Events

Meeting location at Embassy Club West:

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Embassy Club - West
520 Market St. in West Des Moines, Iowa

Ray Cole's television executive career spans five decades, and he has held leadership roles on the boards of the National Association of Broadcasters, ABC Television Affiliates Association, Television Bureau of Advertising and Broadcasters Foundation of America. Ray is a past recipient of the Robert D. Ray Pillar of Character Award. He was inducted into the Iowa Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2015, and it was only recently announced that he'll be inducted into the prestigious national Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023 this May (the only other Iowa-born member of this Hall of Fame is Johnny Carson!). Ray's book, Hangin' with Winners, dropped just over one year ago and has since been featured on Good Morning America, The View, the Tamron Hall Show, the Jimmy Kimmel Book Club and ESPN. 

Meeting location at Embassy Club West:

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Embassy Club - West
520 Market St. in West Des Moines, Iowa

Celebrity Auctioneer Jason Dent (Big Brother season 19) will help raise funds for the WDM Community on Tuesday, February 7^th.  When he isn’t on TV, he is a rodeo clown under the name Whistlenut & Ole.  You won’t want to miss this opportunity to see Jason in action and have some fun bidding on local auction times.

Here are some links if you’d like to learn more about our auctioneer:

Whistle Nut & Ole (@whistlenutandole) • Instagram photos and videos [instagram.com]

Jason Dent | Big Brother Wiki | Fandom [bigbrother.fandom.com]

Whistle-Nut & Ole 2016 Tralier – YouTube [youtube.com]

Other items being auctioned off:

• Weekend getaway to Clear Lake 
• Virtual Reality Headset: Meta Quest 2: Immersive All-In-One VR Headset | Meta Store | Meta Store
• Numerous gift cards and baskets

Meeting location at Embassy Club West:

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Embassy Club - West
520 Market St. in West Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa has a thriving and vibrant startup ecosystem. And it’s one of our best kept secrets – nationally. We’ll talk about what makes it unique and how you can get involved.

Donna Ramaeker Zahn’s career has been agriculture and innovation focused from the beginning; recognizing the role that each plays in the vibrancy of economies and advancement of solutions. As a former Research Director for a Fortune 500 company, she was an intrapreneur that designed an innovative technology acceptance approach that took culture, science, ethics and critics’ views into account prior to new product launches. But her entrepreneurial spirit was fostered in High School, as her parents required each of their 12 children to secure a loan and start a business.

With more than 30 years of experience in management, strategic planning and public relations she spends her time in the global and local arenas. Globally, Donna helps decision makers in developing economies integrate genetic innovations into their portfolios.

Locally, she’s been involved in the startup scene since 2008 and is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Iowa State University Startup Factory where she focuses on business strategy and development, establishing valuable connections for startup founders. She is past chair of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Technology Commercialization Committee, and is currently serving on a Committee making decisions about federal funds for startups. Donna is known for devising creative solutions in undefined areas.

Join your fellow rotarians for "social hour" at the Urban Cellar. This business donated to our live auction - show your support and hope to see you there. (we'll have high top tables reserved)  See you there.

Meeting location at Embassy Club West:

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Embassy Club - West
520 Market St. in West Des Moines, Iowa

Dementia Friendly Iowa promotes change and education in communities across Iowa to create a more informed, safe, and respectful place for people living with dementia and their caregivers. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, at least 66,000 people are living with dementia in Iowa, and this number is expected to grow to at least 73,000 by 2025.

As the number of people living with dementia in our state increases, so must public awareness and ability to serve this population in the state of Iowa.

Meeting location at The Salisbury House:

Address (click for driving directions):

The Salisbury House

4025 Tonawanda Dr

Des Moines, IA 50312

Meeting location at Embassy Club West:

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Embassy Club - West
520 Market St. in West Des Moines, Iowa

Kimberly Baeth is the president of Golden Openings Inc., a company she started in 1997 at age 26, when she realized there was no such thing as giant working scissors. 

