Events

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You're invited to an unforgettable evening of excitement and generosity at our live auction supporting the West Des Moines Rotary Club's community service projects.

Your participation isn't just about acquiring incredible items and unique experiences; it's about creating lasting change. Every dollar raised during the auction directly funds vital community service projects that uplift and empower those in need.

Join us as we come together for an evening of philanthropy, entertainment, and the joy of giving back. Secure your spot now and be a part of the transformative impact we can achieve together!

The West Des Moines Rotary Club has been supporting the community since 1926.

NO NOON MEETING
 

Meeting at 5:30 at Grand Living

Tom Perrine is the Artistic Director for Tallgrass Theatre Company in West Des Moines. Tom has directed numerous productions in the Des Moines area.  Among them are Souvenir, Bash: The Latterday Plays, Urinetown: The Musical, A New Brain, Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, Dirty Blonde, TopDog/Under Dog, The Laramie Project, Wit, As Bees in Honey Drown, The Vagina Monologues and 5 Women Wearing the Same Dress, The Odd Couple, True West, The Elephant Man, Calendar Girls and Rumors for Tallgrass Theatre Company.  Tom was the head writer and creator of the play VOICES, a script about Mental Illness.  He directed The Central Iowa Players (“Stigma Busters”), a theater troupe of people with mental illnesses who performed original skits designed to promote awareness and reduce the stigma of mental illness for over 12 years.  He was awarded a Heroes in the Fight Award from Ely Lilly in 2008 for his work in the mental health field. Tom and his husband Bob Baskerville own and operate FRAME WORKS, a custom framing shop and small art gallery in Johnston, Iowa.

Matt Nickell began his career with Hy-Vee in 2007 as an internal auditor and moved rapidly through
leadership in Hy-Vee’s financial operations before being tapped to lead Hy-Vee’s sports marketing
efforts in 2019. He was named vice president, sports marketing, in 2021.

Under Matt’s leadership, Hy-Vee has expanded its sports marketing efforts and broken new ground for
grocery retailers in terms of sports sponsorships. Hy-Vee has formed a partnership with the Green Bay
Packers to help grow Hy-Vee’s brand recognition as they expand their store footprint in Wisconsin, as
well as growing additional partnership opportunities with the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs.
Matt has helped launch custom products for NFL standouts Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Adam
Theilen and Kirk Cousins, as well as a custom cereal package for Caitlin Clark. Chiefs teammates
Mahomes and Kelce also appear together in a series of television spots promoting Hy-Vee’s Aisles
Online e-commerce services. Hy-Vee stores in the Kansas City metro and Green Bay also boast extensive
“Sports Shops” featuring branded merchandise that Hy-Vee customers rave about.

When Hy-Vee worked with the NTT INDYCAR series to revive the sport of open-wheel racing in the
Midwest by hosting the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Weekend in July 2022 at the Iowa Speedway, Matt played a
key role in bringing this headline-making weekend to life. The three-day festival included not only two
INDYCAR races, but musical performances by the likes of Tim McGraw, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton –
plus numerous other celebrity appearances. The weekend earned media mentions in excess of 3,000
pieces that were seen by more than 4 billion readers worldwide.

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Drake University, where he played on
their Division I soccer team and earned First Team All Missouri Valley Conference and All Midwest
Region honors. Matt played for D.C. United of Major League Soccer for two years in Washington, D.C.,
before returning to the Midwest.

Matt lives in the Des Moines, Iowa, area with his wife Jessica and their three children.

As Grand View University’s 14 th and first female president, Dr. Rachelle Keck is a proven leader
with a background in higher education, law, and fundraising.

An Iowa native and one of nine children, Dr. Keck graduated from Wartburg College, after
which she earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law. Dr. Keck is
proud to be a first-generation college student, going on to earn a PhD in Education from Drake
University.

Dr. Keck began her career as a prosecutor before establishing her own law firm. In 2014, Dr.
Keck pivoted to a career in higher education, leading to philanthropy roles at the University of
Iowa Foundation and Indian Hills Community College. Prior to the Grand View presidency, Dr.
Keck served as president of Briar Cliff University. To date, Dr. Keck has served in the role of CEO
for six organizations throughout her professional career.

Dr. Keck has spoken all over the world, highlighting a variety of topics including higher
education, philanthropy, and leadership. Dr. Keck also serves as Director for the National
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Board, Vice Chair for the Iowa Association
of Independent Colleges and Universities, and Vice President of the Iowa College Foundation.
Locally, she serves as a member of the Banker’s Trust Community Board, the Downtown DSM
Board of Directors, and the Des Moines Embassy Club Board of Directors.