Her Story
About Marguerite
Marguerite (Margie) Braun, RN is a registered nurse, healthcare executive, and business development leader whose career uniquely combines clinical expertise with strategic marketing and operational leadership. As Director of Business Development at Eagle View Behavioral Health, one of only two behavioral health hospitals in Iowa, she leads initiatives that expand access to critical mental health services for adolescents and adults experiencing acute psychiatric crises, including suicidal ideation. She also supports the organization's outpatient behavioral health programs and played a key role in launching a specialized program dedicated to first responders facing mental health challenges. Drawing on her background in both nursing and marketing, Margie has developed a distinctive leadership approach that bridges patient care, relationship building, and business growth to strengthen healthcare organizations and improve access to life-changing services.
Margie's professional journey reflects a deep commitment to serving vulnerable populations throughout every stage of life. Although many of her nursing school peers pursued careers in pediatrics, she found her calling in geriatrics, believing that individuals deserve the same dignity and compassion at the end of life as they receive at its beginning. She spent more than a decade in long-term care nursing, where she developed a profound appreciation for patient advocacy, clinical excellence, and compassionate leadership. During that time, she became increasingly drawn to behavioral health, discovering a passion for supporting individuals facing complex mental health challenges. Even in her executive leadership role today, Margie continues to work part-time in a nursing home, remaining connected to direct patient care and the profession that first inspired her.
Before becoming a nurse, Margie earned a degree in marketing, a foundation that continues to distinguish her career. Motivated by a lifelong passion for healthcare, she made the courageous decision to return to nursing school while raising a two-month-old infant, demonstrating the determination and resilience that have defined her professional life. Today, she leverages both her marketing expertise and clinical knowledge to create innovative strategies that drive organizational growth, strengthen community partnerships, and improve patient outcomes. Recognized as the 2025 Rookie of the Year by Summit Behavioral Healthcare and a graduate of the Iowa Hospital Association's Advanced Leadership Academy, Margie is known for her collaborative leadership style, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to advancing behavioral healthcare while delivering compassionate, patient-centered care.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Marguerite
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think my kids, you know, my husband has always been my biggest cheerleader. Usually they say behind every great woman, there's a great man pushing her up, right? So, at least in my case, there is. He was the one that really pushed me to go after my dreams, especially with a newborn baby. I decided to go back to nursing school when I had a 2-month-old. One of the biggest things I could share is, if anyone is ever wanting to try something new, or don't think they can get there, there's always going to be an excuse as to why you don't do it. You just have to push yourself to do it anyways.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say follow your heart. In nursing, there are so many different facets or levels of care that you can work in. Back when I was in nursing school, everybody wanted to do pediatrics or adolescence, but I went the route of geriatrics. I felt that people needed to have as much dignity going out as they did coming in. One of the positive things about nursing is that you can find a level of care that you love, whether it's OB, whether it's pediatrics, whether it's orthopedics, long-term care. It's a calling for me. I always tell everybody, follow your heart, because I originally went to school for marketing and then decided, when I had a newborn baby, that I was finally going to pursue my passion of nursing. It doesn't matter what stage of life you're in, you just follow your heart.
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