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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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March 20 - Small Business Growth Alliance and Thirty-One Gifts, 1507 Roseman Bridge Rd., Winterset
*Rescheduled for June 26*
March 27 - The Iowa Theater, 121 N. John Wayne Dr., Winterset
*POSTPONED*
April 3 - AgriVision Equipment Group, 1200 E. Highway 92, Winterset
*POSTPONED*
April 10 - Affinity Insurance Group, 67 E. Jefferson St., Winterset
April 17 - C.R.I.S.P., 210 W. Green St., Winterset
April 24 - Bricker-Price Block, 105 S. Chestnut Ave., Earlham
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Upcoming Business After Hours Locations:
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March 19
- Farm Bureau - Scot Clark, 1303 N. 6th Ave., Winterset; 5:00-6:30 pm
*POSTPONED*
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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 mentioned in my email to the membership yesterday, it is with compassion and concern for others that we have opted to either cancel or postpone all Chamber events through Friday, April 3. Hosts for the Friday Chamber Coffee and Business After Hours events are being rescheduled, and the Hidden Madison County motor coach tour slated for April 2 is postponed. All committee meetings are also cancelled through April 3. The Chamber board meeting on March 19 will be held via Zoom, a video conference platform.
Additionally, the Welcome Center will be closed through April 3 and staff are (where possible) encouraged to work from home. The Chamber of Commerce office will remain staffed and phone lines will be answered during normal business hours.
The Chamber Board of Directors and I, as Chamber staff, are equally committed to rolling out programs and communications that will help you, as member businesses and organizations, navigate these waters and have the resources you need. Stay tuned.
We have added a resource guide on our website to serve as a quick place to go for information and updates for communities and businesses to use about COVID-19 and will be adding to and updating it as more information and resources come to us.
For some happier news, *Congratulations* to the
Winterset Community School District , who recently received the #15 ranking on the list of Top School Districts in Iowa for 2020! Well done!
Thank you for your support of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce!
Heather Riley
Executive Director
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Welcome New Chamber Member!
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Ellen created special cookies for Covered Bridge Festival volunteers in 2019!
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Welcome She Bakes to the Madison County Chamber of Commerce! 
She Bakes owner Ellen Wade is a classically-trained chef and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Ellen bakes all forms of sweet treats from classic chocolate chip cookies and decorated sugar cookies to gourmet cupcakes, themed and sheet cakes, plus delicious varieties of muffins and brownies.
Take a look at her
website,
Facebook page, and
Instagram for mouth-watering photos of her creations, and call her at 515-231-0379 to place an order!
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Survey: Tell Us How Your Organization is Responding to COVID-19
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In response to the recent developments of COVID-19, we are looking for your feedback on how your organization is being affected, how you are addressing the situation and what we can do to help.
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| Request for Economic Injury Information from the IEDA |
IEDA will assemble the surveys and submit this documentation to SBA via Iowa Homeland Security for consideration. IEDA is working in collaboration with SBA and Iowa Homeland Security on this initiative.
If the declaration is made for Iowa, businesses will be able to apply for assistance directly to SBA.
Additionally, the SBA has established a website that encompasses ALL the information available for small businesses related to COVID-19. That link is
here
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Assistance for Employees and Employers Through Iowa Workforce Development
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Yesterday Governor Reynolds announced assistance for workers and employers impacted by layoffs related to COVID-19. The guidance includes information for employees filing for unemployment insurance claims, as well as information on programs available for employers.
"Iowa has incredible employers accommodating the needs of Iowans during the disruption caused by COVID-19," said Gov. Reynolds. "The state of Iowa is doing everything we can to ease the process and shorten the time it will take for Iowans to receive unemployment benefits. All of our state agencies continue to work as one team to lessen the impact COVID-19 will have on our economy and our people."
"Iowa Workforce Development is taking steps to reduce the impact of these claims on employers who have had to temporarily lay off staff due to closures or slowdowns," said IWD Director Beth Townsend. "IWD encourages all employers to utilize paid leave and telework options for employees before utilizing temporary layoffs. Iowa Workforce Development will continue to monitor the situation, working with our stakeholders and updates will be released on our webpage."
The details are:
- If you are laid off due to COVID-19 or have to stay home to self-isolate, care for family members or due to illness related to COVID-19, you can receive unemployment benefits, provided you meet all other eligibility requirements. Those requirements essentially include working for wages from an employer who claims you as an employee in six of the last eighteen months and have earned at least $2,500 in the same time period. More specific explanation of benefit eligibility can be found here.
- Claimants can expect to receive payment within 7-10 days after the date the claim is filed.
- Claims that are filed and identified as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19, will not be charged to employers. Fact-finding interviews for these claims will be waived and not be held although employers will be notified of claims received.
- IWD will process unemployment insurance payments to ensure payment will continue to be paid in a timely manner.
For more information, visit the Iowa Workforce Development website or by calling 1-866-239-0843.
Updates will be released as they become available.
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Additional Community Event and Attraction Postponements
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Additionally
Covered Bridges Winery has made this announcement: "
We have closed the tasting room and cancelled/rescheduled our events through April 16th in accordance with the Governors' announcement this morning. We suggest you watch our Facebook page and website for further announcements."
Additional events, programs, and services throughout the Madison County community have either been postponed or cancelled, and many area attractions have established dates they will be closed.
To get specific information about upcoming events or availability, please contact the sponsoring business or organization directly. Contact numbers for all Chamber member businesses and organizations are available
here.
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| Add Your Events to TravelIowa.com |
The Calendar of Events on TravelIowa.com is the most popular feature of the website! Be sure your business, organization, or community amenity is using this free opportunity to promote your events to travelers planning Iowa vacations!
Select events are featured on the site's home page and shared on the Iowa Tourism Office's social channels and with media outlets.
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