Okpara Rice serves as Chief Executive Officer of Tanager in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He joined the organization as Executive Director in July 2013 and assumed the role of CEO in July 2015, becoming the first African American to hold executive office in the organization’s more than 140-year history. Tanager’s mission is to Inspire, Empower, and Heal, and the organization works with more than 4,000 young people and families each year through a range of mental health, prevention, and residential services. Prior to joining Tanager, Rice held leadership roles with the Jewish Child Care Association in Pleasantville, New York; Mercy Home for Boys & Girls in Chicago; the Youth Campus in Park Ridge, Illinois; and Starr Columbus in Columbus, Ohio.
A respected leader in child welfare and community development, Rice is actively engaged locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally on issues including juvenile justice, access to services, health equity, education, and leadership development. He previously served on Governor Kim Reynolds’ Children’s System State Board, which was created to develop innovative solutions for youth and families across Iowa. Rice also served as the first African American Board President of the Association of Children’s Residential & Community Services (ACRC), a national organization with more than 60 years of history. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, as a Trustee of Coe College, and as a Board Member of the International Child and Youth Care Network. He previously served as a Civil Rights Commissioner for the City of Marion, Iowa, and as a Trustee of the Marion Public Library. In recognition of his leadership and community impact, he was named a History Maker by the African American Museum of Iowa in 2020.
Rice has presented internationally in Europe and Canada on issues affecting children and families. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Iowa School of Social Work, helping prepare the next generation of social work leaders. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the Brown School in 2018. He also completed executive leadership programs at Georgetown University and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Rice has been widely recognized for his leadership and impact in the region. He was named to the Corridor Business Journal’s Most Influential 25 in 2021, 2023, and 2025, and to the CBJ Iowa 500 Most Influential Business Leaders list in 2024 and 2026.
Rice lives in Marion, Iowa with his wife, Julie, and their sons, Malcolm and Dylan.
