Change is constant today and that is very evident in the Board of Directors. Sadly, Mary Bickford and Rodney Janssen are leaving, but we are eager to welcome new directors Mary Ellen Nicklaus, John Irving, Teresa Holland, and Sadie Smid as well as new Ambassadors Committee co-chairs Verna May and Cathy Steiner. Remember, the Board meets on the first Wednesday of each month, at A.I.B. College of Business at 4:00P.M. If you have any items or topics of importance to bring to the board, you are welcome to attend.

2004 was a very successful year for the Chamber. Last year, membership was increased, as was attendance at monthly membership meetings. There were many opportunities to network, 2 membership receptions, and alot more promotion of our members through the Newsletter, Press Citizen, and at monthly meetings. Our monthly lunch meetings have been very well received, and as mentioned, greatly attended. We don't plan to change this format and hope that you can attend our next one on Feb. 15th at Wakonda Club. Remember, if you are our Business of the Month, you are our official host for this lunch meeting and are welcome to bring co-workers, guests, and all the promotional material you can to promote your business. This has truly become a valuable way to network and increase awareness about your products and services. If you'd like to know more about how the Chamber can promote your business, please call me or one of our Directors.

People generally don't get real excited during January, but that's not the case here! By the time this Newsletter reaches you, we will have participated in the Legislative Reception at the new Pappajohn Center and showcased the Four Points Sheraton's Main Event Catering to hundreds of metro citizens and state legislators. We will have honored two individuals as Citizen of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. We have been fortunate to work with these honorees through a variety of Chamber work over the years as well as know them in their professional capacities. At a recent City Planning and Zoning meeting, (Citizen of the Year) Nancy Williams was very eloquent and passionate about the south side. (Volunteer of the Year) John Kendeigh has long been committed to the South Des Moines Chamber and Board, as well as many other activities, and he continues to do so. My hat's off to both of them.

Lastly, I'd like to thank the staff at the Four Points Sheraton for hosting a warm and wonderful Chamber Holiday Luncheon in December. I was very pleased at such a great turnout, and in case you missed it, the Lincoln High School Chamber Choir was terrific! We look forward to seeing you at all the great monthly meetings and special events in 2005.

Craig Krouch
President

Ms. Williams has been a member of the South Des Moines Chamber of Commerce since 1989, serving as its president in 1993. A resident of South Des Moines, she is very active in the community and is currently a member of the Des Moines Rotary Club, the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Bankers Trust Advisory Board and the Iowa Workforce Development Board. She is also a member of Windsor Heights Lutheran Church.

Nancy has three children Annie, John, and Ryan. In February she will be married to Joseph Romeo, a life-long resident of South Des Moines!

John is very active in civic organizations, such as The Iowa Society of CPA's; Secretary-Treasurer of the Des Moines Musician's Association 2002-present; and board member - Music Under the Stars, Inc. 2002-present.

He and his wife, Jena, have twin children, Charles and Katie (8 years old). John is a semi-professional musician - Trombonist with several area bands and Director of the CJC (Community Jazz Center) Big Band. He also loves traveling, fitness, and spending time with his family.

Mary Ellen Nicklaus of Clarke Companies

Teresa Holland of Southridge Mall

John Irving of Baker Electric

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN 2005!

TAYLOR CONSTRUCTION GROUP
Eric Taylor
6100 Thornton Avenue, Suite 200
Des Moines, IA 50321-2414
Telephone: 471-4724
Fax: 471-4701
E-mail: etaylor@taylorconstrgrp.com

MAIN EVENT CATERING
Tonja Zegarac
1810 Army Post Road
Des Moines, IA 50315
Telephone: 309-3100
Fax: 287-5818
E-mail: tzegarac@kinseth.com

IF YOU KNOW OF A NEW BUSINESS IN SOUTH DES MOINES, PLEASE CONTACT A BOARD MEMBER! WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH A "WELCOME" AND RIBBON CUTTING!

Don't miss this great opportunity to network with your neighbors and learn more about your community.

Join us at the Wakonda Club on February 15, 2005, at 11:45 a.m. The cost is $15 with a reservation or $20 at the door. Please call Mary at 286-4996 to make a reservation.

