Events

Sally Ortgies started her career with the City of West Des Moines in 1989 as an intern for the Parks and
Recreation Department. She quickly recognized how parks and recreation can make a difference in
people’s lives and developed a passion for being a public servant. Sally recently celebrated her 33 rd year
with the City having held several positions including Landscape Architect and Superintendent of Parks.
Since 2016, she has served as Director of Parks and Recreation, leading a team of dedicated
professionals who provide the community with everyday enjoyment through people, parks, and
programs.
Sally is a graduate of Iowa State University with degrees in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture. She
grew up in the small Danish community of Elk Horn, Iowa, but calls West Des Moines home. She has
lived in the Valley Junction neighborhood since 2001. When not working as the “Park Lady”, Sally enjoys
visiting National, State, and County Parks with her husband, Tony, having been to all 93 Iowa State
Parks. She also enjoys listening to live music, hiking, camping, and spending time with her daughter,
Clara.

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Lee Ann Bakros has been Marketing and PR Director for the Des Moines Playhouse for 27 years.  She has an MBA in Marketing from the University of Iowa and an undergraduate degree in mathematics. 

"I've got a horse right here, his name is Paul Revere".   Join us on August 23rd when Lee Ann Bakros, Marketing and Public Relations Director for the Des Moines Playhouse and some of the cast of Guys and Dolls will talk about the Sept 9-25th production of this iconic play!  

Meeting location at Smash Park (thank you for hosting us!)
Smash Park
6625 Coachlight Dr
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at P.E.O Executive Office (thank you for hosting us!)

P.E.O. Executive Office
3700 Grand Ave
Des Moines, IA 50312

Brief history of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and the impact of our mission of educating women. 

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Ellie Brooks and her husband, Loy are retired and split their time between Surprise, Arizona and Des Moines, Iowa.  

For more than forty years, Ellie has been a genealogist and has included DNA as one of her search tools for the last six years.  

When Covid-19 struck the country, Ellie needed a meaningful project to fill her time.  She decided to use her skills to help adoptees find their birth parents.  It has been her passion since Feb 2020.  

She was amazed at the stories she discovered about her adoptee clients..  Amanda’s Journey is her first novel and a thank you to those who have allowed her the privilege of researching their DNA to determine the truth about their biological family roots.

Amanda’s Journey is a fictional  story.  None of her clients stories are represented in this book, but they are the inspiration for this book.

Read more here

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at SpareTime Entertainment (thank you for hosting us!)

Address:

340 Jordan Creek Pkwy,
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Anthony B. Coleman, DHA (Doctor of Health Administration) is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Broadlawns Medical Center. He assumed his responsibilities on December 6, 2021. Anthony (Tony) was born and raised in Southern California and enlisted in the U.S Navy, serving onboard warships in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. After completing two full sea tours, Tony was commissioned as a Naval Officer. While in graduate school, Tony worked in a rural South Carolina hospital where he discovered his passion for eliminating health disparities among vulnerable populations. During his tenure as a Naval Officer, Tony served in various roles of increasing responsibility, including: Department Head, Medical Administrative Officer onboard USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75) and CFO and Executive Board Member at Naval Hospital Beaufort, South Carolina. Some highlights of his 20-year military career include earning the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist designation, Surface Warfare Medical Department Officer qualification and the Executive Medicine additional qualifying designator. While in the military, Tony received a Secretary of Defense appointment to serve as a United States Senate Youth Program Military Mentor and served as Treasurer of the National Association of Health Services Executives, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the advancement and development of African American health care leaders and to elevate the quality of healthcare services rendered to minority and underserved communities. Tony is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and holds the dual distinction of being an Executive Development Program Fellow and Executive Diversity Scholar. He is also a Marshall Memorial Fellow (MMF) of the German Marshall Fund, a non-profit organization designed to increase transatlantic cooperation. During his time as an MMF, Tony traveled to Belgium, England, Spain, Hungary and Germany to study the complexities of the European universal healthcare system.

Broadlawns Medical Center has served as Polk County’s safety net hospital since 1924. If you haven't driven by or had medical services there recently, you will be in for a surprise. Mr. Coleman will talk about the growth of the Center and how it continues to serve the community.

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club (thank you for hosting us!)

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Golf & Country Club
1600 Jordan Creek Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50266