In This Issue In Every Issue - Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce

Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce
2015 First Quarter
In This Issue
In Every Issue

Lee County Leadership Update

Director’s Letter

Member Accomplishments

Community Calendar

SET Update

New Members

Vote!

ISU News
director@keokukchamber.com ˖ www.keokukchamber.com
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Moving Forward
The Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers Confluence Region;
Embark on Regional Economic Development Process
The Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers Confluence Region of Lee County, Iowa, Clark County, Missouri and Hancock
County, IL has been awarded a USDA Strengthening Economies Together (SET) Grant in order to develop a regional economic development plan. The SET process was kicked off with a public forum of 50 participants.
Participants represented a variety of tri-state organizations and businesses. This included organizations and businesses
interested in economic development, work force, education, small business growth, industry and entrepreneurship to
name a few. Participants discussed challenges and opportunities within the region. Topics included; income, poverty,
education, unemployment, workforce and population demographics.
“As citizens of a tri-state region we cross state borders with little thought when it comes to employment, shopping and
entertainment,” said Shelley Oltmans, Community Development Special with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Executive Director of the Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce. “But when it comes to collaboration between
businesses, economic development organizations and governments it is perceived to be more difficult.”
Oltmans said the SET process will help bring these groups together and build on some very strong relationships between
organizations in the region. “The SET planning process will assist us in developing regional goals and strategies that will
strengthen our global competitiveness, increase the quality of life for our residents across the region and help us build
upon our long industrial history.”
“USDA Rural Development’s SET program helps establish a state resource team that will bring the talents and resources
of key state and federal agencies, extension programs, and other organizations together to provide coaching and technical assistance to each of the regional teams,” said Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa. “Rural
communities that work through regional and strategic partnerships can complement and draw upon the resources of
another to create jobs and strengthen economies.”
The SET Initiative is a 6 month collaborative initiative that
provides hard economic data on the participating communities and a structured process to discuss regional assets and
challenges. Ultimately the grant will culminate in a High
Quality Plan approved by USDA Rural Development. The
initial meeting will be followed by monthly focused discussions on specific topics such as industry clusters, agriculture,
environment, infrastructure and other targeted issues.
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Affiliates Office ˖ 429 Main Street ˖ Keokuk, Iowa 52632 ˖ 319-524-5055
Calendar of Events
SAVE THE DATE
Tri-State Nonprofit
Management Academy
Keokuk, Iowa
April 2016 – March 2017
Second Tuesday of the Month • 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
The Nonprofit Management Academy was established in 1999 by
Iowa State University in partnership with the United Way Management Assistance Program to enhance the management skills
of those serving nonprofit human services groups, hospitals,
government agencies, churches, private schools, arts organizations, environmental groups, and others in the nonprofit sector.
For more information please contact:
Shelley Oltmans • 319-524-5055 • shelleyo@iastate.edu
Future Academies
2017 Illinois • 2018 Missouri
Keokuk
Community
Meetings
City Council - First and Third Thursday of the Month
Kiwanis - Every Monday @ Noon
Lions Club - Every Tuesday @ Noon
Rotary - Every Thursday @ Noon
School Board - Every Third Monday @ 7pm
Lee County Board of Supervisors - Every Tuesday @ 9 am
director@keokukchamber.com ˖ www.keokukchamber.com
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Calendar of Events
presented by
Main Street Keokuk, Inc.
January 6, 2016
8:00 am
KHS Gym
Online
Community
Calendar
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Friday, December 4, 2015 4:30-9:00 pm
At participated Main Street Retailers
SEE WHAT’S COMING UP!
If you would like something posted to the online community calendar,
contact Jaclyn at officemanager@keokukchamber.com
Affiliates Office ˖ 429 Main Street ˖ Keokuk, Iowa 52632 ˖ 319-524-5055
ISU News
Training to be Held for New 4-H Leaders
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H Youth Development Staff announce statewide trainings for all new 4-H Club Leaders. This training is targeted to those who are beginning as volunteers or those with three years or less experience. The training is
