Mary Neubauer Appointed Interim Executive Director of NAMI Iowa
Mental health advocate Mary Neubauer took over this week as interim executive director of NAMI Iowa, stepping into the role during a leadership transition for the state chapter.
Neubauer succeeds Ryan Crane, who had led the organization since 2023, Business Record reported.
According to dmcityview.com, Crane received expressions of gratitude from Aaron McHone of Fort Dodge for his contributions, which featured steering the creation of a statewide disaster relief initiative that supplied crisis debriefings following a destructive tornado in southwest Iowa and flooding in northwest Iowa in 2024. McHone is a health care administrator who serves as president of the NAMI Iowa Board.
“We wish Ryan the very best in his new chapter,” McHone told dmcityview.com.
Neubauer brings a long history of advocacy to the organization. As Business Record noted, mental health care advancements have been championed by her and her husband, Larry Loss, following the 2017 death by suicide of their 18-year-old son, Sergei.
“Our family was directly impacted by the lack of mental health supports in Iowa for our son when he was in crisis,” Neubauer told dmcityview.com. “I remember how terrifying and frustrating that was. NAMI Iowa has been instrumental in efforts to do better for our loved ones who need help – and there are families facing that situation every day.”
The 58-year-old retired in June 2025 after a communications career that included 26 years as the spokesperson for the Iowa Lottery, Business Record reported. Tragedy took her well-known voice in a new direction in 2017 when she and her husband told their son’s story in an obituary that went viral, dmcityview.com reported.
Neubauer previously served six years on the NAMI Iowa Board of Directors, including one year as president, Business Record reported.
Business Record reported that a thorough recruitment process to find a permanent executive director is scheduled to be carried out by the NAMI Iowa board in the months ahead.
“NAMI Iowa offers understanding to anyone concerned about mental health and the treatment of mental illness,” Neubauer said in a prepared statement carried by Business Record. “That work is vital to building toward a world where those affected by mental illness can experience hope, recovery and wellness.”
“We are proud to work with Mary to help set the course through a pivotal time for our organization and the larger conversation in our state about the importance of mental health,” McHone told KCCI.