Altoona Area Chamber of Commerce
Chamber Name: Altoona Area Chamber of Commerce
Elected leader for 2019: Peggy Harmeyer, 2019 Chamber President
Professional Staff Leader of the Chamber: Melissa Horton, Executive Director and Maaike Hendrikson, Event Coordinator
Number of Members: 378
What inspired you to first get involved with your Chamber?
Chamber President, Peggy Harmeyer - I grew up in the area, Bondurant to be exact, and am a realtor so I have seen firsthand the growth of eastern Polk County. The Chamber has always been a great way to be involved in the community. They provide networking opportunities, professional development classes and events that connect me with potential clients. I have benefitted greatly by being a member of the Chamber for 20 years.
What’s a signature offering of your Chamber?
Our staff works closely with Members on marketing materials and social media campaigns. We continue to have great success with our Women of Vision luncheon series, our Business 101 classes providing content relevant to running your business today and our signature events are still bringing in the crowds.
What is your Chamber’s biggest accomplishment in the past 12 months?
We completely updated our website and included responsive technology and online payments for event tickets and team registrations. We’ve hit over 3,000 likes on our Facebook page providing a great audience for posting our Member events, information and in-store specials.
Any initiative or project that you are looking forward to in 2019?
We are working closely with Bondurant and Southeast Polk Community School Districts on developing a Career Pathways Program to connect our businesses with potential employees, interns and apprentices. We are committee to connecting our Members with the next generation workforce.
What upcoming events should people watch for?
The Taste of Altoona on October 15th. 70+ Members provide samples of delicious food and/or drink for over 1,400 potential customers at this community favorite event. Held in the Prairie Meadows Events & Conference Center, our business expo with a twist is in it’s 18thyear of introducing the community to people and businesses making our town the best it can be.
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.
Melissa Horton
Melissa Horton is the Executive Vice President of the Altoona Area Chamber. Born and raised in Altoona, Melissa learned to connect, collaborate and cultivate in her position. Prior to the Chamber, she worked for the Des Moines Register. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors for Caring Hands Outreach Center, a food pantry for those facing food insecurity.