Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Profile

Jimmy A. Reyes has taken on many roles over the course of his illustrious career: nurse leader, scholar, nonprofit executive, educator, and community advocate. 

From his position as associate director of practice and education at the Iowa Board of Nursing to his work as founder and leader of MyHealthIowa, Reyes has spent his career in service to his community. 

Reyes, who was born in Peru, has strived to improve the health of underserved communities, working to test innovative training models to promote the most effective and sustainable diabetes practices. 

At MyHealthIowa, Reyes helped design culturally responsive health programs to reach immigrant, refugee, migrant, rural, and underserved communities throughout the state. These initiatives have changed the lives of countless people by expanding health services into trusted community settings where care can reach those who need it most. 

Reyes’ leadership reflects a service model grounded in partnership, community, and long-term systems improvement. Beyond direct community engagement, his work in nursing regulation, workforce development, and public health infrastructure has contributed to more equitable and responsive care across Iowa. 

As chairman of the Iowa Community HUB Board of Directors, Reyes has been instrumental in advancing statewide, cross-sector collaboration to address chronic disease and social determinants of health.

Reyes is a force for change around the world. He currently works with the American University of Nigeria to research the effects and treatment of kidney disease within internally displaced persons camps in the state of Adamawa, Nigeria. By comparing these findings to data from migrant populations in places like Iowa, Reyes and his co-researchers are improving care for those often forgotten by traditional systems.