APRIL EVENTS
WDM Chamber Board Meeting:
Tuesday, April 7
4:00 PM
WDM City Hall
Membership Luncheon:
Thursday, April 9
11:30 AM
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
Wednesday, April 15
7:30 AM
Union State Bank
6305 Mills Civic Parkway
Lunch & Learn:
Thursday, April 16
11:30 AM
West Des Moines City Hall - Council Chambers
Regional Business After Hours:
Thursday, April 16
5:00-7:00 PM
Hosted by East Des Moines Chamber at Noodle Zoo
601 E. Locust, DM
Business After Hours:
Thursday, April 23
5:00-7:00 PM
Glen Oaks Country Club
1401 Glen Oaks Drive
For a complete listing of 2009 WDM Chamber Events, please click HERE |
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WDM Chamber OFFICERS
515.223.8104
515.556.9152
515.440.5601
Bruce Lambert:
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WDM Chamber
Board of Directors
Chris Costa:
515.222.5205
Susan Dunn:
515.224.7619 Steve Gaer:
515.974.5261
Karen Hallagin:
515.223.7885
515.223.4500
515.288.3141
515.333.4056
Kurt Pearson:
515.327.1020
Sid Ramsey:
515.263.5375
515.633.5023
515.237.8631 |
April Membership Luncheon
Joined by members of the
Urbandale Chamber |
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
West Des Moines
Reservations:
Call 515.225.6009
or register online by clicking HERE
$20/person
Sponsored by:
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Wednesday, April 15th
7:30 - 8:30 AM
Union State Bank
No charge to attend, but please RSVP. Call 515.225.6009 or click here.
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Lunch & Learn
Generational Marketing
Thursday, April 16
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
$10/person
Sponsored by:
Guest Speaker:
Trevor Hendrickson,
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Thursday, April 23rd
5:00-7:00 PM
Hosted by:
Glen Oaks Country Club
1401 Glen Oaks Drive
Additional Sponsors:
Principal Charity Classic
Speedpro Imaging
Doll Distributing
RSVP by calling 515.225.6009
or by clicking here.
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| CONGRATULATIONS! |
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Greater Des Moines was recently ranked 10th in a list of mid-sized metros with the best quality of life by BizJournals.
For complete article, click HERE. |
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Welcome New Members!
300 Locust Street, Suite 100
Des Moines, IA 50309
515.244.0021
Waste/Recycling
P.O. Box 21009
Des Moines, IA 50321
515.285.4640
Contractors/Concrete
1111 9th Street, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50314
200 10th Street, Suite 300
Des Moines, IA 50309
515.362.5243
Dahleen's Cleaning Service
P.O. Box 8156
Des Moines, IA 50301
515.418.5888
Commercial Cleaning
1225 Jordan Creek Pkwy., Suite 100
West Des Moines, IA 50266
515.221.9494
1401 50th Street
West Des Moines, IA 50266
6165 NW 86th Street
Johnston, IA 50131
515.727.1695
Building Automation
Iowa Family Chiropractic
312 Court Avenue #313
Des Moines, IA 50309
515.321.8801
Chiropractic Clinic
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 West Des Moines Real Estate - A Great Investment!
Our nation is in the midst of one of the longest recessions in our history. Nearly every day, we hear about more job losses, pay freezes, job furloughs, government deficits and shrinking stock prices.
Many of the financial problems facing our nation can be traced to real estate and its related debt. Credit was so readily available that it helped real estate values skyrocket while the underlying economics of owning real estate remained unchanged. The result, when credit dried up, real estate values fell to more realistic levels. Fortunately, Iowa and more particularly West Des Moines have been less impacted by the wild fluctuations in real estate values experienced by many other parts of the nation.
Everyone has heard the old adage about the three most important things in real estate; location, location, location! If working for Bill Knapp has taught me one thing, it's that nothing is more important than where real estate is located. West Des Moines is a great location for several reasons:
· West Des Moines children have access to excellent schools through the WDM, Waukee and Van Meter School Districts. All three districts graduate its students at least 6% better than the state average of 88%, with the Waukee School District graduating over 98% of its students.
· The City of West Des Moines provides services and opportunities to its residents that are highly valued. In the most recent survey of WDM residents, 96% of residents were satisfied with the quality of life in West Des Moines. Areas encompassed within the quality of life include emergency services, parks and recreation and maintenance of city streets.
· Shopping and dining in West Des Moines offers great diversity from the charm of Valley Junction to the chic of West Glen and the grandeur of the Jordan Creek Town Center.
· West Des Moines will soon be home for two new hospitals. Both hospitals will likely open during 2009.
