Get Into All Things Grinnell through this regular recap of community activities, events and opportunities!
This morning, the Chamber Ambassadors welcomed new members of the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach Poweshiek County team, who are excited to build local programming and extend resources to local counties like ours. So far, the Extension and Outreach office has planned a few events, including an upcoming Ag Safety Day for 3rd and 4th graders and a “Pre-Harvest Tour” for local farmers in August, both set to take place in Grinnell. In June, the ISU Extension and Outreach is also hosting a Farm and Food Celebration that features local farmers and ends in a community dinner.
Alathia Andera, Poweshiek County Program Coordinator for Extension, shared that her and her team often reflect about the needs of Poweshiek County and work to bring programming to support them. In her role, she works within areas of community and economic development, human and health services, and agriculture and natural resources. Within the agriculture field, her team is introducing farming specialists to local farmers. The August event is free for farmers and will have three specialists discuss this year’s crop conditions, current grain market, and more.
Andera is also hosting a panel discussion for local businesses and entrepreneurs, as they partner to introduce the possibility of a shared-use kitchen coming to Poweshiek County. With the help of Emelie Ahrendsen, office manager and program assistant, the ISU Extension and Outreach team are removing barriers to knowledge and providing important tools and resources to community members.
Valorie Larsson, youth coordinator for the county-wide extension program, helps to incorporate valuable learning experiences for children through 4-H, where the H’s signify “Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.” Larsson gets kids involved in leadership opportunities, community service projects, and creative experiences. “Anything that youth are interested in can become a project,” shares Larsson, “from horses to pianos to woodworking.” She loves to push the students to reflect on what they have learned, to think through their mistakes, and learn to communicate their findings and passions to adults in different settings.
“Ultimately, we are all passionate about being more present in the communities across our county,” says Andera. “So don’t be afraid to reach out, whether you’re looking for resources, information, questions about our programming, and more.” To learn more about Poweshiek County Extension & Outreach and their upcoming programming, call 800-262-3804 or visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/.
Chamber Ambassadors from left to right:
Yesenia Mozo — Grinnell Chamber
Fran Conn
Donna Donna Fischer — UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Foundation
Sarah Smith — Grinnell College
Monica St. Angelo — Grinnell Area Arts Council
Jennifer McAlexander — JM Consulting and Hawkeye Lock & Security
Donnette Ellis — Grinnell College
Emelie Ahrendson — Iowa Extension
Clare Burch — Temp Associates
Valorie Larsson — Iowa Extension
Kody Bigelow — Walmart Grinnell
Alathia Andera — Iowa State University Extension & Outreach: Poweshiek County
Nikki Armstead — Grinnell Chamber
Stephanie Lair — Grinnell Regional Medical Center Foundation
Joni Schmidt — The Mayflower Community
WesFinch.com is adopting a new ownership and a new attitude mantra — a motto that owner Craig Ford has welcomed since he bought the car dealership in late January. Ford, who was born in Grinnell, follows the footsteps of his father, a former business owner of an auto parts store. Now, Ford owns four car dealerships in the area. Although he has 150 cars on site in Grinnell, his customers have access to over 600 cars — “we can have those available in less than a day,” Ford says. On Friday afternoon, we celebrated the new start of WesFinch.com with a ceremonial ribbon cutting — and they finished their celebration with a grand opening on Saturday morning!
When Ford stepped into his new role, he was excited to learn more about his staff and how they work. “There are many things that our staff are doing well,” Ford explains. “So I’ve been seeing how their program works and have been slowly making changes from there.”
Ford is especially excited to transform the experience of buying a car. He plans to build a “command center” in an effort to improve customer service. “This way, we can better take care of everyone,” Ford says. “And it would help our sales managers to talk with one another when they have to.” Ultimately, Ford believes that buying a car shouldn’t be a long and grinding process. Instead, it should be easy, fast, and transparent. “It simply makes for a better process,” he remarks.
He pridefully spoke about his technicians, who are extremely experienced in fixing cars. He already has plans on revamping their work conditions with one cool change — adding an air conditioning unit. “We believe in taking care of our employees — those guys work so hard,” Ford says. “And all of our technicians are very happy about it.”
If you’re looking to buy a car, give WesFinch.com a try — Ford says they are committed to providing good service while also selling cars quickly and seamlessly.
“People don’t get cars too often,” says Ford. “So we are very appreciative of the people who trust us with this experience.”
