Jona Schmidt

Jona is the General Manager of the Ruan Center, a Class A, 585,881-square-foot office property in Des Moines, Iowa. In this role, she serves as an expert leader for the building’s management team, assisting with capital projects, tenant construction, accounting issues, service contract negotiations, and building/tenant issues. Jona also acts as a liaison between the building owner and Transwestern and helps on-site property staff understand and achieve ownership objectives.

Jona has nearly 20 years of experience in real estate. She joined Transwestern as a General Manager in New York City before transitioning to the Des Moines team. Prior to her time at Transwestern, Jona served as a General Manager or Property Manager in cities across the United States, including San Diego and New York City. She has extensive knowledge and experience in multi-tenant commercial buildings, distressed assets, and portfolios that include retail, industrial, and office properties. She also has five years of experience in the Life Sciences industry, working on projects ranging from incubator and start-up facilities to representing operations in the development of a ground-up LEED Platinum campus.

Throughout her career, she has led several major projects, including large rezonings, such as relocating a lobby on Madison Avenue to secure high-rent retail frontage in New York City. Other projects have included façade restoration of buildings over 100 years old, upgrades to base building mechanical infrastructure, and energy-saving initiatives. During her time at the Ruan Center, she facilitated its placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 2025 and is currently leading a $50 million redevelopment project focused on mechanical equipment replacement and tenant-focused amenity programs.