The significance of the aforementioned list is that employers gravitate to locations where they can find these types of offerings. From the employer's standpoint, it is much easier to attract employees when you have access to high quality city services, great schools and abundant leisure activities. Especially during times of economic uncertainty, employers are very cautious about making decisions for new office locations or office consolidations. Because of all it has to offer, West Des Moines will likely continue to retain its current employers and attract new ones.
Continuing to attract new and retain current employers is important to West Des Moines. It will encourage more investment by real estate developers erecting new buildings, developing residential and commercial land projects and prompting increased infrastructure investment from local governments. With job creation, housing will continue to flourish. West Des Moines seems well positioned to weather the current economic storm and continue to thrive as a city many people are proud to call their home. Sincerely, Chris Costa
Submitted by Chris Costa, Senior Vice President
Knapp Properties, Inc. West Des Moines Chamber Board Member |
 The Next Generation Gap
This month the West Des Moines Leadership Academy (WDMLA) members studied one of the more polarizing issues facing business leaders today: emerging generational differences in the workforce.
 Christine Meggison, certified business coach and generational consultant, presented a lecture on the "Generation Gap 2.0™" that offered strategies for leading next-generation workforces, leveraging their unique talents and understanding the ways they approach work differently. Several Academy members had experienced first-hand the strengths and weaknesses of Millennials and Generation X'ers in the workplace. The session also looked at the strengths and weaknesses of Baby Boomers  and the Greatest Generation, both groups that will have smaller roles in the workforce just a few years in the future. For more information, visit www.nextgenerationworkforce.com.
The remainder of the evening was spent at the Fire Creek Grill on 50th Street, where the group enjoyed a great meal and listened to a few members during their "Time to Shine," a short opportunity for Academy members to offer detailed introductions or insight into their work, family and life. Every Academy member has a"Time to Shine" moment, and it's helped the group get to know one another better.
This year's class project to begin a Building Leaders program is off to a strong start, with an excursion to the  Des Moines Playhouse already planned for Saturday, April 4. Up to 30 children are expected to attend "Sideways Stories from Wayside School," currently showing at the Playhouse. The best part is the cost is free to the children, thanks to the Academy, West Des Moines Human Services and the generosity of local businesses who support the program.
With only two sessions to go this year, the Academy is turning its attention to the inaugural graduation ceremony, scheduled for Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. The ceremony will be held in the Churchill Room at Glen Oaks Country Club. Stay tuned to the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce e-newsletter for more details.
For those considering inclusion in the Academy in 2009-2010, the nomination and application forms are both available at www.wdmleaders.org/enroll. Nomination is not a prerequisite for application and self-applications are accepted. Nominations will be accepted through Sunday, May 31, 2009 and applications will be accepted through Tuesday, June 30, 2009.
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Business of the Month
AMAZE Business Solutions
Our sole purpose is to grow your business! Reaching your target marketing is what we do, what we live for, what we breathe! At AMAZE Business Solutions, we bring a unique and creative twist to the term marketing agency. We're proud to be a team of reliable, flexible, out-of-the-box thinkers that can undoubtedly get you more for your marketing dollar!
Jackie Johansen founded the company six years ago and since then, the company has grown and expanded to a team of skilled designers, web developers and strategic planners. We bring a unique perspective and creative ideas on how to grow your business among both your current customers and your prospects.
A recent new client said just earlier this week, "These ideas are great, this isn't at all what I was expecting!" We know the high-impact, low cost strategies that get results using today's technology.
We start simple, a free marketing analysis that brings you insight on new ways to grow your business. In the month of April we are offering a Chamber Member SPECIAL... FREE Design Project! Up to 4 hours - That's a $300 value!
We want to show you that we work creatively, quickly and reliably and we want to show you for FREE!
Visit www.AMAZEbusinessSolutions.com to learn more.
AMAZE Business Solutions
4051 SW 56h St
Des Moines, IA 50321
TellMeMore@AMAZEbusinessSolutions.com
515.277.0042 |
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Chamber Staff Increases by Two
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the addition of two new staff members as of April 1st.
The first is a recognizable face to many of you! Deb Bengtson, our new Membership Coordinator comes to us  with a wealth of community and metro-wide experience. You've most likely met her in her most recent role as Vice President of Business Development for First Bank, one of the Chamber's most active and involved Ambassadors, and a member of the Valley Junction Foundation Board.
As a resident of Johnston, Deb has also been extremely active, and held leadership positions in organizations such as Johnston Rotary, Johnston Community Schools, Johnston Economic Development Corp. and Urbandale Chamber. She most recently served as the 2009 Chamber President for the Johnston Chamber. Deb is married and has one child.