Chamber Ambassadors listed from left to right:
Have you ever experienced a wrist fracture and worked to regain your strength? Or perhaps you’ve changed your work space to reduce an excruciating neck strain? People who were curious to learn more attended Unity Point Health — Grinnell’s Occupational Therapy open house this past Friday — an event with hands-on activities, a raffle, and treats!
In the back of the open house, an occupational therapist explained a variety of upper extremity rehabilitation services. At first glance, it seemed like a fun play section: a bowl of putty, a Connect 4 game, and fun squishy balls. But those are all exercises for those who recently experienced hand and wrist fractures — these game-like exercises actually help patients regain range of motion and strength in their wrist and arm! In addition, the occupational therapist explained how their ultrasound machine can soothe a swollen area of a recently fractured area in the upper body. The ultrasound only takes 10 minutes, but it can help to increase blood flow and prevent tissue healing in that small amount of time.
In another section of the open house, an occupational therapist let attendees try the FlexiTouch machine, a blanket-like machine that treats lymphedema. Lymphedema is known as chronic swelling, caused after damage to the lymphatic system. Usually, patients who have undergone surgery or cancer treatments have experience with lymphedema and use tools like the FlexiTouch to massage their veins and muscles. Time with the FlexiTouch helps remove compression and fluids out of the swollen areas.
One of our chamber ambassadors, Phil Grout from Hy-Vee, volunteered to get adjusted to a mock work space at the “Office Ergonomics” section of the open house. There, an occupational therapist set up a prime work condition for Grout — adjusting his seat height, computer height, and even his elbow and forearm placement for when he types on his keyboard!
The last part of the open house was for demonstrating patient rehabilitation services — mainly to help those with injuries gain more independence. Some tools on display were shower stools and benches, as well as some red dining utensils to remind patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia to eat.
What an educational and fun event — thank you to Unity Point Health — Grinnell for hosting! For those wishing to pursue rehabilitation services, visit your primary care physician for a referral.
Chamber Ambassadors from left to right:
Earlier today was Walmart’s grand re-opening, which celebrated the finished remodel of the store. The store, which has not been updated since its opening in 2006, unveiled a stunning mural honoring the town of Grinnell, spotlighting the Louis Sullivan Jewel Box Bank and the community. In addition, the store now has new products, polished floors, updated restrooms, and a new pharmacy waiting area.
The grand opening was kicked off by an introduction from store manager Kody Bigelow, who spoke about the exciting new changes to the store. “The store looks fantastic,” he said, “and the leadership has just been amazing.” He thanked the store associates for helping with the event and the remodel, as well as the visiting associates, remodeling crew and lead Casey Hawkins from Ankeny, Iowa. Hawkins then presented a plaque honoring veterans on behalf of the Grinnell community.
Mayor Dan Agnew also congratulated Bigelow and the store for its remodeling. “The remodeling of Walmart is an economic opportunity for not just Grinnell, but all of the county,” Agnew remarked.
To wrap up the morning event, Bigelow and three store associates then performed a ribbon cutting to commemorate the occasion. After the opening remarks, the music was turned up and the community was invited to spend time with vendors in the Walmart parking lot to receive free goodies and drinks! Inside the store, attendees admired the mural and assembled Walmart swag bags with pens, water bottles, post-it notes, and more. The outdoor Weiner Mobile was also a huge draw, joined by a face painter and caricaturist doing drawings of attendees. Food trucks Paparoni's and Tacos Tarrascos from Marshalltown were also there to fill the stomachs of hungry attendees during this early event! Of course, mascots Sparky the Walmart logo and Chester the Cheetah were there to make people feel right at home at the new Walmart!
If you missed out on the event, don’t worry — the refreshed Walmart and its mural will be there to check out during normal store hours!
Chamber ambassadors listed from left to right:
Yesterday morning, Chamber Ambassadors visited Temp Associates, known by their tagline, “providing jobs since 1986.” At the heart of this local employment agency are Claire Burch and Brittany Hamilton, who are committed to secure Grinnell residents with opportunities to work again. Having recently experienced unemployment and starting over in their careers, they recognize the importance of bridging together applicants and potential employers.
Burch and Hamilton primarily help place local residents in the manufacturing field, particularly in light industrial and warehouse jobs. Temp Associates begin their process with an application and in-depth interview, making sure that an employee and potential company are a good fit for one another. In some cases, placement goes well enough that clients will convert their temporary employees to full time workers. Burch and Hamilton attribute their success to analyzing their applicants’ strengths and determining which job locations they would work best in. This way, they prevent turnover on behalf of their clients as well.
