David Strege, a nationally recognized financial adviser from West Des Moines, is now nationally recognized in a completely different arena — volleyball. Strege led his Spike Force team to the national volleyball title at the National Adult Open Volleyball Tournament in Atlanta. Strege was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Strege has been named one of the country’s top financial advisers by Worth and Money magazines.

General Growth Properties Inc., owner of Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines and the No. 2 owner of U.S. regional malls, is working on two financing deals to meet debt obligations that mature this year and about a third of what is scheduled to mature next year, Reuters reported. General Growth, which is one of the most heavily leveraged large real estate investment trusts, is working on securing a $1.75 billion term loan. It also is exploring creating a private commercial mortgage-backed securities bond deal (CMBS). The bank deal will retire all but five of Chicago-based General Growth’s remaining maturities in this year, Chief Financial Officer Bernard Freibaum said. The CMBS deal would take care of the rest and about 30 percent of the 2009 maturities, he said. Three major banks have already given what the company refers to as “soft commitments” of up to $1.1 billion to fund the term loan, Freibaum said.

The Principal Financial Group Foundation Inc. will match employee contributions up to a total of $25,000 for relief efforts for victims of tornadoes and storms May 25 in Parkersburg and northeast Iowa. Contributions also were collected as part of The Principal Charity Classic “Birdies for Charity” program. The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa was added to the list of eligible charities following the disaster. More than $33,000 was raised based on pledges made for each birdie made during the three-day Principal Charity Classic. Several Principal Financial Group employees in the company’s Cedar Falls office lost their homes as a result of the storms.

Monsanto Co. has announced a $65,000 contribution to relief and rebuilding efforts in Parkersburg. Monsanto operates a manufacturing plant in Parkersburg, but the site was not damaged and is still active and in full operation. Monsanto will donate $15,000 to the Parkersburg Tornado Disaster Relief Fund established through the LSB Foundation at Lincoln Savings Bank for assistance with immediate community needs. In addition, Monsanto, through the Monsanto Fund, will contribute $50,000 to help rebuild the science education program at Aplington-Parkersburg High School.

Holmes Murphy & Associates will have a seminar June 10 to discuss the impact of the state’s new Smokefree Air Act and ways that employers can help reduce smoking among their workers. The legislation is effective July 1. The seminar will be from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Junior Achievement of Central Iowa, 6100 Grand Ave., Des Moines.

DRA Properties LC’s Prairie Trail development in Ankeny is featured in HomeShowExpo 2008, which kicks off this weekend. The development is expected to be completed this year. It is a themed residential area where residents can live, work and play. City of Ankeny and DRA officials anticipate a Prairie Trails population of 10,000 by 2020. The Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines sponsors the expo, which will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It continues June 12-15 and June 19-22.