2027 Connectors

I was born and raised in northern Illinois, but Iowa has been home since 1987, when I met my husband and started a new chapter here. In 2022, we made the move to the Des Moines area to be closer to our children and grandchildren—a decision that has filled our lives with joy and connection. My husband and I share a passion for helping others, and together we've been coaching and running Knapper Financial Coaching since 2017, guiding individuals and families toward greater financial freedom and peace of mind.

As a Relationship Manager II at Bank Iowa, I work closely with businesses and individuals to help them achieve their financial goals through personalized banking solutions and trusted guidance. My focus is building strong, long-term relationships by understanding each client's unique needs and connecting them with the resources, products, and expertise that support their success.

I am passionate about helping local businesses grow and thrive, and I take pride in being a trusted financial partner within our community. Whether assisting with business banking, lending solutions, treasury management services, or strategic financial planning, I strive to deliver exceptional service and meaningful results.

As an active member of the community, I value opportunities to collaborate with local organizations, support economic development, and contribute to the continued growth and success of the region.

I have been a long time Connector with the Urbandale Chamber and am glad to be back networking.  Please reach out and let's learn about each other's business and each other!  I have made great friends here and look forward to making more!  

I have recently married late in life and we are looking forward to our twilight years!  Who knew camping could be this fun in a trailer!  My two kids are adulting now and it's quiet enough at home I'm actually getting some work done now that I am working out of a home office!  I am a huge sports nut so let me know if you ever want to go watch a game!

See you soon!
Rhonda

Zach was born and raised in Des Moines and currently resides in Urbandale with his wife, Kelsi, and their children, Berkley and Bowen.  He graduated from the University of Iowa and spent nearly a decade traveling the country in his previous career as a Regional Vice President for two prominent financial services companies.  Currently, Zach is a financial advisor and partner of The Des Moines Group at Morgan Stanley.  Their team focuses on holistic financial planning where his areas of expertise are insurance planning, retirement income, estate, and tax planning. He has been on the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Des Moines AM for 5 years and will assume the role of President in July 2025.  He was recently appointed as a member of the City of Urbandale Economic Development Advisory Board.  He is heavily engaged in various philanthropic ventures in central Iowa.

Greetings! I'm Dee Mable, the Area Manager for First American Home Warranty!  I am eager to help sellers, buyers, homeowners and realtors find the protection they need for their homes and their client's homes.  We offer a service contract that protects a home's major systems and appliances.  Reach out if you would like more information....thank you! 

Lisa has been the Projector Coordinator at Iowa Sign Company for over 6 years. She graduated from Grand View University in 2009 with a B.A. in Graphic Design/Journalism. Before Grand View, she had 9 years experience in Sales & Marketing in the hotel industry. She is married to Timothy Hanrahan whom they share two children, Cailin (age 22) and Adilia (age 12) and resides in Des Moines. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family, exercising, traveling, photography and designing. To keep her creative juices flowing, she does freelance design and photography. 

Dave is "Of Counsel" with his Law Firm Abendroth and Russell and is still available for referrals and assistance. He splits his time between the Law Firm with his duties as an Urbandale City Councilman, Deacon on the Church DEACON Board, Missions Board , Church Treasurer and Adult Bible Study Teacher at Des Moines First Assembly of God .Dave also serves on the Board of Directors of Adult and Teen Challenge of the Midlands of Colfax Iowa..

I work as a Sales Coordinator for two assisted living communities with Jaybird Senior Living, and I also lead one of the largest healthcare networking groups in the Des Moines metro—the Central Iowa Healthcare Network. I’m originally from Shell Rock, Iowa, and graduated from Waverly-Shell Rock High School. I went on to earn a degree in Health Promotion from the University of Northern Iowa in 2000. In 2002, I moved to the Des Moines area to begin my career as a salesman with Kraft Foods and Nabisco. Baseball is my lifelong passion. A former 2015 Mid-Iowa Baseball League All-Star, I retired from the league in 2019 and remain the biggest Atlanta Braves fan this side of the Mississippi. I also enjoy running my baseball card side gig, Jay’s Pays Packs, which I started in 2023. I live in West Des Moines with my wife, Heidi, and our fourteen-year-old son, Emerson.

Eileen Boggess is the Executive Director of the Urbandale Community Action Network. She is a former teacher, was the director of the Urbandale Food Pantry, and a published author. She has lived in Urbandale for almost 30 years and loves to help her community!

Melissa brings more than 25 years of human resources expertise across diverse industries, including healthcare, local government, hospitality, property management, and non-profits. She specializes in small businesses, having worked at organizations of 100 employees or fewer for most of her career. She holds a master’s degree in management and a Human Resources Management certification. 