We also welcome Maggie Sander to the Chamber staff.  Maggie will serve as our Front Office Intern, assisting Julie Weeks with the many responsibilities of managing phone calls, reservations, and event coordination.
Maggie is currently a student at AIB College of Business and will graduate with a degree in Business Administration in May, 2009. She is a recent employee of WHO-TV 13, where she served as a receptionist. Maggie is a resident of Ankeny.
We hope you get a chance to meet these two outstanding additions to the West Des Moines Chamber staff soon! |
 What Do You Mean, Generational Marketing?
Builders, Boomers, X'ers, and Y's, each generation has its own culture and acceptance level of new technology. Learn how to communicate effectively with targeted and cross generational marketing. Better understand who the Y's are and how they are wired, or rather unwired. Getting noticed in their wireless, multitasking, "experience first" world takes more of a whisper than a shout.
Trevor Hendrickson of theWEBcentric, has a vast array of experience in the field of marketing and brand development. His clients have included McDonald's Restaurants of Canada, Target and FOX Television among many others. A graduate of the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy,  Trevor received his FCC broadcasting license at the age of 15, started his first company at 20, directed a series of short films for Seattle based SLAM MEDIA, developed Flash applications and websites for clients throughout North America, has consulted with more than 100 Community Banks, has created award winning presentations, print and website designs, and is a winner of the Republican National Committee's National Leadership Award.
Lunch & Learn, sponsored by Regions Bank, will be held on Thursday, April 16 from 11:30 to 1:00 at the WDM City Council Chambers in City Hall. The cost of the session is $10 per member and reservations are required. Click here to reserve your space now! |
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We're TEXTING!! Sign-up Today. 
The WDM Chamber has a new method of communicating upcoming events and promotions. TEXT MESSAGING! Can't remember if there is a business after hours this evening? Now you can simply check your phone to make sure you don't miss out.
To sign up, click HERE. You may also text: WDMCHAMBER to 74700. It's quick, it's easy and it won't cost you a thing if your phone plan includes text messaging. The Chamber will not text more than 8 texts per month.
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 It's Going to be AmayZING! Put a little ZING in your step and join a 5K Fun Run/Walk on the West Des Moines trails system on Saturday, May 9, 2009.
Registration will open at 7:00 a.m., 5K Run/Walk to begin at 8:00 a.m. All ages are welcome to participate. The routes being and end at West Des Moines City Hall.
Register online by clicking here or by visiting www.runningroom.com. Pre-register by April 30th and adults can participate for $15; youth (12 and under) can participate for $10. Each pre-registered participant will receive a commemorative T-shirt.
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Need Employees? Sign Up For The 2009 Jobs Expo! 
As you know, if you were around this area last year, West Des Moines' A-MAY-Zing Days makes for a truly amazing month! Organizations, companies, and individuals all come together with a month-long series of fun-filled activities and programs designed to showcase our community at its finest! West Des Moines Development Corporation is no exception. Plans are set for the second annual WDM Jobs Expo, organized by the WDM Development Corp. and Iowa Workforce Development. These organizations are actively seeking both employers looking for quality employees - and the job seekers to fill the vacant positions.
The WDM Jobs Expo will take place on Thursday, May 28th, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel. Plans are in place for up to 60 companies to participate. Four on-site seminars will be presented throughout the day to job seekers on topics such as writing and critiquing resumes; interviewing skills; presentation style; and networking tips. Booth spaces filled up quickly last year, and due, in part, to the success of last year's event, we expect even greater response for this year. Don't wait - reserve space for your company to participate TODAY.
For further information, or to sign your business up to participate in the Jobs Expo, click HERE. |
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Viewing Gallery
Ambassadors welcomed Vision 4 Less into the community and the chamber with a ribbon cutting held on Monday, March 2nd.
The Breakfast B4 Business was held on Wednesday, March 18th. There was a great turn-out on such a chilly morning!
March's Business After Hours, hosted by US Cellular, drew a crowd! | |
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Batteries Have Been Recharged 
"Recharging Your Batteries", recapping the many networking opportunities offered by the Chamber; "Put the Spark in Your Plugs" which informed everyone of the many sponsorship and promotional opportunities which lie within the Chamber programming, and "Mapping Your Journey" which highlighted the many new and most convenient aspects of our Chamber website. 
attend so I could get some things done at work, but glad I did not miss this event." And "Very impressive! We felt it was a worthwhile expense of time and offered several marketing opportunities for our department."
