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Chamber Chat
We are a community development association comprised of businesses, individuals, and organizations dedicated to promoting Madison County as a great place to visit, or build a business, a career, and a future.
73 Jefferson Street, Winterset, Iowa 50273
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Upcoming Chamber Coffee Locations:
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February 28
- Greater Madison County Community Foundation at the American Legion Hall, 221 N. 1st Ave., Winterset
March 6
- U.S. Cellular/Cellular Advantage, 59 E. Jefferson St., Winterset
March 13
- QHC Madison Square and QHC Winterset North, 209 W. Jefferson St., Winterset
March 20
- Small Business Growth Alliance, 1507 Roseman Bridge Rd., Winterset
March 27
- The Iowa Theater, 121 N. John Wayne Dr., Winterset
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Chamber Board of Directors:
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Sarah Pugh
(Chair) - 2/5 Studios
Brad Tadlock (Vice Chair) - Dream Dirt Farm Real Estate & Auction
Sarah Reed (Secretary) - 1st Avenue Collective
Jennifer Porter (Treasurer) - Integrity Financial Group
Sheila Stewart - Country Cutters
Bill Moody - Pine Creek, Ltd.
Roger Queck - Pro Team Insurance
Dan Noack - Fareway Grocery Stores
Julie Feirer - Winterset Websites
Sarah Cowman - Homefront Real Estate
Travis Daniels - Summit Technologies
Nicole Kems
- Angel Wings & CT
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Madison County Chamber of Commerce & Welcome Center Staff
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Heather Riley - Executive Director
Teddi Yaeger - Tourism/Marketing Coordinator
Dawn Evenson - Financial Office Director
Melody Reels - Welcome Center
Nancy Trask - Welcome Center
Heather Hatch - Welcome Center
Stephanie Gerleman - Welcome Center
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Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization serving Central Iowa, united to drive economic growth with one voice, one mission and as one region.
Together with 23 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce and over 6,000 business members, The Partnership grows opportunity, creates jobs and promotes the Greater Des Moines area.
When you joined our Chamber, you automatically became a part of this important work! Learn more
here.
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Explore the Small Business Resources Hub!
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The Greater Des Moines Partnership's Small Business Resources Hub provides a one stop shop for small businesses to find resources relating to legal, accounting, finance, marketing, networking, staffing and hiring and more.
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Online Business Resources
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Does your business need help with planning, branding, training, funding, or anything in between?
IASourceLink is the premier online resource connecting entrepreneurs and small businesses to more than 360 resource providers across Iowa. IASourceLink is brought to you by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) in collaboration with the University of Northern Iowa Center for Business Growth and Innovation.
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As we're working to finalize stops on the "Hidden Madison County" Business Tour on Thursday, April 2, it's interesting to remember all of the various sites throughout Madison County we have visited since this event launched in 2015! The sites visited include:
- Interstate Communications (now OmniTel Communications) in Truro
- Macksburg Wind Park
- R&D Engineering in Earlham
- Winterset Municipal Airport
- Madison County Health Care System
- Winterset Municipal Water Plant and Spillway
- Microsoft building site
- Bricker-Price Block in Earlham (both before and after renovations)
- Covered Bridges Winery
- Grip-Tite Manufacturing
- Madison County Winery
- I-35 School District Technology Wing
- Pammel Park Coffee Company
- Earlham Community School District
- DeVries Woodcrafters in Earlham
- Bare Bison Ranch in Van Meter
It's exciting to see and explore sites making the news and raising the bar for innovation in Madison County! Read on for more information about this year's tour!
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Participants learned about R&D Engineering Company in Earlham during the 2015 Hidden Madison County event!
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If you have information or announcements that you'd like to be featured in "Chamber Chat", be sure to pass it my way! Send me an email and indicate the week you would like your announcement to be made!
Thank you for your support of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce!
Heather Riley
Executive Director
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This week's Friday Chamber Coffee will be held
Friday, February 28 at 8:15 am and will be hosted by the Greater Madison County Community Foundation at the American Legion Hall, located at 221 N. 1st Ave. in Winterset.
If you are a non-profit club or organization working on a project to benefit the Madison County community, be sure to submit a grant application to the Greater Madison County Community Foundation! The applications, checklist, and additional information about funding can be found here. Grant recipients must be either a 501 (c) (3) or a 170 (b) organization, or have an organization willing to serve as fiscal agent who is either of the aforementioned organizations. The deadline to submit your application is
March 27, 2020
at 4:00 pm. This year $120,000 are available for Madison County non-profit organizations! A list of prior grant recipients can be found here.
An overview of the Greater Madison County Community Foundation and it's contributions to the community was shared at the 2018 grant awards event. The video was produced by Brenden Pugh of 2/5 Studios and features Wayne Martens as spokesperson. Take a look!
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Winterset Art Center Pancake Breakfast
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Join the Winterset Art Center for a Pancake Breakfast  Fundraiser on Saturday, February 29!
From 7:00-11:00 pm, come to the American Legion Hall for pancakes,sausages, eggs and beverages for a freewill donation. You can also view original artwork from young area artists. All donations will be used to continue 2020 art programs at Winterset Art Center.