At HR Excellence, Melissa is passionate about helping businesses simplify their HR processes without the expense of a full-time department. She understands the challenges of managing people, navigating complex regulations, and staying compliant with ever-changing labor laws. Her objective is to alleviate HR-related burdens, enabling you to concentrate on the core priorities of managing and expanding your business.

Rachel grew up in Fort Dodge, Iowa and has always enjoyed helping and leading others. Rachel attained her bachelor’s degree from Buena Vista University in Business Management/Entrepreneurship in 2003 and became a Certified Senior Advisor® in 2019. She first honed her leadership skills in retail management and working in the non-profit sector. 

Outside of work, Rachel has always been involved in many community organizations volunteering and assisting on a leadership level. She landed in the healthcare industry four years ago and has greatly enjoyed her time working with seniors. As a Certified Senior Advisor®, Rachel can assist seniors with planning for their healthcare needs, socioeconomic supports, and organization for end-of-life care. 

Rachel lives in Ankeny with her husband and their two fur children, dogs Izzy and Auggie.

I’ve been a Head Hunter since 2015 and love it! Previous to that, I have 25+ years of Human Resources management experience, with Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification. My full range of HR knowledge, coupled with a multitude of business and professional connections, ensures my success in identifying top talent to meet my client's needs. Here at Career Search Associates, we help businesses fill full time positions ranging from the front desk to the CEO. We specialize in Administration, Accounting, Marketing, Sales, Human Resources, Project Management, Call Center Management and Retail Store Management. We are respected recruiters who also help the passive candidate that wants to explore opportunities in a confidential manner.

Aisha grew up in Iowa (Clive and Urbandale).  Graduated from Drake University with double majors in Management and Marketing.   In 2004, unfortunate circumstances, brought her back to Iowa, from Dallas, TX.  In 2005 she earned her Real Estate License and in 2015 earned her Real Estate Broker License.  For 15 years she juggled her real estate career, along with working with her mother, Saloo, at the Downtown and Valley Junction Farmers Markets, selling Indian food (Saloo's India).   Since Saloo retired from the farmers market, Aisha has been able to focus solely on ONE full time job (being a REALTOR®) AND now she has quality time to network, take vacations...and just breathe. Aisha said, "I never thought I would ever be coming back to Iowa.  But having lived elsewhere, I can truly appreciate what all Iowa and it people have to offer; I am GRATEFUL TO BE HOME, IN IOWA."

I am here to serve you with all things mortgage and have been doing so with exceptional customer service for over 20 years.  Here at Raccoon Valley Bank, we make the mortgage process simple and convenient.  Call, text or email me so that I can find the mortgage product that is just right for you!

Jayden has been serving as a financial advisor for 6+ years leading families across the Midwest to grow and protect what they treasure most. He went to the University of Northern Iowa double majoring in Finance and Real Estate with an emphasis in Personal Wealth Management. He graduated and went on to build his practice through Northwestern Mutual for five years obtaining the CFP and RICP designations in order to serve his clients at higher level. In order to expand the scope of work he provides and allow true fiduciary guidance, he took his practice independent with RockWay Wealth Partners. He is excited to continue to grow his impact on the businesses and families in the community. You'll find him bouldering at Climb Iowa, hiking, or out in the community finding ways to connect great people to each other.

I was born and raised in central Iowa, but moved away long enough to appreciate the midwestern values.

I am a Grand View University graduate, and small business owner in several Des Moines suburbs, so I have a vested interest in seeing the community prosper.

My husband, Andy, and I reside in Johnston. We have four children: Drew (24), Alyx (17), Ryah (15) & Jett (12). We spend a lot of time cheering on the Johnston Dragons.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Operations from Iowa State University. I have many years' experience working on senior management teams of companies to help make them more profitable and stronger companies. This is my passion and I will use it to serve you as a connector & Total Resource Campaign 
  Urbandale Chamber of Commerce: Ambassador of the year (2011)-Ambassador from 2005 to Present
 

KSH Design Studio creates personalized and custom apparel and customer gifts for small businesses. I offer EMBROIDERY, Heat Printing and Laser Engraving services. I enjoy working with small business owners and using their logos to create items they need for their business such as Logos on apparel (Polo shirts, Jackets, Aprons & Hats). All items are completed in house by a handmade process by KSH Design Studio; No outsourcing. No Minimums! Order what you need when you need them. I only use the highest quality materials found in the industry. This provides you, the customer with the best product for the money available. Customer service is high priority. I answer all emails as quickly as possible, the same day 99% of the time. I want all your questions answered to your satisfaction! In 2020 I received TSB Certification through the SBA.