If you have any questions, please call the Chamber office at 286-4996.

"We are trying to attract the “B” students who are the backbone of our present and future workforce," says Phillips. Applicants are asked to write an essay about how living and working on the South Side have helped shape their lives, describe how they have integrated the 6 Pillars of Character into their lives, as well as submit a resume and 2 letters of reference.

Applications must be post-marked by April 14, 2005 to qualify. Application packets may be obtained from school counselors, printing out the following application form and scoring criteria, or telephoning Lin Phillips, Career and Life Transition Counseling, at 285-1240.

Linda (Lin) A. Phillips, MS, NCC, NCCC
Career and Life Transition Counseling
200 Army Post Road, Suite 3, Des Moines, Iowa 50315
515.285.1240
lap002@juno.com website: www.iowacareercounselor.com

HERE ARE THE ATTACHED POINT SYSTEM & STANDARDS:

1. YOU MUST BE A SOUTH DSM RESIDENT & WORKING OR VOLUNTEERING IN A SOUTH SIDE BUSINESS.
2. YOU MUST BE GRADUATING IN THE YEAR 2005.
3. YOU MUST BE RANKED IN THE UPPER HALF OF YOUR CLASS.
4. YOU MUST PLAN TO ATTEND A TWO- OR FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

1. APPLICATION COVER SHEET SHOULD INCLUDE:

A. YOUR NAME
B. YOUR COMPLETE ADDRESS
C. YOUR PHONE NUMBER
D. YOUR PARENT'S NAME

2. WRITE A 500 WORD ESSAY ON "HOW LIVING (AND WORKING) ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF DES MOINES HAS PREPARED ME FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL"

3. DESCRIBE HOW YOU INTEGRATE THE 6 PILLARS OF CHARACTER (TRUSTWORTHINESS, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, FAIRNESS, CARING, CITIZENSHIP) INTO YOUR LIFE.

4. SUBMIT A RESUME THAT LISTS WORK EXPERIENCE, POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY AT WORK AND SCHOOL, AND SCHOOL-BASED AND COMMUNITY-BASED VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES. INCLUDE ANY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS YOU HAVE HELD IN THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND ANY HONORS OR AWARDS YOU HAVE RECEIVED.

5. SUBMIT TWO LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: ONE FROM AN EMPLOYER OR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR WHO HAS SUPERVISED YOUR WORK, AND ONE FROM SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY OTHER THAN A FAMILY MEMBER.

6. ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT THAT INCLUDES YOUR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE RECORD.

THE APPLICATION PACKET MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THANAPRIL 14, 2005MAIL TO: CAREER AND LIFE TRANSITION COUNSELING, ATTN: SDM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE200 ARMY POST ROAD, SUITE 3, DES MOINES, IOWA 50315OR RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO YOUR SCHOOL COUNSELOR'S OFFICE BY APRIL 14

The evening was sponsored in part by Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling and included a "Taste of Des Moines." Each of the affiliate chamber members featured a restaurant or caterer from their area. The South Des Moines Chamber featured Main Event Catering who provided a beautiful array of fresh shrimp and hot crab cakes displayed with a huge ice sculpture!

The Chamber would like to extend a special thank you to Main Event Catering for helping South Des Moines stand out as a great community and for donating the food and their time and talent to support this event!

The South Des Moines Chamber Board made a gift of $100 to the Chamber Choir as a thank you for their time and talents!

The Chamber also recognized the following businesses to get ready for the holidays:

Edward Jones Investments = Kevin Pearson
Holiday Shopping Tips/News = Southridge Mall
Holiday Arrangements = Anthonys Flowers
Travel Tips/Getaways = The Travel Center
Entertainment = Blank Park Zoo
Company Awards/Recognitions = American Awards

Stop by this fabulous new restaurant (located in the old Chi Chi's building by Southridge Mall) and enjoy a great casual dining menu including steaks, burgers, and much more. Enjoy their atmosphere featuring a TV "Squawk Box" at each table and toss your peanut shells on the floor while you wait for your food! Ask about their reward program for frequent diners!

Call 256-3261 for more information.