open to all volunteers and current club leaders are encouraged to attend if they have not attended before.
Advantages of this training program include: learning about the role of a caring adult, dynamic training to boost positive youth development knowledge and skills in order to support a vibrant 4-H club or Clover Kids group, and an opportunity to meet and network
with other volunteers. The interactive training includes an agenda loaded with knowledge, skills, and tools needed to enhance a volunteer’s work with 4-H youth. Volunteers will receive a binder of resources to prepare them for working with their club or group.
Training will be held two times in southeast Iowa on Saturday, November 7th at Johnson County Extension Office and Saturday, December 12th at the Lee County Extension Office. The training will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There are numerous trainings
throughout the state; volunteers are able to attend any of the locations. To register, go to www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/
volunteertraining. Registration is due one week before the trainings. The training will include resources, lunch and snacks. There is
no fee to the volunteer to attend.
For more information on how to volunteer with 4-H in your county please contact your county’s Extension office. For more information on New Leader’s Training in Southeast Iowa, please contact Youth Program Specialist, Kati Peiffer, 319/385-8126
or Kpeiffer@iastate.edu.
Food Safety Certification Scheduled for Fall
Local county offices of ISU Extension and Outreach sponsor food safety certification courses for food service managers and employees.
Upcoming sessions at Great Prairie AEA in Burlington are Thursday, October 15 and Wednesday, December 16, 2015. Each class runs
from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm with the exam to follow.
According to Patricia Steiner, Nutrition & Wellness Specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, the course content is based on the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's ServSafe® certification program and the Iowa Food Code. Participants will
receive a copy of the ServSafe® Managers training manual and have the option of testing for certification.
For more details about the food safety sessions or to register, contact the Des Moines County Extension & Outreach office at 319-3949433 or 800-914-1914 or by email to psteiner@iastate.edu or contact your local county ISU Extension and Outreach office.
Keokuk City Elections
November 3, 2015
director@keokukchamber.com ˖ www.keokukchamber.com
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Chamber News
Gemini Travel Celebrates 25 Years
7th Annual Tri-state Recycling Event
For 25 years, Chuck and Pat Mayfield have provided the area with their travel expertise. What started out as a dream, has now turned into a very successful agency. Family owned and operated, Gemini
Travel has been one of Keokuk’s most successful
small businesses.
Keokuk’s 7th annual community-wide e-waste/
recycling event on September 29, 2015 had a strong
turnout with 445 total Tri-State participants (346
from Keokuk). North Cedar South received paper to
be shredded as well as paper, cardboard, books, magazines, and newsprint for recycling. Great River Regional Waste Authority had 63 Lee county customers
with hazardous material. Midwest Recycling Center
received 320 CRT TVs and 122 CRT computer monitors, along with over a ton of appliances and electronics for recycling. The Lions Club collected 24 eyeglasses, and the Iowa State Penitentiary received
more than 70 bikes. The event was co-sponsored by
Roquette America, the City of Keokuk, and the Chamber of Commerce.
Along with their expert staff of agents, Gemini
Travel has provided excellent service with great
deals. Gemini Travel provides everything from
cruises, vacation packages, and transportation services to custom packages. Whether staying in the
states or traveling abroad, Gemini Travel has
strived to provide the knowledge and deals to
make travelers come back time and time again.
Looking for volunteer opportunities? Want to help make a
difference in your community?
Join one of our many committees and help
us make the difference.
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Affiliates Office ˖ 429 Main Street ˖ Keokuk, Iowa 52632 ˖ 319-524-5055
Chamber News
Van Meter Inc. Name a Top Iowa Workplace
Van Meter Inc. is pleased to announce that it has been selected as one of Iowa’s 2015 Top 150 Workplaces. Top Workplaces are determined
based solely on employee feedback. Van Meter Inc. ranked fourth among Iowa’s top midsized companies. This is the fourth consecutive year
on the Top Workplaces list for Van Meter.
The employee feedback survey is conducted by WorkplaceDynamics, LLP, a leading research firm on organizational health and employee
engagement. WorkplaceDynamics conducts regional Top Workplaces programs with major publishing partners across the United States. In
Iowa, WorkplaceDynamics partners with The Des Moines Register.