Meeting location at Embassy Club West:

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Embassy Club - West
520 Market St. in West Des Moines, Iowa

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Change Course is a career development program that provides training in highly sought-after skills along with leadership and personal development, to give people in Des Moines a way to stop living paycheck to paycheck and launch a career.

After making poor choices at age 35 in an effort to be someone I really wasn’t, life fell apart with my marriage and my relationships and as a family, we lost everything. Those choices led to incarceration in a federal prison camp in Yankton, SD where I would begin a complete change in the course of my life. In prison, I would meet men who would change my view of who had opportunities in this country and who didn’t. I came to realize that many of the men, most of whom would be released and return within 3 years of their release, did not have the same opportunity for change that I did. I was surrounded by a loving community, given a chance at a new career because of that community, and had the opportunity to have a successful career in business over the last 25 years. 

In February of 2022, I left the business world determined to really make a difference and respond to the burden that has been on my heart for the last 25 years. That is why in February of 2022 we founded Change Course. Karin and I are committed to creating the community and opportunities for the less fortunate stuck in poverty or the cycle of prison so they can become a leader and change the course of their lives.

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Dr. Angela Walker Franklin, President Des Moines University Angela L. Walker Franklin, a native of McCormick, South Carolina, is a Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude graduate of Furman University. A licensed clinical psychologist, she completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Emory University, followed by a year-long clinical internship at Grady Memorial Hospital. Dr. Franklin, who became Des Moines University’s 15th president in the spring of 2011, has worked in higher education for more than 25 years. Previously, she was executive vice president and provost at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, where she oversaw academic and administrative departments. She held a professorship in Meharry’s department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. Prior to her role at Meharry, Dr. Franklin held several positions at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, including vice dean, associate vice president for academic and student affairs, associate dean for student affairs, director of counseling services and assistant professor of psychiatry. A former American Council on Education Fellow (2001-02), Dr. Franklin is also a 2004 protégé of the Millennium Leadership Institute which is sponsored by the Association of State Colleges and Universities in preparing the next generation of leaders in higher education. She also participated in the 2008 Prospective President’s Workshop of the United Methodist Church Affiliated Schools. Since becoming the 15th President of Des Moines University, Dr. Franklin has published the university history entitled, “Now is the Time, Des Moines is the Place” which chronicles a 100+ year history of training health care professionals. She has established institutional goals and priorities for the future and in December 2018, launched Purple and Proud, a $25 million dollar fund raising campaign which was surpassed a year later. With the transformative vision to build an entirely new campus on 88 acres of land purchased in West Des Moines, the campaign continues with fundraising efforts focused on the new campus. Dr. Franklin is leading the effort to plan and design the new campus which is anticipated to open in summer 2023 coinciding with the 125th anniversary of the founding of the university. Dr. Franklin is actively involved in the Des Moines Community, serving on the boards of Bankers Trust, The Greater Des Moines Partnership, The Harkin Institute National Advisory Council, and UnityPoint Health. She is also Chair of the Assembly of Presidents of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and a member of the George Washington Carver Statuary Hall Project and the Alliance on Academic Healthcare....and so much more!

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

The 13th annual Iowa Brewers Guild's Iowa Craft Brew Festival will be held June 3, 2023, at Water Works Park, Lauridsen Amphitheater in Des Moines. The event includes unlimited samples of Iowa craft beer and cider, live music, local food trucks, and more. 

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Michael S. Downing serves as Athene’s Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Company, including IT, Operations, Product Management, Marketing, and Athene’s Bermuda operations.  

Prior to assuming his current role, Mr. Downing served as Executive Vice President and Chief Actuary and was responsible for global actuarial valuation, modeling, pricing, product development, and product go-to-market.

Prior to joining Athene, Mr. Downing spent seven years at The Allstate Corporation, with increasing responsibility over time. His final role included responsibility for product, actuarial, asset liability management, marketing, and finance. Prior to Allstate, Mr. Downing was a Senior Partner at Aon Hewitt, leading the International Consulting practice following assignments in the UK and Switzerland. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), an Enrolled Actuary (EA) and a Certified Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA).

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Meeting location at Hilton Garden Inn 205 S. 64th Street, West Des Moines, Iowa.

4pm Registration - https://tinyurl.com/59vpfr53

4:30 - 6:15 Program

Panel: 

- Heather Brown - Human Trafficking Survivor

- Matthew Stephenson, Director/Learning & Development, Casey's

- John Jarvey - Retired U.S. Chief Federal Court Judge, Southern District of Iowa

- Charlotte Kovacs, Victim Witness Specialist, Program Supervisor, U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Iowa

6:15 Networking

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Steve Lacy was Chairman of the Board of Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; www.meredith.com), a company committed to service journalism, until November 2020. Lacy joined Meredith in 1998 as Chief Financial Officer. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer from July 2010 until February 2018. Lacy was instrumental in transforming Meredith into the multi-faceted company it is today. He oversaw the launch and aggressive expansion of the company’s digital business, including the acquisition of Allrecipes.com and the Time Inc. digital properties that resulted in cutting-edge capabilities in areas such as digital, mobile, social and database marketing activities. Meredith ranked in the Top 10 digital media companies in the country serving over 150 million unique visitors monthly. Meredith used multiple distribution platforms – including broadcast television, print, digital, mobile and video – to provide consumers with content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners. Lacy earned both a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting (1976) and an MBA (1977) from Kansas State University, is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist. He began his career in the public accounting field, spending 10 years with Deloitte & Touche. Today, Lacy serves on the Boards of Hormel Foods Corporation, First Interstate BancSystem,Inc., The Kansas State University Alumni Association and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. In the Des Moines community, Lacy is past Chair of The Des Moines Redevelopment Corporation, the Greater Des Moines Partnership Board and United Way of Central Iowa’s annual campaign and has served in leadership positions with the American Red Cross, Junior Achievement, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Easter Seals and the Dowling Catholic High School Foundation. Steve and Cathy Lacy have been married for 40 years and have a son Paul (35) who is a Project Engineer for a construction firm in Denver and Mary (32) who is a Doctor of Pharmacy practicing at a hospital in Denver.

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Three million people go through the Des Moines International Airport each year.  Join us as Mr. Kevin Foley, Executive Director, updates us on the future of our airport.  

Kevin joined the Des Moines International Airport team in June, 2008, as its Properties Administrator, transitioning to Deputy Aviation Director in January 2009, and then to the Assistant Executive Director position in January 2011. He accepted the position of Executive Director in February of 2014. Kevin possesses a Master of Business Administration degree as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management. He is a certified flight instructor and a multi-engine commercial pilot.

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Nick Lenters, the principal owner of Old Station Craft Meats, grew up on a farm in Northwest Iowa. He settled in the central part of Iowa after graduating from Central College and later went on to obtain his MBA from the University of Iowa. Prior to opening Old Station Craft Meats, Nick worked in a variety of industries in the Des Moines area including: software, payment processing and business consulting. Nick now lives with his wife and two teenage sons in Waukee, where they all contribute in some capacity to the family business. 

Old Station Craft Meats began as an idea for two brothers to connect their shared passion for cooking and eating meat with their occupational interests. One brother, a cattleman, and the other, a businessman, decided to combine their passions and skill sets into a specialty meat market. Their passion for meat connected them and their hope is that Old Station Craft Meats is a means to connect others, as well. The brothers’ goal is to bring together a community of carnivores to share conversations of food discovery. They believe that the best place to start a conversation is around a table for a meal.  Small local Craft Butcher shops take great pride in knowing where their products come from; they have full traceability and can reassure customers on the quality of their produce. 

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Although the 2015 Iowa State Fair was her first Fair as Marketing Director, Mindy Williamson has a long history with the Iowa State Fair including being a Bill Riley Talent Show participant, State Fair 4-H exhibitor, Ag Education Booth Exhibitor, and Sponsor not to mention the many corn dogs, peppermint ice cream bars, and lemonades she has sampled. Mindy has a background in non-profit and government communications and policy, as well as event planning, advertising and marketing. Some of her most successful events include the Iowa Corn Indy 250 and the Cy-Hawk Series in addition to the Iowa State Fair. Mindy has a BS in Biological Pre-Medical Illustration from Iowa State University (Go Clones!) with an emphasis in botany. She also has her certification in volunteer management and is a graduate of the Institute of Fair Management. She enjoys building relationships with media from across the globe and sharing the fabric of Iowa through the Iowa State Fair. Mindy and her husband Kevin, live in a tiny town outside of Des Moines and love traveling, finding breweries or wineries, riding bikes, hiking or kayaking, chasing their children and giving their dog, Otis, too many treats.

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Did you know that dementia can be prevented? In fact CDC estimates that 40% of dementia in our communities can be prevented.  And did you know - that up to 70% of our individual risk can be reduced? Find out about the risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and what you can do about it.

Dr. Quinlisk was the Medical Director and State Epidemiologist at the Iowa Department of Public Health for 24 years. She is now semi-retired; continuing to teach at various universities and working on projects such as how to change behaviors to prevent dementia (Unlocking Brain Fitness: KEYS to Dementia Prevention with Broadlawns Hospital, IDPH, and the Des Moines YMCA). Her background includes training as a clinical microbiologist, training microbiologists while a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, a Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins, a medical degree from the University of Wisconsin, and training as a field epidemiologist in the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. For twelve years she conducted epidemiologic training courses in Europe, and is a professor at the University of Iowa, the University of Wisconsin, Des Moines University, and Iowa State University. For several years she was an Editorial Board Member for CDC’s MMWR and on CDC’s Board of Scientific Advisors, served on the Gilmore Commission and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, and as President of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). She was on the Institute of Medicine’s committees on Microbial Threats to Health in the 21st Century, Animal Health at the Crossroads, Preparing for the Psychological consequences of Terrorism, and Antivirals for Pandemic Influenza. In 2009 she received an honorary Doctorate of Science from Iowa State University, and served for 5 years as the Chair for the National Biodefense Science Board.  

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Joseph "Joe" LeValley credits his love of writing for every success in his life. He was a reporter-photographer for daily newspapers for seven years, covering crime/ criminal justice as his primary beat. Subsequently, he served for more than 30 years as a healthcare executive. During that time, he and his team won four national awards for communications excellence. He began his latest career, as an author and public speaker, in 2018. He has published five award-winning mystery/thriller novels, and has a sixth scheduled for release in the fall of 2023. As a musician, Joe plays drums and guitar. He has performed with a number of groups and has written more than 40 songs. In 2016, he was inducted with the Mourning Glory Rock Band into the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. A lifelong Iowan, Joe has a degree in journalism from Drake University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa. He and his wife Jane have six children and live in Dallas County, Iowa.

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Lewis Major is a naturalist with Polk County Conservation. For over 25 years, he has been teaching conservation education and outdoor recreation to people of all ages. He is extremely passionate about getting people outdoors and connecting them with their natural world. 

Most people associate Jester Park with golf, boating and horses.  However Jester Park has something for the nature lover in us all - trails, nature walks and education, an outdoor recreation center, archery, air rifle - the list goes on and on.  Polk County Conservationist Lewis Major fill us in on all the things you can do at the Park!  

 

Meeting location at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

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

Colleen Dougherty is the Annual Giving and Events Coordinator for Healthy Birth Day, Inc. and Count the Kicks.  As Rotary’s theme for July is Maternal and Child Health Colleen will speak about the work they do in Iowa. 

Colleen Dougherty joined Healthy Birth Day, Inc. and Count the Kicks as Annual Giving and Events Coordinator in September 2021, and became Special Events Manager in 2023. A native of the East Coast, Colleen moved to Iowa in 2012 with her husband, Mike, and their three children. She has always had a passion for children, been an advocate for women, and been interested in nutrition and health. 

Colleen has more than 15 years of experience volunteering for non-profit organizations serving as a leader in several capacities. She also has over 10 years of experience as a meeting and event planner.