T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Cody Beckham, a 2012 West Marshall High School graduate who resides just outside of Marshalltown with his wife Alisha and their two young children, is the new president/CEO at Mid Iowa Workshops (MIW) Inc. as of last month.

Cody Beckham, a 2012 West Marshall High School graduate originally from Clemons, was working his way up through the business world after earning degrees from MCC and the University of Iowa, first at R.S. Stover and then MARSHALLTOWN Co. as a product solutions manager and then the U.S. sales manager role. But with a wife and two young children at home, he decided it was time for a change of pace.

“I loved it there (at MARSHALLTOWN). I just traveled a lot,” he said. “I wanted to find something more (accommodating).”

In June, Beckham, who lives in the Wolf Lake area just south of town, started as the president/CEO at Mid-Iowa Workshops (MIW) Inc., an organization primarily focused on employment opportunities for adults with special needs. He succeeds Jack Allen, who previously held the title for 26 years.

“Jack has been a phenomenal help. It’s big shoes to fill. I’m coming in with no experience within MIW, but being able to lean on him and learn from him has been fantastic. And we’re actually going to keep using him,” Beckham said. “He’s easy to reach by phone if I’ve got questions, and I’ll be leaning on him throughout this year and, I keep telling him, far into the future. He knows about everything there is to know about MIW, which is a great resource to have.”

While he wouldn’t describe the atmosphere as “laid back” in his new job, Beckham definitely feels that it’s less competitive with a focus on both job coaching and support at outside employers within the community — examples include Casey’s, M. Gervich and Sons and Hoglund Bus Company — as well as internal production jobs at MIW, primarily working with companies like Lennox, Bruin, TIG, Brownells, John Deere and Fisher Controls on kitting various parts they end up using. Currently, there are around 80 total employees.

In general, Beckham is most excited to make an impact in the lives of the clients MIW serves, and the biggest challenge he foresees is keeping up with ever changing rules and regulations.

He also hopes to raise awareness about the organization and all of the things it does, with plans to launch a website in the near future. And of course, he’ll be happy to spend more time at home.

“I won’t be traveling as much, which will be really nice. My wife is all for that, for sure,” he said. “We’re all about staying here in the community and giving back to the community as best as we can, so this is a great fit for it.”

Adrienne Determan, who has been with MIW for 15 years and currently holds the title of services manager, is equally enthusiastic about welcoming Beckham into the fold.

“Cody’s hitting the ground running and learning as much as he can as quickly as he can, I’m sure, to figure everything out and serve our members as best as we can,” she said. “That’s what’s important… It’s a great place to work. The people we serve are wonderful, and it’s very rewarding work. A lot of people who start working here stay for a long time because it’s a very employee first building where we all take care of each other and it’s very accommodating and understanding and supportive.”

The goal of MIW, she added, is to make everyone feel valued and provide opportunities that give them a sense of accomplishment, and she believes Beckham has the right skill set for the job.

“His business knowledge combined with our services knowledge and Todd Whitmore’s production knowledge, combined, I think, makes a very strong team in helping us move forward,” Determan said. “It’s sad to see Jack go, but we welcome Cody and he’s off to a very good start. The employees are excited for him to be here, and I’m excited for MIW’s future.”

MIW is located at 909 S. 14th Ave. and can be reached at (641) 752-3697.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.