What makes Van Meter a winning workplace? According to Van Meter Chief Operating Officer, Lura McBride, it’s the people. "When you hire
the right people and create a culture where they can be engaged and understand how they make a difference, everything else takes care of
itself,” states McBride. “Delivering a positive employee-owner experience is the best way to ensure we deliver an exceptional customer experience.”
In 2015, one-hundred percent of Van Meter’s employee-owners participated in the company’s engagement survey via WorkplaceDynamics.
The company reported an engagement score of 80 percent, which is well above the national average of about 30 percent. “We are enthusiastic about our work and our passion is contagious,” adds McBride. “Every employee-owner is focused on creating lasting value for the people
we serve – our customers, our suppliers, our community partners and one another.”
According to McBride, Van Meter focuses on the “total” wellbeing of its people. This encompasses traditional things like heath, wellness and
safety, but also includes financial stability, personal growth and development, flexible scheduling to allow for better integration of work and
home life, and a very progressive parental leave program. The company recently introduced a new vacation policy called TOTAL TM (Time Off
To Appreciate Life). It is a personal accountability plan where employees take ownership of their time away from work.
The Des Moines Register published the complete list of 2015 Top Workplaces in a special section on Sunday, Sept. 13. For more information,
visit http://data.desmoinesregister.com/top-workplaces/?year=2015
Recruiting new talent for your business?
We provide relocation/recruitment packages.
Royal
Ad
director@keokukchamber.com ˖ www.keokukchamber.com
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Chamber News
2016 CAB Schedule Open
Henniges Celebrates 100 Years
The 2016 schedule for Chamber After Business is now
It all began on Aug. 24, 1915, when Emil G. Lindstrand,
a Keokuk contractor, was awarded the contract to
build the new Standard Four Tire Company that would
produce tires for the Ford Model T, according to a history provided by Henniges Automotive.
open. These will be scheduled on a first come, first
serve basis. We would like to invite any Chamber Member to contact us and schedule to sponsor or host a CAB
today.
SPONSOR: Sponsor Fee $75
Provides hors
d’oeuvres for the event.
Contributes door prizes for attendees.
Representative draws the door prizes during program.
Marketing opportunity
Plans event (e.g. theme, games, prizes)
HOST:
The Keokuk plant has had many owners, names and
products over the last 100 years, the current owner
Littlejohn & Co. acquired Henniges from WynnChurch
Capital Ltd. in 2010. The plant supplies weather-strips
to Detroit automakers. Ford comprises 31 percent of
the plant’s business, General Motors makes up 31 percent, Chrysler has 10 percent, and others, 28 percent.
The location of Chamber After Business.
Marketing opportunity
Provides alcoholic/nonalcoholic beverages.
What the Chamber does:
Create advertisement and advertise CAB
Sell door prize tickets and promote prizes
Introduce and thank both Host and Sponsor
Feature Host and Sponsor in press release of event
The plant employs more than 600 people from the TriState Area.
Website: http://www.hennigesautomotive.com/
Starting a new business? Expanding? Need a succession plan?
Come speak with Janine Clover at the Chamber office.
Second Monday each month, 12:00-4:00 pm
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Affiliates Office ˖ 429 Main Street ˖ Keokuk, Iowa 52632 ˖ 319-524-5055
Chamber News
A big thank you to all of our 2015 Golf Outing sponsors!
Hole and Team Sponsors
Keokuk Medical Center
Ryan M. Ruffcorn Insurance
Liberty Utilities
Access Door
Pilot Grove Savings Bank
Conn Communications
Fitch Health Care
HyVee
Peevler Real Estate
Golden Eagle Distributing
Korte Tax & Accounting
Keokuk Contractors
Roquette America, Inc.
Johnson Schmidt
Alliant Energy
Shoemaker Haaland
Krichel’s
The Pzazz
TSS Safety, Inc.
Advance Home Health Care
Pilot Grove Savings Bank
Korte Tax & Accounting
Angelini’s Ristoraunte Italiano
McDonald’s
KSB Bank & Insurance
Shoemaker & Haaland
Taske Force
SEIRPC
Menke & Company
Seither & Cherry
Team Sponsors
i-Connect You
Family Discount Shoes
Hole Sponsors
Meyers Driveway & Septic
SCC
Krichel Animal Hospital
Roquette America, Inc.
Keokuk Veterinary Hospital
Schleier & Associates
Keokuk Health Systems
Auction Sponsors
HyVee
Shelley Oltmans
Youngren Shoes
Kerry Klepfer
Golden Eagles Distributing
Pilot Grove Savings Bank
Spirit Hollow Golf Course
Southside Boat Club
FCB
Schleier & Associates
SCC
Doug Ewing
TO Haas
The Eagle’s Nest
Table Sponsors
River Hills Village
Taske Force
Lexington Square
Roquette America Inc.
Gift bag
First Community Bank
Keokuk Health Systems
SCC
Lake Cooper Golf & Dining
Winner’s Gift Certificates
The Cellar
Hawkeye Restaurant
Beef, Bread, & Brew
Lucky’s Pub & Grub
City of Keokuk
Climax-Molybdenum
Sutlive Real Estate
B&H Marine
Ace Hardware
Hoerner YMCA
