DES MOINES, Iowa — After two decades in the Iowa Pharmacy Association, CEO Kate Gainer is stepping down.

“Working for the IPA has brought so much meaning to my life, both professionally and personally,” she said.

Gainer started working in the IPA in 2005 and was named the CEO in 2011. She was at the forefront of advocating for legislation supporting pharmacies across the state.

On Monday, a PBM reform bill passed the Iowa legislature and is now headed to the Governor’s desk.

During this legislative session, Gainer has organized several meetings at the Capitol where IPA members and community members demonstrated their support for reform. The most recent was Monday morning, ahead of the House’s debate on the bill.

Her efforts led to the passing of what she calls a “historic” reform bill.

Gainer said she will mainly miss the people she created close relationships with over her 20 years.

“The highlight for me working for IPA isn’t a singular piece of legislation or an achievement from our strategic plan, but it’s truly the relationships that I’ve built with so many pharmacists across the state and it’s the people that have meant the most and have made this work really, really rewarding,” she said.

Gainer will stay in Iowa, but will take time to spend with her family before deciding what’s next.