Megan VerHelst Byrd

Ankeny, IA
Graduate of University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Current staff writer at the Des Moines Business Record. Former local editor at Patch.com. Lifelong writer and storyteller.

About

Megan VerHelst Byrd

Megan currently is a staff writer for the Des Moines Business Record, the flagship publication of Business Publications Corp. in Des Moines, where she produces content for the weekly print publication and daily e-newsletters. She also helped launch and now oversees content and production for Lift IOWA, a weekly e-newsletter that aims to connect, inform and inspire female leaders across the state.

A native of Mason City, Megan attended North Iowa Area Community College before transferring to the University of Iowa where she received a degree in journalism. Following college, she interned at The Gazette in Iowa City and spent a year as a reporter for the Jackson County Chronicle, a weekly newspaper in Black River Falls, Wis. After returning to Iowa and spending two years as editor of the Britt News-Tribune, Megan made the decision to come to Patch. In July 2011, she launched Ankeny Patch, growing both the site and its community reach from its infancy.