REALTOR 40+ Years; Broker Associate;
DM Area Association of REALTORS (DMAAR), BOARD President--2004;
REALTOR of the Year--TWICE; 
Real Estate Management, VP / Sales Mgr of Coldwell Banker 2 Offices;
ABR, CDPE, CIAS, CRB, CRS, GRI, MRP, SRES--Designations;
Fan of Howard BRINTON, Brian BUFFINI, Dennis & Teresa WALSH--NEW Construction, Floyd WICKMAN--SWEAT HOGS, Pat ZABY TRAINING Systems

Ann Riesberg is a board-certified licensed massage therapist, who was born and raised in Iowa. Ann attended La' James International College in 2011 where she studied massage therapy. She continues her education centered around orthopedic massage modalities.
Ann started her career in small town Iowa and in 2013 her family sold their home which gave them a great opportunity to move to Des Moines. She worked for a franchise for a while and knowing that she wanted to build her own business she moved on quickly. She opened her own private practice in 2014, and worked as a medical massage therapist at a chiropractic clinic. In spring of 2020 Ann joined Active Edge as an associate therapist, working hard and becoming partner-therapist in spring of 2021.
While in high school, Ann achieved her Silver and Gold award in Girl Scouts. Ann continues her community service through her church and the Urban Bicycle Ministry.

Carla's early career led her to providing accounting work to diverse industries in various roles.  While none of it seemed to make sense at the time, all that experience flowed together nicely when she decided to start CFO Accounting Services. After working in large corporations and small businesses, she found the most satisfaction in helping small businesses.

Helping entrepreneurs and small business owners meet their goals and see their dreams come to fruition is a tremendous joy. Our greatest accomplishment is when a client needs to hire a full-time accountant for their business.

In her free time, Carla loves spending time with her family. With her first two children in college, most of her time is spent attending the in-season sport for the bonus child. 

Since 2004, Tiffany Menke, IOM, has been the President of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce. She has served on the boards of and is a Past President/Past Chair of the Iowa Association of Chambers of Commerce, Central Iowa Tourism Region, and Iowa Meetings Association.  She currently serves on the board of directors for the Mid America Chamber of Commerce Executives and Midland Credit Union.

In 2017, Tiffany was honored as a Woman of Influence through the Des Moines Business Record. Other honors include 40 under 40, and Ovation award from the Iowa Women's Foundation, and Executive of the Year from the MidAmerica Chamber Executives. She grew up in Newton and went on to Grand View University in Des Moines where she earned a degree in Mass Communications, Journalism and a minor in Photography.

To schedule a meeting with Tiffany, calendly.com/tmenke  

Gina is a small town Iowa girl. Proud of her roots, she was born and raised on a farm. Her work ethic stems from the life her parents instilled in her and her 5 siblings. She was raised with strong Christian values and the belief she could accomplish anything if she put her mind to it. 
Gina has spent the majority of her professional career in hospitality and working in the community. It was in this industry she found her passion for management, leadership and most of all, working with people! This simple position led her into development with multiple well-known brands.
In her free time, Gina is family focused. Family time is spent with her husband, Bobby and daughter, Shae. They enjoy time on the deck, grilling and entertaining. 
 
 

I graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelors in Sports and Recreation Management. The beginning part of my career has been spent working in the sports industry as a sales professional including for a few of the local Des Moines teams. I am looking forward to transitioning my career to serving my hometown and having a positive impact on the Urbandale community through the chamber! In my free time I enjoy spending it with my family, my girlfriend and our dog Suzie. 

Kelly Troxel graduated from Iowa State University with a major in Marketing! With her background in marketing, event planning, and in the chamber industry, Kelly is excited to help in serving our mission by promoting and planning our events, communicating with members, and making sure you get your Chamber benefits!

In her free time, Kelly enjoys sewing (especially quilting), attending vintage and flea markets, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends.

A proud Des Moines native, Anne Triplett brings a rich and diverse background to the Chamber. She earned her degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood from Drake University and began her career teaching in the Des Moines Public School system.

Anne’s professional journey spans multiple industries, including leadership roles in volunteer coordination and fundraising. Most recently, she discovered her passion for community engagement through the chamber world.

Outside of work, Anne enjoys biking, gardening, reading, cooking and baking, and spending time at Clear Lake. Her greatest joy is time spent with her grandchildren.

Mary has had careers in banking, was Executive Assistant to the President of USG Annuity & Life Company, a Fundraiser & Events Director at Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa, & employed for 11-years at the Partnership. 
Mary is a member & is active in a number of organizations. She is past president & member of LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association)-Amateurs of DM, current President of the Willow Creek Tuesday Morning Ladies Golf League, past president & current member of PEO Chapter KD of Des Moines, & current member of the Urban Heights Covenant Church among various other organizations.
 
Mary married Pat Knueven in 1980. Their son (Jason) and daughter-in-law (Becky) live in Gardner, Kansas, with their 2 boys, Cael & Cameron. She loves to play golf, travel, & spend time with her two grandsons.