Biography
Deidre DeJear was the Democratic nominee for governor of Iowa in 2022, the first African American woman in Iowa to be nominated by a major political party for a statewide office. She is the founder of Vision Leads, a nonprofit organization fostering civic engagement.
DeJear was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and moved to Oklahoma as a child. She attended Drake University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. In 2005 DeJear cofounded the nonprofit Back 2 School Iowa and in 2008 she started her business consulting firm, Caleo Enterprises.
DeJear participated in Barak Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012 and was the Iowa campaign chair for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in 2020. In 2018, DeJear ran for Iowa secretary of state, losing to incumbent Paul Pate in the general election.
In 2019, DeJear joined the board of the nonprofit organization Healthy Birth Day, Inc. and became vice president of the board. She is currently president and CEO of Oakridge Neighborhood Services.
Sources:
Akin, K. (2021, August 24). “Meet the candidate: Deidre DeJear talks local control, race and Democratic prospects in 2022” Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved April 22, 2022. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/08/24/meet-the-candidate-deidre-de…;
Ballotpedia (n.d.). “Deidre DeJear” Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 15, 2022. https://ballotpedia.org/Deidre_DeJear.
Caleo Enterprises (n.d.). “About Deidre” Caleo Enterprises. Retrieved April 15, 2022. https://www.caleoenterprises.com/about-deidre.
Count the Kicks (n.d.). “Deidre DeJear” Count The Kicks. Retrieved April 22, 2022. https://countthekicks.org/team-member/deidre-dejear/.
DeJear for Governor (n.d.). “About Deidre” DeJear for Governor. Retrieved April 15, 2022. https://www.dejearforiowa.com/.
Hayden, K. (2019, July 25) “2019 Meredith Emerging Woman of Influence: Deidre DeJear” Business Record. Retrieved April 22, 2022. https://businessrecord.com/Content/Events/Women-of-Influence/Article/20….
Speeches
- Story Democrats Soup Supper - March 14, 2022
- Black Hawk County Democrats - Feb. 20, 2022
- Bid for Governor Interview - Feb. 17, 2022
- Story County Fall Fundraiser - Nov. 13, 2021
- Remarks on Vice President Kamala Harris - Jan. 20, 2021
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Week of Service Keynote - Jan. 18, 2021
- Supporting the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa - Dec. 7, 2020
- Your Vote Matters - June 2, 2020
- Rising Star Award, Women of Influence - Aug. 11, 2019
- Story County Democrats Annual Fall Barbecue - Sep. 17, 2018
- Iowa Press Interview with Paul Pate - Sep. 14, 2018
- DeJear for Secretary of State - Aug. 24, 2018
- Iowa State Fair Political Soapbox - Aug. 13, 2018