Washington Chamber of Commerce: A Year in Review

Our Ambassadors hosted a total of 37 ribbon cuttings in 2022, in celebration of area business achievements:

Ainsworth Public Library: Grand Opening

Bazooka Farmstar: Completed Expansion

Blissed Out Wellness: Grand Opening

Chuck’s Cycle: New Location & 10th Anniversary

Country Club Subdivision: Groundbreaking

Custom Impressions: New Location at The Village

Edward Jones: 100th Anniversary

Emporium: New Location

Encore Express: Grand Opening

English River Outfitters: New Lodge Grand Opening

Hospice of Washington County: New Building

Kalona Cooperative Technology Company: New Location

Korner Kremery: New Ownership

Lynn & Shelby’s Home Décor & More: Grand Opening

Mama Llama’s Barn: Grand Opening

Market on Main: Grand Opening

Master’s Hand: New Location

Washington County Mini Bus: New Building

Meet Me In Washington Mural: Grand Reveal

Ola Babcock Retreat: Grand Opening

Optimae Behavioral & Home Health Services: New Location

Purposefully You: Grand Opening

RE/MAX Affiliates – Connie Larsen: One Year Anniversary

Riverside Railroad Park: Re-Opening

Salon Renew: Grand Opening

Spirit Spot: Grand Opening

Stay Your Path Boutique: Grand Opening

Stout Seed: New Location

Sunset Diesel: Groundbreaking

The Chair: One Year Anniversary

The Coffee Corner: 20 Year Anniversary

The Joy of Music: Golden 17th Birthday Bash

Unc & Nephs: New Ownership

United Presbyterian Home: 75th Anniversary

Washington State Bank: 90th Anniversary

Wellness Park: One Year Anniversary

Woodlawn Cemetery: Gates & Shelter Renovation

Washington Summer Classic

First weekend in June

Washington’s summer kick-off with festivities highlighting local agriculture, business, food and music! Here is what you can expect in 2023:

Thursday: Thursday Night Live Kick-off (June 1)

• Celebrates Farmers’ Market, live music, local food, and Ridiculous Day Sidewalk Sales begin!

Friday: Family Day (June 2)

• Celebrate family with children’s activities, games, live music, and a movie in the park.

Saturday: 75th Annual Ridiculous Day (June 3)

• The state’s longest running Ridiculous Day. Features retail bargains, family games, food vendors and the Ridiculous Day Parade featuring the Antique Tractor Parade!

Saturday: FlightLine LIVE! (June 3)

A concert celebration featuring high-energy music from Dogs on Skis and the Schmidt Brothers.

FlightLine LIVE! Community Concert Committee: Genie Davis, Greta Clemons, Janelle Escher, Joe Nichols, Kayla Schindler, Kevin Erpelding, Maryjo Rich, Nick Gingerich, Patty Elliott, Rachel Fishback, Rusty Rogerson and Sydney Greiner.

Chamber Bucks

2022 saw nearly $22,000 of Chamber Bucks distributed in our community. If you factor that 68% of dollars spent locally stay here, the amount of Chamber Bucks purchased in 2022 equals a $13,000 investment that keeps circulating in our community, supporting schools, jobs, community services and our community members.

The Chamber encourages you to utilize Chamber Bucks, which are gift certificates that can be spent in most Washington businesses. They stimulate the local economy and provide flexibility on where they can be spent. Purchase Chamber Bucks at the Washington Chamber of Commerce and spend them around the community!

Candlelight Tour of Homes & Christmas Lighting

First Weekend in December

For the winter of 2022, we featured 4 homes (Char & Ron Anderson, Pat & Jenny Morgan, Bruce & Julie Timmins, and Brian & Tracy Strabala) plus 3 businesses, Ola Babcock Airbnb, Hills Bank & Repurpose It. A fun addition to the event was highlighting the nativity collection of Mike Zahs, which may be the largest collection in the world with approximately 2,500 nativity scenes. We are still looking for homes to join us for this annual holiday tradition in 2023. Proceeds from this event support the holiday lights on display around the downtown.

