Affiliate Chamber Spotlight: Des Moines West Side

Chamber name:  Des Moines West Side Chamber of Commerce

Elected leader for 2017: Matt Coen, Board President

Professional staff leader of the Chamber: Darrell Sarmento, Executive Director

Number of members: 220

Des Moines West Side Chamber Q&A

Why should someone join your Chamber?    

If you are doing business on the Des Moines West Side, we are the place to start.  We provide the connections to local leaders, decision makers, and resources to help your business be known and succeed.  We connect you with the Greater Des Moines Partnership and the wealth of resources they bring to our business community.  Our members are ready to celebrate your successes and help you make the most of your chamber membership. 

What is your Chamber’s biggest accomplishment in the past 12 months?  

In 2017 we were excited to make the transition to a new full-time Executive Director, Darrell Sarmento.  Dave and Carolyn Nagel retired in June.  We continue to see positive momentum and growth as our Chamber expands its presence and influence on the Des Moines West Side. We just hosted an Economic Development Bus tour highlighting over $200-million in projects in our footprint.  We also held Candidate Forums for the School Board and City Council Elections for the community.

Any initiative or project that you are looking forward to in 2017?  

We just had a relaunch of our Chamber Ambassador Program and will continue to strategically grow this group of leaders to reach out and connect with our membership more effectively.  We launched a successful BOSS Program this year and will be expanding the program in 2018. We will be publishing our 2^nd Chamber Directory and have expanded our Social Media presence.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the fourth largest regional Chamber of Commerce in the nation. Learn more about Partnership Affiliate Chambers, browse the Membership Directory and read additional Affiliate Chamber spotlights.