Affiliate Chamber Spotlight: 2021 Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce
Chamber Name + Website
Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce
Elected leader for 2022
DJ Soults, 2022 board chair
Professional Staff Leader of the Chamber
Michael Bartos, president & CEO
Number of Members
325 Members
How Does a Business Join Your Chamber?
Businesses and individuals can join the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce through our website, by calling our office at (515) 978-7115 or by emailing us at
info@waukeechamber.com.
Businesses interested in becoming a part of the Waukee business community can schedule a
meeting to learn more by emailing Michael Bartos at michael@waukeechamber.com.
What Inspired You to First Get Involved with Your Chamber?
As the owner of a small business in Waukee, I was looking for a community of local business leaders to get involved with. After joining the Waukee Area Chamber, I immediately got to know many of the local business owners and leaders and helped start the young professionals committee (Waukee YP) in 2018. I joined the board in 2019 and have enjoyed seeing the Chamber grow and evolve ever since.
What is a Signature Offering of Your Chamber?
The Chamber’s Annual Economic Development Bus Tour is held annually in September. The event, held in partnership with the City of Waukee, provides an opportunity for Chamber members and the Waukee community at large to learn more about new businesses, civic projects and other opportunities coming to Waukee.
What is Your Chamber’s Biggest Accomplishment in the Past 12 Months?
2021 has been a year of recovery and growth for the Waukee business community and for the Chamber itself. The board’s executive committee oversaw day-to-day operations of the Chamber from March through June of this year, which provided an opportunity to dig in, prioritize opportunities to rebuild and move the Chamber forward. During that time, we completed the search and hiring process for our next president and CEO, Michael Bartos. Since hiring Michael, he’s helped us return to in-person events and welcome numerous new businesses to Waukee and the Chamber through ribbon cutting ceremonies.
What Initiative/Project Are You Looking Forward to in the Upcoming Year?
The Chamber is currently focused on an initiative to update our organizational identity, including new branding, strategic messaging and website. Our new branding will be rolled out before the end of 2021. This will be followed by the launch of a new website, designed to better serve our members and the Waukee community, at our annual banquet in January 2022. With that initiative complete, we look forward to building on our outstanding signature events and continuing to serve our community with monthly events including business luncheons, morning and evening networking opportunities and Waukee YP coffees and socials.
What Partnership Tools/Resources Have Been Most Beneficial to Your Chamber
Members?
The Partnership has been a critical resource for our members throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a proven source of information for local businesses over the past 18 months. As we look forward to 2022, the partnership’s small business events (like the Top Five for Small Business seminars), regional events and business directory will continue to benefit our members.
What Are Your Upcoming Events?
Find out more details at: waukeechamber.com/en/calendar.
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.
DJ Soults
DJ Soults is the president/CEO of Illuminated, a digital agency helping ambitious, strategic small business owners to attract, engage, and convert more ideal clients so they can bring their vision to life. A Waukee resident, DJ serves as the 2022 board chair for the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce.