The Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce is honored to announce that Dave Zimmerman, market president of Availa Bank, will serve as the organization’s Chair of the Board of Directors for the 2023 calendar year. Zimmerman has worked with Availa Bank for 19 years, and he has 25 years of banking experience. He is a lifelong resident of Council Bluffs, a graduate of Leadership Council Bluffs Class 20, and serves on other boards including the YMCA, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, and Vodec.
“I am excited to serve as the chair of the Council Bluffs Chamber board of directors,” said Dave Zimmerman. “I am looking forward to working with our dedicated staff and board of directors to serve our community and achieve our goals in 2023!”
Serving with Zimmerman are five additional members on the CB Chamber’s Executive Committee and 18 at-large Board Members. Additional members of the CB Chamber’s Executive Committee include: Mark Hanwright (Heartland Properties, Inc), Vice Chair; Jamie Cox (Willson & Pechacek, PLC), Vice Chair-Elect; Dr. Vickie Murillo (Council Bluffs Community School District), Second Vice Chair-Elect; Evan Summy (Midwest Ag Services), Past Chair; Joanie Poore (Omaha Housing Authority), Executive Committee.
“The CB Chamber Board of Directors is made up of distinguished community leaders who are ready to serve our local businesses, public, and nonprofit organizations to fulfill the CB Chamber’s mission to enhance the economic growth and prosperity of its members and the Council Bluffs area,” said Drew Kamp, president and CEO of the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce. “We are looking forward to a successful year!”
The CB Chamber will be hosting several signature events in 2023. The CB Chamber Annual Meeting and Small Business Showcase is scheduled for Thursday, January 26th, and will feature keynote speaker Kim Becking. Kim is an engaging, high-energy, fun and impactful international keynote speaker, change and leadership expert, and award-winning author who is on a mission to inspire leaders, teams, and organizations to ROCK change, boost resilience and build a Momentum Mindset® to bounce forward no matter what. The Small Business Showcase will provide an opportunity for chamber members to network with several local small businesses. The CB Chamber Mid-Year Update and Leadership Council Bluffs Graduation will be held on Wednesday, June 14th. This event will honor the graduates of Leadership Council Bluffs Class 35. The CB Chamber’s annual golf tournament, the Briefcase Open, will be held on Wednesday, August 30 at Bent Tree Golf Club.
In addition, the CB Chamber will be hosting a multitude of programs to support the workforce development efforts in our region, and as part of the CB Chamber’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) efforts, the CB Chamber will continue to host events for Women Inspiring Women, the Executive Women Partnership, and Impact CB Young Professionals. To learn more about programs offered through the CB Chamber, please visit www.councilbluffsiowa.com.
Save These Dates:
February 14: Coffee & Contacts – Networking Opportunity!
February 16: Benefits & Beverages – Learn about benefits of CB Chamber membership!
February 17: Impact CB Foodie Friday – Network Opportunity with Young Professionals!
February 22: Workforce Power Hour – Network Opportunity with HR Professionals!
February 24: Legislative Roundtables – Address Legislative Issues with local State Elected Officials!
February 28: Council Bluffs Industrial Foundation Annual Meeting – Annual update on CBIF programs.
February 28: Chamber Mixer – Networking Opportunity!
New Board of Directors
In addition to welcoming Dave as our 2023 Board Chair, the CB Chamber has many exciting opportunities in 2023. We are pleased to be adding three outstanding community leaders to our Board of Directors, Dr. Brent Hoesing, Superintendent of Lewis Central Community School District, Kelli O’Brien, Senior Director of Public Affairs for Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota for Union Pacific Railroad, and John Dresher with American Family Insurance, John Dresher Agency. When coupled with the 21 other outstanding leaders on the Board, these three will bring additional knowledge and expertise to move the organization forward. The CB Chamber initiated the Southwest Iowa Advocacy Collaborative in January of 2023 in an effort to empower Southwest Iowa’s advocacy efforts on a regional scale and have an even greater impact. Our professional development efforts have also expanded with the creation of the Leaders of Integrity Program, in partnership with the Business Ethics Alliance. This five-part ethical leadership training course empowers Chamber members to become better leaders and oversee their teams in a way that will increase retention and brain gain. We will also introduce two new events this year, the State of Education and the State of Healthcare. With both being two of our primary employers, it is important to keep our members informed on the current and future state of both sectors. Other key initiatives include:
– Creation of a Total Resource Campaign and Membership Committee on the Board of Directors
– Building upon our existing DE&I Program
– Hosting a membership drive to push our membership to 700
– Transitioning to Livability to have an even greater impact on our community relocation efforts- Partnering with the Council Bluffs CVB on workforce relocation efforts.
When paired with our existing programs and dynamic team and membership, we know these offerings will allow the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce to continue serving our community and leading the region with our workforce, advocacy, leadership, education, and engagement programs.
Address: 149 West Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Contact Us: (712) 325-1000 | drew@councilbluffsiowa.com
Website: www.councilbluffsiowa.com
Social Media:
• www.facebook.com/CouncilBluffsChamber
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/council-bluffs-area-chamber-of-commerce/
• www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4iIwEqIYg-dUBUBeQqaKg
• twitter.com/CBchamber
