Jack Topp

Executive Board Chairman

Jack Topp has a deep passion for life in Newton where he and his wife, Carrie, have lived since 1994. They chose to live here for several reasons: its central location to their out-of-town workplaces; the midwestern town environment; the natural surroundings; and the fact that Newton is home to several successful working artists.

Topp’s dedication to his adopted hometown is as evident in his enthusiasm for the NHS Football Cardinals, as it is in the projects in which he participates. He especially focuses on the arts as he is committed to recognizing and encouraging creative potential and wholeheartedly believes its positive effect on the individual.

Topp first met Don Byers while working with organizers of the Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. In time, he joined Byers’ team and eventually became a founding member of the ISF, and later, the CAA.

A licensed Project Architect at OPN Architects in Des Moines, with more than 30 years in commercial design, Topp’s drawing ability was evident from an early age, a talent that was encouraged both by his mother and older sister.

Similarly, his sense of community and dedication to creativity are innate. His parents were deeply involved in their community and encouraged him to participate in Scouts, 4-H, church, and school activities. Likewise, his early exposure to the arts ranged from photography and playing music to singing at church and in theatrical productions at school.

Topp currently serves as Chairman for both ISF and CAA organizations and in those roles, he continues to be challenged and inspired to help create a culture of creativity and problem-solving that will insure the organization’s futures.