Temp Associates provides a quick hiring turnaround on behalf of employers, too — they promptly post job openings, run credit and background checks, and set service agreements in place. The result? Jobs are usually filled within a week, with some slight variation in between. It’s a win-win situation for both clients and employees, who are ready to hire and work.
“Most of our applicants are second chance employees, too,” shared Burch, meaning that applicants are applying with a lack of resources and work experience. Burch explained that applicants who have been laid off often only have that one particular work experience on their resume or lack other resources, like housing and transportation.
“One applicant, for example,” recounts Burch, “walks an hour to our agency because he doesn’t have a drivers license. When he called us to say he scheduled his drivers license exam, we were so excited.” As someone who had to pivot in her career, Burch says she loves to hear her applicants’ career goals and success stories — even outside of work. So far, she has celebrated applicants who have moved out of their parents’ house and have bought their first car.
Temp Associates also connects applicants with resources, such as housing, job fairs, and more. If you know someone who is looking for a new job or career, or is a business needing to hire employees, call Temp Associates at 641-236-9220 or visit their website, www.tempassociates.com.
Pictured left to right:
During today’s ribbon cutting, Chamber Ambassadors extended a warm welcome to Home Revisions, a construction company that is committed to their clients. Their motto? Protect and provide.
In August 2020, Home Revisions owner Nick Darland began the company with a vision to not only renovate homes, but to “transform the client experience within the construction industry.” Darland, who grew up in Grinnell, has since purchased a building on Penrose Street (formerly Ashing Machine & Tool) as the company’s headquarters, and now offers a subscription service that includes gutter cleaning, exterior inspections, and 10% off future remodeling projects.
Ultimately, says Darland, “we’re carpenters aspiring to be artists.” Darland and his team of two — Kolton and Kevin Werner — have done beautiful work on numerous historical and Victorian homes. Together, they’ve built a reputation for taking on complex, large-scale projects around the town of Grinnell, preserving charming features of older homes while introducing the functionality of modern ones.
Today, Darland continues to catch tea with one of his former clients every week, having spent time between August 2022 to May 2024 reconstructing her home — another nod to their client-centric approach to business. Meanwhile, HomeRevisions has maintained good working relationships with similar companies around Grinnell and has built an impressive clientele. HomeRevisions is a company with deep roots in the community, one that Darland has grown to appreciate since he has “found his way back home” to the Grinnell community.
For more information on Home Revisions’ work or their approach, visit their website homerevisionsiowa.com, email info@homerevisionsiowa.com or give them a call at 641-260-1079.
Pictured left to right:
Grinnell High School Career and Technical Education students from last trimester’s class brought projects, presentations, and even food to the Reverse Career Fair in their high school gymnasium. Students presented from an array of classes, from “Ceramics” to “Fashion Design” to “Theatre Marketing and Social Media Implementation.” Community members, high school peers, and Chamber members came out to support these students’ hard work throughout the trimester — and enjoyed some cool sights and food in the process!
Xilohmara Robles, a student in “Animal Science: Injections,” explained how her class has been practicing injecting animals by injecting oranges and bananas with syringes. She described how important it is to provide proper vaccinations and medications via injections — as well as minimizing pain and using proper technique for maximum efficiency.
Photography students Jase Koester and Emma Doty had a white box platform and camera set up to demonstrate how they shoot professional product pictures — something they have been doing for local businesses in town already! They also mentioned how they’ve photographed Grinnell High School and College games and their experiences playing with different light exposures.
There were also culinary artists in the room — students Janae Keenan and Taleah Bailey had impressive displays of chocolate croissants and fruit cutting displays! As visitors resisted eating them all right away, Keenan and Bailey explained how they preserve their food displays in ice water and described food safety processes within catering. Along with Keenan and Bailey, other students were excited to share their food-related stands. Two students brought out their tower garden display, while others were in the middle of growing cucumbers and greens for their cafeteria to use!
One high school student also had her own plant display for her class, “Plant Parts and Functions.” On one side of the table, she had a microscope and two little plant pots set up with different growing seeds. As she explained to someone visiting her stand, the two plant pots represented either a monocot or dicot, two distinct types of plants. She invited guests to peer into her microscope and see for themselves what a monocot cell looks like! She also had a beautiful array of flowers tainted by food coloring — a result of feeding them food coloring water.
Mark your calendars for next year’s Reverse Career Fair! Each year, students unveil projects showing off what they learned — plus, the fair is a great glimpse of the high school’s diverse interests and creativity!
