfer portal recruitment, but the 5-foot-9 guard committed to Indiana on Sunday night.
Hare had several visits throughout her transfer portal recruiting process, including trips to Michigan and Illinois State, but the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Hare also visited Iowa.
On3’s Talia Goodman reported Hare’s commitment to the Hoosiers.
Hare has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season with the Cyclones, in 32 games played and 31 starts, Hare averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 40.5% field goal shooting and 40% from 3-point range. A hip injury limited Hare to just 10 games during her first year with the Cyclones in the 2024-25 season.
The soon-to-be redshirt senior transferred to Iowa State before the 2024-25 campaign after spending two seasons at Marquette from 2022-24. Hare averaged a career-best 14 points per game on 45.5% field goal shooting and 42.5% 3-point shooting during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles.
Had Iowa been able to lure the Naperville, Ill., native to Iowa City, Hare would have been another valuable addition to the Hawkeyes’ backcourt depth. But, Iowa has landed other backcourt reinforcements throughout this transfer portal cycle.
The Hawkeyes inked both Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting.
Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season at Georgia, averaging 17.8 points per game on 42.7% field goal shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Whiting averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 42.5% field goal shooting, 32.1% 3-point accuracy, and 71.6% free-throw shooting.
As Hare joins a promising core of players in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes will once again face the former Cyclone at least once this upcoming season as part of their Big Ten regular-season slate.
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley said he’s recovering from a gallstone removal procedure.
His media team shared that he is working in Iowa “in good spirits and looks forward to returning to Washington soon.”
“I’m gr8ful [sic] for the excellent care from local health care providers,” he shared on X.
Over the weekend in Iowa I had a procedure to remove gallstones I’m gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers Be back to capitol ASAP
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 20, 2026
Grassley, 92, is the oldest senator currently in office and the sixth-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
The Senate is in session this week.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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