IACC Fall Conference

2025 IACC Fall Conference

Join us for the 2025 IACC Fall Conference, where chamber professionals from across Iowa will gather to elevate their strategies, strengthen connections, and explore innovative approaches to growing their communities. This year’s theme, "Taking Your Chamber to New Heights," reflects our goal to help you soar beyond expectations!

When: October 8-9, 2025

October 8, 2025 | 1:00 -5:00 P.M. & Evening Reception (6:00-7:30 P.M.)

October 9, 2025 | 8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.

Where: Kent Campus Center at Simpson College

701 N C. St, Indianola, Iowa 50125

Why Attend?

Expert insights from top industry leaders
Networking with chamber professionals from across the state
Actionable strategies to take back to your community
Fun social events and a chance to experience Indianola's vibrant community!

Hotel Information

Dates:
The group promo code is valid for reservations on October 7th - 10th, 2025.

Location: Hotel Pommier Indianola

1215 N Jefferson Way, Indianola, Iowa

How to Book:
Guests can book by calling the hotel directly or by using the online reservation link below. Be sure to mention the IACC promo code to receive the special group rate!

Hotel Direct Number: 515-961-0551
Promo Code: IACC
Online Booking Link: Book Your Stay

Conference Agenda

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

12:00 P.M. | Exhibitor Set-Up

12:30 P.M. | Registration Opens

1:00 P.M. | Official Welcome - Sheriffa Jones, Executive Director, Spencer Chamber & IACC Board Chair & Amanda Zwanzinger, President & CEO, Indianola Chamber of Commerce

1:30 P.M. | Amy Shields, Executive Director, ACCE Foundation and VP, Programs at ACCE

Session Title: 2035 ACCE Horizon Report
2035 Horizon Report

2:30 P.M. | Roundtables - Discussion & Topic Questions on 2035 Horizon Report

In small groups, attendees will discuss their thoughts on the 2035 Horizon report and think through how to implement and relate this report to their own communities

4:00 P.M. | Exhibitor Break

4:15 P.M. | Megan Lucas, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer at Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance

Session Title: The Next Chapter: Chambers as Catalysts for Collective Impact
Session Description:
Chambers are at a crossroads. The traditional roles of business development and advocacy remain important, but the future demands more. In an era of complex regional challenges—housing, workforce, childcare, transportation, broadband—chambers are uniquely positioned to convene, connect, and catalyze solutions across business, education, government, and the nonprofit sectors.

This session will explore how chambers can redefine relevance by leading cross-sector collaborations that deliver measurable community and economic impact. Attendees will leave with a renewed vision for the chamber’s role as a trusted convener and catalyst for change, and practical insights into how this collective impact approach can transform both organizations and communities

5:00 P.M. | Adjourn

6:00 - 7:30 P.M. | Evening Reception, Coordinated by Indianola Chamber of Commerce

Thursday, October 9, 2025

7:15 A.M. | Registration Opens & Breakfast

8:00 A.M. | Day #2 Kickoff & Welcome

8:15 A.M. | Rachel Keck, Workplace Culture Coach and Consultant at Mosaic Collaborative

Session Title: The Hidden Legacy of Leadership: What Your Energy Leaves Behind
Session Description: We all want to leave a legacy. We all want to know that our work and presence made a lasting difference. Today’s leaders face immense pressure to deliver results, but at what cost? In this keynote, we’ll explore how your internal state - your “energy” - directly shapes your effectiveness, your teams, your culture, and your outcomes. You’ll learn how to recognize reactive patterns of behavior, cultivate intentional presence, and lead in ways that energize rather than deplete. Because the legacy you leave behind is being built in how you lead today.

9:15 A.M. | Megan Lucas, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer at Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance

Session Title: From Legacy to Lift: Turning Leadership Presence into Chamber Impact
Session Description: Your chamber’s long-term impact is built day by day — in how leaders show up, how members engage, and how the organization responds to community needs. This session begins with a focus on leadership brand: the visual, verbal, and online presence that shapes how others see you. Through an interactive exercise, participants will explore whether the way they want to be known aligns with how they are actually perceived. From there, we’ll scale up to the organizational level — asking what brand and legacy your chamber is building in the community. Together, we’ll connect personal leadership presence to chamber-wide strategies that elevate members, strengthen businesses, and leave a lasting mark on your region.

10:15 A.M. | Exhibitor Break

10:30 A.M. | Roundtables - Horizons Discussion Groups

11:30 A.M. | Exhibitor Break

11:45 A.M. | Lunch & Annual Meeting

12:45 P.M. | Debi Durham, Director at Iowa Economic Development Authority

Session Title: Casual Conversation with IEDA Director Debi Durham
Session Description: Director Debi Durham sits down with IACC Chair Sheriffa Jones to talk about economic development trends, forecasts, and the best new coffee stops accross the state.

2:00 P.M. | Adjourn

Click Here to Register

Fall Conference Speakers

Amy Shields, Executive Director, ACCE Foundation and VP Programs

Amy Shields

Executive Director, ACCE Foundation and Vice President, Programs

Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives

Amy Shields oversees the professional development programs offered through ACCE and the ACCE Foundation. Amy’s team leads signature programs like ACCE’s Fellowship and the Certified Chamber Executive program, convenings for chamber executives, and ongoing peer learning opportunities. As the Executive Director of the ACCE Foundation, Amy is focused on growing support for chamber community impact work in the areas of education and talent development, diversity, equity and inclusion and economic and community development.

Prior to joining the ACCE team, Amy was a program manager at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations where she developed publications, conference sessions, digital content, and workshops for grantmakers across the country. Previously, she worked at the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership as the Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives. Amy earned her B.S. in political science and her M.S. in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Debi Durham, Director, Iowa Economic Development Authority

Debi Durham

Director at Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance

Ms. Durham serves as the Director of both the Iowa Finance Authority and the Economic Development Authority.

She was named to the position by Governor Kim Reynolds in January 2019.

Durham was first appointed to lead IEDA in 2011 and during her tenure has turned the agency into a successful public-private partnership, landed billion-dollar economic development projects for Iowa and has worked tirelessly on expanding trade and investment opportunities for the state.

She prides herself on building coalitions, supporting new ventures and strengthening the state’s industries and communities.

Prior to joining IEDA, Durham served as president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce.

Megan Lucas, CEO & CEDO, Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance

Rachel Keck, Workplace Culture Coach and Consulatant at Mosaic Collaborative

Rachel Keck

Workplace Culture Coach and Consultant at Mosaic Collaborative

Rachel Keck is a leadership coach, facilitator, and author of Everyone Is Not Like You: Creating Authenticity and Connection in Today’s Workplace. She works with visionary founders and culture-focused leaders to turn workplace tension into traction—grounding business growth in authenticity, clarity, and connection. With a background in customer experience, organizational development, and emotional intelligence, Rachel brings both structure and soul to her clients’ cultures. Her coaching invites leaders to align body, mind, and spirit—transforming not only how they lead, but how they live. Known for being both deeply intuitive and refreshingly practical, Rachel’s work helps teams thrive in fast-paced, high-stakes environments without losing sight of their humanity.

2025 IACC Fall Conference

Fall Conference Speakers

Learn. Grow. Lead.