Candlelight Tour of Homes Committee: Angie Schluetter, Connie Larsen, Erin Smith, Jennifer Wharton, Jenny Morgan, Jolene Colthurst and Jonathon Ward.

Craft Shows

Craft Fair: Spring Edition (Saturday, May 6th)

34th Annual Fall Craft Fair (Saturday, September 9th)

Visitors to our square can enjoy strolling & shopping the many vendors with an assortment of crafts, handmade goods, clothes, food and our regular downtown retailers open during this event.

Educator Appreciation Breakfast

The End of summer

The annual back to school breakfast will be served to faculty members of the Washington Community School District, St. James School, and Kirkwood Community College. The committee also planned a NEW Educators’ Night Out supply drive and soup cook-off in January of 2023.

Educator Breakfast Committee: Adam Miller, Connie Larsen, Curt Mayer, Dale Sparks, Erik Buchholz, Erin Smith, Kara Booth, Margaret Zieglowsky, Mike Marsden, Nicole Bruty, Rebecca Clarahan, Susan Lund, Tera Pickens, Teresa Beenblossom, Veta Thode and Willie Stone.

Artfest

Stay tuned for this year’s Artfest details and ways we can continue to grow the arts in Washington.

Artfest Committee: Cheryl Barnes, Erin Smith, Isabella Santoro, Jenisa Harris, June Henderson, Kathleen Almelien, Leslie Allender, Melinda Lord, Millie Youngquist, Nancy Albert and Suzanne Nancy Wood.

Government Relations

The Chamber of Commerce's Government Relations Committee helps to plan and implement Legislative Briefings and Candidate Forums. We encourage legislative action that promotes business growth, local economy and strong communities. We are a non-partisan organization and do not endorse any candidate nor are we a part of the US Chamber of Commerce. Save the dates for our Legislative Briefings, held over the noon hour on the second Friday of the month January – April.

Government Relations Committee: Bill Monroe, Dan Widmer, James Graham and Jaron Rosien.

Leadership Washington

Leadership Washington is a nine-session program designed to educate civic-minded individuals about current issues and concerns which face the Washington Area. The nominees get an inside look at Economic Development and Finance, Education, Health/Recreation, Business, Industry and Media, City and County Government, Agriculture, and County History. The program helps to build, strengthen, and educate current and future leaders in our hometown. Our next session begins in late summer and is filling up fast. Contact the Chamber if you’d like to get a coveted spot in next year’s class.

Leadership Washington Committee: Chair Pam Green, Amanda Russell, Amy Kleese, Andy Miller, Becky Patterson, Brandi Hemsley, Casey Peck, Dylan Smith, Jenny Morgan, Jim Lester, Joe Nichols

Jonathon Ward (Co-Chair), Jordan Hesseltine, Kara Booth, Kelly Wheeler, Larry Northway, Mary Ann White, Megan Hangartner, Nicole Peterson, Rachel Fishback, Stefanie Haworth and Tammy Stewart.

We started our 33rd Leadership Washington session in September 2021 and graduated 24 people in 2022 from the Leadership Class.

Leadership Washington Class of 2021-2022: Abi Flores, Alex Mincer, Andy Miller, Anita Woodsmall, AnnaMarie Ward, Becky Patterson, Benjamin Altenhofen, Blake Cherry, Brandi Hemsley, Brent Kromrie, Dylan Smith, Gary Murphy, Grace Voss, Grant Sobaski, Lindsay Crawford, Lucas Kroll, Mary Audia, Phil Minino, Ryan Ronan, Shannon Hills Copeman, Stefanie Haworth and Tim Hill.

Golf Events

Men’s & Ladies’ Chamber Golf Fun Days

Join us for this four-person best ball fun competition. Ladies’ Day June 15, Men’s Day June 16, 2023

Oktoberfest Golf Tournament: Birdies, Beer & Brats

Four-person scramble to be held on September 22, 2023. Featuring all things Oktoberfest, including beer tastings throughout the tournament.

Golf Committee: Alex Cardenas, Brandon Long, Diana Rich, Erik Buchholz, Erin Leyden, Erin Smith, Jared Schneider, Jason Prohaska, Jeff Vetter, Kara Booth, Matt Brown, Mike Greiner, Pat Smith, Patty Elliott, Ryan Shields, Shawn Redlinger and Stacey Reese.

Thursday Night Live

Thursday Nights from June to Mid-August

Local artists/groups performed during the eleven-week free summer music series in Central Park. The music complements the Farmer’s Market and is followed by the Washington Municipal Band.

Oktober Madness/Hocus Pocus in the Park

A very successful and expanded month-long event offering the community safe and fun holiday activities for all ages. Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 7th, 2023, for candy booths, family activities, costume contests, free meal, pony rides, hayrack rides, a magician, and cap the night off with a Halloween movie in the park from Main Street Washington!

Choctoberfest

In partnership with the Washington County Hospitals & Clinics V-I-Pink “The Breast Event of the Year” we celebrated health, shopping and all things chocolate in a combined Chocolate Walk/Breast Cancer Awareness event downtown Washington. This year, we will continue this partnership and host the event on Thursday, October 12th, 2023, downtown Washington.

Welcome Center/ Visitors & Tourism

The Chamber of Commerce has been staffing a volunteer-operated Welcome Center since 2013, keeping the doors of the Welcome Center open to visitors & tourists. Each year, volunteers donate time that values around $64,000. The Chamber’s tourism efforts offer many advantages to Washington’s local economy and growth.

Washington Welcome Center Volunteers: Becky Patterson, Bernice Darby, Gary Murphy, Illa Earnest, Joan Ross, Jolene Colthurst, Kelly Stucker, Margaret Zieglowsky, Millie Youngquist and Pam Green.

Ongoing Tourism Activities:

• The Chamber website hosts an average of 28,000 monthly visitors, with events and community calendar consistently being one of the top five pages viewed. Visit us at: chamber.washingtoniowa.gov

• The Visitors & Tourism Committee attended networking meetings with the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association.

• We provide driving and walking tour brochures for the town and Elm Groove Cemetery.

• Our Welcome Center sells local tourism merchandise. Some of these products are: Historical books, postcards, throws, clothing, DVDs, CDs of local artists, and more.

• The Chamber partners with the Southeast Iowa Union and KCII to keep the community informed of Chamber activities.

• We provide the “Monthly Community Calendar,” which is a free service offered to all the community as a monthly email newsletter of community events. E-mail your events to us two weeks prior to ensure that it makes it to the e-blasts.

• We place Washington advertisements with Travel Iowa, Eastern Iowa Tourism Association, Kalona’s Seasonal Community Guide, Southeast Iowa Union, KCII, Our Iowan Magazine, and other widely distributed tourism publications.

• We give out business referrals with priority given to Chamber members.

• We maintain a brochure rack that features flyers and brochures from Chamber member businesses, clubs, and organization, as well as Iowa maps and other tourist information.

• We distribute full color community brochures, a full color city map, and 1000’s of professionally designed community magazines. All of which promote our town and businesses.

Hotel Motel Fund

Funding from the area hotel motel tax is invested back into the community in a variety of ways. Funds raised from the hotel motel tax are ear-marked for tourism, and the committee has been busy planning for future events and programs that include community murals and electric car charging stations.

Hotel Motel Fund Administration Committee: Chair Millie Youngquist, Clay Whisler, Deanna McCusker, Diane Gallagher , Illa Earnest, Isabella Santoro, Michelle Redlinger, Mikayla Slechta, Phil Minino, Rhonda Reed and Sally Hart.

Partnerships & Organizations

Brighton Chamber of Commerce

Eastern Iowa Tourism Association

Iowa Association of Chamber of Commerce

Kalona Chamber of Commerce

Main Street Washington

Mid-America Chambers of Commerce Executives

Travel Federation of Iowa

Washington Economic Development Group

Resident/Business/Visitor Contacts

• Offer Welcome to Washington Packets and community relocation packets.

• Answer tourism requests.

• Answer requests from students doing school projects on Washington and Washington County.

• Work with local businesses to secure buildings for new and expanding business ventures or find possible buyers for open businesses/buildings.

• Continue to work with individuals interested in opening new retail/service businesses.