Des Moines Parent Spotlight: Becky Hammond of Holmes Murphy
One thing about Becky Hammond is that she loves to be involved in and give back to the community however she can. Even though she’s a busy mom of two little ones, making the time to do so is incredibly important to her.
Des Moines Parent connected with Becky to learn more.
Give us a little background on yourself.
I have lived in the Des Moines area for my entire life except for a short four-year stint in Dallas, Texas, following graduation from college. I have been married to my college sweetheart, Jordan, for 10 years. We have two children – Graeme (almost 3) and Maeve (9 months). We live in Clive.
I recently have gotten more involved in our wonderful community and currently serve on the Board of Directors for Chrysalis Foundation and the Executive Board of Directors as VP of Membership for a new non-profit in the area called MAEVE (Motherhood. Alliance. Equity. Village. Empowerment).
Could you give me an overview of your career and what inspired you to pursue the field you’re in?
Currently, I work at Holmes Murphy as a Vice President, Client Service – Employee Benefits. My role is two-fold; I consult on a book of business where I work with large Iowa-based employers to formulate their employee benefits strategy, and I also lead the Iowa Client Service (consulting) team located in Waukee, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport which consists of approximately 40 employees.
I originally set out to work in Human Resources following graduation from Drake University. My first role out of college was in employee benefits administration, and I realized I really enjoyed being able to specialize in an area of human resources that still gave me the opportunity to help employees. After five years of doing benefits administration on an HR team, I moved to the consulting side of the business and have been with Holmes Murphy since then.
People always say, “You don’t choose to work in insurance, it chooses you” and that holds true for me. I’m glad insurance chose me because I love every aspect of my job – the clients, my team, and the ever-changing world of healthcare.
What are your favorite parts of working and being involved in the Des Moines community?
My favorite part about working and being involved in the Des Moines metro area is that everyone genuinely cares about one another – whether it’s helping to advance someone’s career or lending a helping hand, I’ve yet to hear someone decline to help when asked.
Most recently one of my most favorite experiences has been being on the executive board of MAEVE. It has given me the opportunity to connect with moms and parents who I wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise. Additionally, it’s afforded me the opportunity to network with local businesses and to my earlier point, everyone that I speak with is so excited to lend a helping hand in partnering or promoting the non-profit to their clientele.
Another favorite experience of mine is visiting and supporting local. I love that the Des Moines community supports and encourages entrepreneurship, and I love connecting and learning more about small businesses that are thriving in our community.
How do you juggle your parenting responsibilities with your work responsibilities?
When I became a first-time mom in 2020, this was a hard one for me to navigate, but now I love helping other first-time parents/moms find balance in excelling at their careers while devoting time to their families. My biggest tip is to schedule everything – and follow it! Almost everything I do in a day goes on my calendar; this includes work projects so I can ensure I have uninterrupted time to focus on the task(s) that I identify need to be completed that day. I also set specific working hours – this was a hard one for me, but I realized that time with my children was limited so at my designated time, I fully transition from work to mom. I also take advantage of conveniences like grocery pick-up and Amazon delivery. Lastly, my husband helps me juggle work and parenting – his tradition is taking the kids for a few hours on Saturday morning to run errands so that I can focus on house chores, that way when they return I can direct my full attention to the kids and not have to worry about the house to-do list.
What are some of your favorite things to do with your family around the metro?
The Des Moines area has so much to offer for activities to do with young children! We love The Science Center for an outing with our three-year-old. He loves all of the exhibits and could literally spend the entire day there. We also recently visited JouJou, a Montessori play space. Both kids had so much fun at JouJou, and I loved that there are activities that cater to both of their ages. Bonus: it’s small enough to be able to easily keep an eye on both kids while they play independently.
When the weather is warm, we love going for long walks on the Clive Greenbelt Trail to visit the many fabulous parks the City of Clive has to offer. Some of our favorites are Campbell Park and Karp Park.
What’s your ideal parent night or day out?
Our favorite date day or night out is trying new local Des Moines area restaurants. Some of our favorites are Fresko, Louie’s Wine Dive, and St. Kilda.
What’s your number one parenting tip?
Some of the most fun and learning comes from letting kids discover the world on their own terms. It took me a long time to relax and let my kids make their own fun. I was all about not wanting the house to get messy or their clothes to get dirty. When I finally let them get dirty and make messes, we had so much fun learning and exploring together! Now you’ll find sensory bins spilled all over the kitchen floor, all of the toys and books were strewn across the living room, and outdoor fun includes playing in the rain and stomping in mud puddles. It also provides a great opportunity for them to learn how to clean up after themselves!
