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Dear Members, The recent caucus season has been a wonderful opportunity for the Des Moines area to show the nation what it has to offer. Newspaper articles and national media have been very complimentary of the changes that have happened in the downtown Des Moines area in particular. A good example of these complimentary reviews was an article in The New York Times. If you have not had a chance to read it, I encourage you to do so at Travel.nytimes.com. It is interesting that those of us that live in the area take some things for granted, while people who haven’t been in town for a few years find them surprising and progressive. With 2007 behind us we should take time to reflect on the changes that took place in Johnston. Nineteen businesses held ribbon cuttings, Timber Ridge Elementary school was opened, there are major renovations started at the high school, Paula Dierenfeld was elected our new mayor, road construction was completed on NW 54th and NW 70th Avenues … and the list goes on and on. The Johnston Chamber completed a new agreement with the Greater Des Moines Partnership in 2007. Through this new agreement our Chamber members will have access to more resources, which they can use to help grow their businesses. Being a part of the Partnership also provides a voice in regional public policy efforts. The Partnership works at the federal, state, and local level to advance policies that contribute to a positive business climate for the region. It is safe to say that the Partnership’s efforts contributed to some of the changes mentioned above. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Scott Kahler for his two years as President of the Johnston Chamber of Commerce. He has provided the leadership needed to make the Chamber’s programs grow and in turn help our local businesses. I am pleased that Scott has accepted the position of the Chamber’s Representative on the Partnership’s Public Policy Committee. A copy of the Partnership’s 2008 State Legislative Agenda can be found at http://www.desmoinesmetro.com/pdfs/2008StateAgenda.pdf. During the caucuses we heard a lot about “grass roots” politics. We can be thankful that this is not a once every four years occurrence in Central Iowa. The lobbying efforts of groups like the Partnership and the efforts of our local officials enable us to live in a community that the national media took notice of during the past few months. Four years from now I am sure that the Des Moines area will once again be receiving positive comments from the candidates and others who will be visiting.
Todd
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You Are Invited!
JEDCO 2008 Events
For more information about upcoming JEDCO events, be sure to check the Event Calendar at the growjohnston.com web site.
Merle Hay Road Redevelopment. Membership
Renewals
Johnston Chamber
Annual Dinner
Location: Stoney Creek Inn
Cost: $45.00 per person Please look for your invitation in the mail soon! ^Top
Upcoming Community Events
^Top It’s time once again for the community of Johnston to bring to the public’s attention the good deeds of an individual(s) who is deserving of being recognized as Johnston’s “Citizen of the Year” for 2007 and a business person(s) to be recognized as Johnston’s “Business Person of the Year” for 2007. We are very fortunate that there are so many outstanding individuals and business people in Johnston who deserve to receive these awards. Johnston has become a much better place to live and work because of them and we need to take the time to offer our sincere appreciation for the time so unselfishly given. The first step in the process of finding and recognizing these people is to solicit your help. If you have a candidate you feel is worthy of nomination, please click here to download the nomination form. You can also call the Chamber Office at 276-9064 to receive a nomination form to complete. Mail all nomination forms to the Johnston Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 61, Johnston, IA 50131 or fax it to (515) 309-0144. Nominations must be submitted by January 18, 2008. A committee consisting of three Johnston Chamber members and two Johnston residents will make the final selection for the “Citizen of the Year” and the Johnston Chamber Board will make the selection for the “Business Person of the Year”. The Johnston Chamber’s Annual Banquet will be held at Stoney Creek Inn on February 12, 2008, where the awards will be presented. Everyone is cordially invited and encouraged to attend. ^Top
Joint Ribbon Cutting-TownePlace
Suites by Marriott
Legislative Reception
Date:
Monday, January 14, 2008 Business After Hours-The Cab Lounge Date: Thursday, January 17, 2008
Location: The Cab Lounge
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