Kylie Forkner · Lodge Manager

Kylie grew up in Humeston, Iowa. She constantly surrounded herself with all sorts of animals, especially stray dogs and cats. She always had a dog growing up, whether it was a stray she found, or one they adopted. She always found herself working around animals, as well. As a teenager, she found jobs working with show horses and helping small town farmers on their cattle and hog farms. Having a love for animals and being surrounded by farmers helped push her to further her education. She decided to go to DMACC in Ankeny to get her AAS degree in Agribusiness. So, she and her husband moved to Des Moines with their two dogs, Rockie and Ryder (also found as a stray). Her love for animals is what led her to Dogwoods, where she was able to quickly move her way up through multiple departments, followed by  earning the Lodging/Daycamp Assistant Manager role, and now Lodge Manager! She would like to make her way back into livestock agriculture at some point, but really enjoys where she is at now, making all sorts of connections with people and dogs.