Have you ever felt burnout in your professional life? Kim Casko, director of Client Services and Support for Elisse Glennon Consulting, shared her personal journey with “burning out” in a recent Connecting for Women luncheon event.
As the former President and CEO of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce from 2016 to 2023, Casko was feeling stressed at all times, and yet she didn’t realize the effect it had on her personal life until her loved ones intervened. They noticed Casko’s exhaustion and forced her to take two weeks off from work — or as Casko calls it, “forced paid time off.” Amidst supporting the Chamber through the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheading a merger, she hadn’t noticed that during her quiet time she had become “squirrely.”
“Even when I left the job, I was still like, ‘What am I going to do today? Here’s my to-do list. Who are we visiting today?’” she recounts. “I would be trying to fill the calendar even though I would be with my husband by the peaceful water.” After Casko learned that she was uncomfortable in open spaces, she adopted new tricks to find that serenity in her personal life. She created a “10 daily habit” checklist, which she falls back to when she is feeling adrift. “What is measured is managed,” she told the other women in the room. “This is to reground me and it’s a daily practice.”
Of course, Casko could not combat her burnout without her community. Once she returned to work at the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, her team became aware of Casko’s burnout and stepped up to take on more responsibilities. They also held her accountable in prioritizing the most important tasks and kept her from taking on extra projects. Though Casko eventually left her job, she found a better fit in a new career and has taken the time to consistently pursue therapy, yoga, and meditation. For our attendees of the luncheon event, they received a resource list that included books, podcasts, and programs she has found helpful. If you or someone you know is experiencing burnout, we encourage you to seek support with wellness and mental health professionals in our community.
Many thanks to UnityPoint Health – Grinnell for hosting the event in partnership with SHE Counts, Grinnell College, Grinnell Mutual, REMAX Partners Realty – Grinnell, and Double You Marketing, Inc.
About the Connecting with Women Series
The Grinnell Connecting For Women series, hosted by the Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce, aims to bring together women for a networking, coaching and mentoring session from the region’s most influential business leaders. We encourage you to join us for our 2025 UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Connecting for Women events.
Today I write to share with you that the Chamber is publicly endorsing the March 4 PPEL vote for the Grinnell-Newburg Community School District, in hopes that it will help move our community forward. It is important to our organization because it matters to our members. As part of educational support strategic initiative, we chose to collaborate with the School District to gain public support for a potential bond which is, in part, why we are asking you to join us in voting YES for the future of our community.
We know the viability and success of educational institutions to be tied to the long-term economic success of Grinnell. Our schools are an integral part of Grinnell's future and vitality, and our businesses rely on a thriving community to ensure their own success and growth. Will this cost more for all of us, business included? It will - but the tax implications are significantly less than previous plans presented (I encourage you to use this calculator to figure your tax implication). We believe that a YES vote has the power to be a unifier for our community, which will allow us to strengthen and enhance our school district and greatly reimagine the future of Grinnell.
We have heard directly from many of our businesses and community leaders who feel this is a pivotal moment for the Grinnell community. Should this vote fail to pass, we believe there will be unintended consequences that affect the ability to maintain and grow businesses in our community. We have heard from many of our members that this would likely lead to potential closures or relocation of businesses.
We recently held a session for chamber members with Superintendent Lisa Beames, sharing more about how this point was reached, and why the district needs this adjustment in order to remain financially solvent. You can watch it here and we encourage you to share it with others.
We urge people to understand the facts and figures of this vote. Our district needs this. Our business community needs this. Grinnell needs this.
on behalf of the Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce Staff & Board of Directors
We talk about connection as it relates to many things: connection to community, connections with one another, connections to businesses but today we're talking about connection to broadband.
A few years ago, many of our businesses - large and small - came to us with the same problem: their internet was not reliable enough for them to conduct daily business, and they needed help. Along with our partners at the City of Grinnell, we conducted focus group meetings with several businesses to better understand the issue so that we could seek a solution.
We met with a number of potential providers to determine how they may be able to assist, and ultimately found a willing partner in Mahaska Communication Group (MCG) to build out fiber to the Grinnell community. Their investment, along with additional upgrades from other existing providers, led to much improved broadband access in Grinnell over the past four years. So much so that when we look at this newly provided map from the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), we can see the city limits of Grinnell are now one of the most connected communities in the state!
Connection - in its many forms - matters, and we are glad to have been able to play a part in furthering the connectivity of our community.