Keokuk Yacht Club
Walmart
Darkside Tint & Graphics
The Lost Canvas
Peevler Real Estate
Conn Communications
KACC
Keokuk Spirits
Keokuk Kash
Rewarding employees? Need a gift idea?
Come get Keokuk Kash! Any denomination!
Accepted at over 170 local businesses!
director@keokukchamber.com ˖ www.keokukchamber.com
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Chamber News
LEE COUNTY LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2016
The Lee County Leadership Program has accepted eight leadership trainees
to the Class of 2016. These eight participants began their training on September 15. Members are Nicole Baker, Transit Director for Southeast Iowa
Regional Planning Commission; Emily Benjamin, County Youth Coordinator
for ISU Extension and Outreach of Lee County; Diane Fader, Banking Center
Manager for First Community Bank; Cindy Greer, Primrose Path Manager for
The Kensington; Corby Hawkins, Sales and Marketing Manager for Seither &
Cherry Co; Jaclyn Lansing, Office Manager for the Keokuk Area Chamber of
Commerce; Andrea Rogers, Assistant General Manager for Keokuk Municipal Waterworks; and Richard Tebbs, Natural Resource Manager for the Lee
County Conservation Board.
Deb Tootle, Iowa State University Community Leadership Specialist leads
the morning sessions in which the leadership trainees learn the importance
of community leadership development, take a deep look into the conditions
of the community using data and learn tools and skills to practice community leadership. Tootle is utilizing new curriculum from Iowa State University
Extension and Outreach. It is a modular and interactive community leadership program based on cutting-edge research on community leadership (as
opposed to individual, business or organizational leadership). Lee County is
the first county in Iowa to utilize this specific approach to leadership development by piloting the program.
The afternoons are filled with local speakers and tours organized by ISU extension and outreach Lee County,
Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce and Fort Madison Area Chamber of Commerce. This portion of the program is
part of a countywide networking process in which leadership trainees will meet diverse community leaders and
partners from throughout the county. In the process, people from diverse backgrounds and experiences will work
together to learn about community building in a wide array of social, economic and cultural conditions.
“We are holding the program in communities throughout Lee County so participants can create a sense of broader community outside of their own town,” Shelley Oltmans, executive director of the Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce and ISU Extension and Outreach CED specialist said. “It is important in rural communities to work with regional partners to build capacity.”
Trainees will utilize their leadership skills and tools to work with two community organizations, PORT
(Promoting Outdoor Recreational Trails) and Live Healthy Lee County. Both organizations are looking for assistance
to create marketing plans. “I believe we felt that the chosen projects would give the leadership trainees the opportunity to collaborate even though they will be working on 2 separate programs” stated Laura Francisco, Fort Madison Area Chamber of Commerce and steering committee member. Over the next 6 months leadership trainees will
work under the guidance of mentors from the submitting organizations. The final projects will be presented during
the graduation ceremony to be held in early April 2016.
In addition to building skills and implementing community projects, the class of 2016 will attend the Iowa Legislature’s Great River Region Days in Des Moines to network with government officials and lobby on behalf of Southeast Iowa.
The Lee County Leadership Program is a partnership between the Fort Madison Area Chamber of Commerce,
Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. It is supported by a steering
committee with representatives from the Lee County Health Department, Fort Madison Partners, Lee County Charitable Fund, Keokuk Area Community Foundation, and Southeastern Community College. Session Two was sponsored by Keokuk Area Hospital and the program is also supported financially by Alliant Energy.
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Affiliates Office ˖ 429 Main Street ˖ Keokuk, Iowa 52632 ˖ 319-524-
Pride & Ribbon Cuttings
McWilliams
1019 Seymour
Chief Motel
2701 Main Street
Shear Royalty
715 Main Street
DeMoss
1116 High Street
KPLAY
Bentley’s Park
Barcliff
2511 Middle Road
Harlow
908 S. 16th Street
Arrowhead Bowl
director@keokukchamber.com ˖ www.keokukchamber.com
Keokuk Prompt Care
Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce
429 Main Street
Keokuk, IA 52632
Contact Us
Give us a call for more information.
Keokuk Area Chamber of
Commerce
429 Main Street
Keokuk, IA 52632
(319) 524-5055
officemanager@keokukchamber.com
Visit us on the web at
www.keokukchamber.com
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Affiliates Office ˖ 429 Main Street ˖ Keokuk, Iowa 52632 ˖ 319-524-