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Stop in their location at 59 E. Jefferson St. in Winterset and drop off your donations of pencils, erasers, art supplies, glue sticks, dry erase markers, hand sanitizer, batteries, folders, sticky notes, scissors, zip-lock bags, earphones, and more. Cellular Advantage will match the value of the donations up to $500 and will be collecting donations through the end of the month.
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Special Events at Covered Bridges Winery
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February 28 - Bingo at the Winery
with optional dinner
An optional meatball sandwich, salad, and brownie meal for $10 will begin at 6:00 pm, and Bingo starts at 7:00 pm. No charge to play Bingo, and small prizes for the winner of each game played will be awarded! Purchase dinner tickets (by February 25)
here.
March 1 - Sunday Wine Down
featuring Bob Pace & Kathryn Fox
Music will be from 2:00-4:00 pm. No cover charge, but if you like what you hear, tip the musicans!
March 7 - Music at the Winery featuring Matt Woods
Music will be from 7:00-10:00 pm with food available for purchase from Easton's Food Truck from 6:30-8:30 pm. There will be a $5 cover charge at the door.
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CPR/AED First Aid Training Course
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Learn to save a life! 
Participants will receive their American Heart Association Heart Saver CPR/AED and First Aid certification. The cost is $50 for CPR/AED Training and $90 for CPR/AED and First Aid certification.
Click here to register for the course. For more information, contact Nicole Navins at ISU Extension & Outreach at 515-462-1001.
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Earlham Elementary STEM Festival
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Earlham Elementary is seeking to partner with local professionals to host the second STEM Festival for students in grades K-6!
The STEM Festival will be Tuesday, March 10 from 5:00-7:00 pm. The goal of the festival is to expose students in grades K-6 and their families to a variety of hands-on learning experiences that directly relate to careers that use science, technology, engineering, and/or math.
Local professionals are needed to provide short interactive experiences for students at the event. An optional orientation session will be provided for all participating professionals to help them prepare for the STEM Festival.
Any business wishing to assist with the STEM Festival should contact the Earlham School District Office at 515-758-2214 or email Kristin Sheffield at ksheffield@ecsdcards.com for more information.
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| Levitt AMP Earlham Music Series |
The Earlham community came in first place once again in the voting against 33 towns nationwide to receive a $25,000 grant through the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation for 10 weeks of free concerts in the Earlham City Park this summer!
This is your invitation to come to this free, outdoor concert series featuring diverse and emerging artists from across the nation! Additionally, your support is needed to acquire the match needed for the grant. Click here to see the opportunities available to support the Levitt AMP Earlham Music Series this summer. Your support will increase the event's potential and provide your business or organization with a unique marketing opportunity!
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| SBA Offers Disaster Preparedness Webinar |
Disasters. We all hope to avoid them, but they are bound to happen when least expected. Many businesses are not prepared, nor do they know where to turn for help when the worst strikes.
To provide a way to prepare, the U.S. Small Business Administration's Iowa District Office, along with the SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance, is offering a FREE webinar on Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. The webinar is for small business owners, economic developers, and others who work in or with small businesses. This webinar will equip you with the tools small businesses need to recover from a disaster.
Included in the discussion:
- Preparedness Tips for Businesses - What should be included in your disaster plan?
- SBA's Disaster Loan Program for Businesses & Private Nonprofits
- SBA's Disaster Loan Program for Homeowners & Renters
- Economic Injury Disaster Loans
- Other federal resources for help following a disaster
The Webinar will be presented over Skype and will include a PowerPoint presentation. You can join audio through your phone by dialing (202) 765-1264 and using Conference ID 210108206.
Click here to join the Webinar on March 12. Participants are encouraged to log in at least give minutes prior to the start of the program.
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| Babysitting Basics Class offered by ISU Extension & Outreach |
If you know a youth in grades 5-7, make sure they know about the Babysitting Basics Clinic happening
Friday, March 20 at the Madison County Extension Office!
From 9:00 am-3:00 pm, students will learn about child development, age-appropriate activities, safety and first aid, and much more. The cost is $30 and lunch will be provided. The class size is limited to 25 registrants.
For more information contact Nicole Navin at 515-462-1001.
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| Join Us to Explore "Hidden Madison County" |
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Tom Leners, Executive Director of Madison County Development Group, sets the group straight before disembarking during the 2019 event.
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We'll board a chartered motorcoach, enjoy on-board refreshments, and cap off the day with appetizers and drinks. Sites to be visited include the Fine Arts addition at I-35 School District, Macksburg Wind Park, site of new Madison County Conservation Center in Pammel Park, and Merchandising Frontiers, Inc. in Winterset.
The cost is $20 per person and includes motorcoach seat, plus all food & drinks. Fourteen seats remain available! Thank you to our event partners, Farmers & Merchants State Bank, American State Bank, and Union State Bank.
For more information or to reserve your seat, call Tom Leners at 515-462-1891, or Heather Riley at 515-462-1185.
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special events!
