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What is your overarching goal?

Our goal is merging the two chambers. It’s just going to be a matter of time. I think it’s going to benefit the members the most. The members really don’t care what happens; they would like to see us join because then they just have more benefits. There are 80 members in the East Des Moines chamber and 120 in the South Des Moines chamber. I think merging them will make a stronger chamber. It is just a matter of getting each board on board. I think our goal is to meet with the two presidents about once a week.

How do you hope to accomplish that?

I’m going to have one business card with both logos to kind of start branding us as one. I’m hoping by next year’s annual dinner, we can announce the merger and come up with a unique name. There was talk about possibly having the West Side chamber and part of the Downtown chamber all being one in three to five years. But for right now, it’s going to be south and east, really focusing on merging the two.

What does your role entail?

My role here is No. 1 to increase membership. And I’ve been on the board long enough to know all the fun things that are involved. And I think it is important for me to do the back-end work and let those volunteers and board members do the fun stuff; let them plan the social events. … I have a lot of business contacts between working at (Allegra Print & Imaging) and the ADi Group. It is really going out and trying to tell them, “Don’t just pay your dues and get your name in the membership directory.” Definitely come, but don’t just come to a lunch meeting and leave. Try to get involved in a committee and tell me what your needs are.

Are you affiliated with the Greater Des Moines Partnership?

Really, we are not affiliated with the Partnership as much as we were two or three years ago, when each board actually had a Partnership staff member. And those were the ones kind of playing the executive director role. We actually still pay the Partnership a portion, based on our membership, because in a sense, (it) gives us a database to manage all the members. Once (a business) becomes a member, (it) goes in the big Partnership directory. That way, people are exposed to a lot more businesses. With joining the South Des Moines or East Des Moines chamber, or any affiliate chamber, you get the benefits from the Partnership.

Are there any contentions regarding the proposed merger?

I hear that there are through the board members. … The members, I think, are fine with us merging. I really don’t know either way. I guess it is just a matter of listening to each person’s point of view. The presidents of each chamber are doing a great job just pushing things through. It is important to hear people’s opinions and their thoughts, but at some point, it is an operational thing where you just have to keep pushing through and say these are the changes we are making.

Outside of this office, what is your biggest focus right now?

I am a co-chair for the Blank Park Zoo’s Uptown Hoedown. It’s their big fund-raiser. It used to be more of a black-tie event. This is their third actual hoedown. So it’s very “come dressed in your boots and your cowboy hat.” Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse is providing the food, so it’s more of a pulled-pork-type feel, but we fancy up the desserts to make it feel more uptown. They bring in usually about $60,000. That event is at the end of August.

Do you have any role models in Des Moines?

I’d say one of them, a good mentor and role model, has been my friend Joan Bindel. My first year (at the South Des Moines chamber), she was past-president. She was on the social committee, and that was kind of where I went to. When it came time to look into this position, she’s the person I went to. She knows my personality; she knows what I like to do: anything from having a beer at Francies, to our families getting together to grill, to getting involved in the community.