Osceola Chamber Main Street welcomes new board members

In January, Osceola Chamber Main Street’s (OCMS) board of directors said farewell to five members - Nicole Jacobsen, First National Bank; Yolanda Rosales, Cactus Family Farms; Shane Simpson, Lakeside Hotel Casino; Karon Keefe-Dunbar, Wal-Mart and Jan Rychnovsky, retired educator.

“As we bid farewell to our outgoing board members we want to thank them for their dedication and countless hours of service which have been instrumental to our success,” said OCMS Executive Director Ashleigh Eckels. “We are grateful for their time, passion and unwavering commitment to advancing our mission.”

In their places, five new faces joined the board for their first meeting last week: Esmeralda Elizondo, Josh Stephenson, Teresa Woods, Jake Voss and Brady Smith.

Esmeralda Elizondo

Elizondo is originally from New Mexico, and lives in Osceola. She works at the Clarke County Courthouse in the treasurer’s office as the driver’s license examiner.

She decided to put her name in the running for the OCMS board to have an opportunity to directly impact and improve the lives of local residents. On the board, Elizondo looks forward to expanding her network while making lasting differences in the community. She also looks forward to helping address community needs, creating positive change and creating a stronger, more connected environment.

Elizondo has been involved in the Latino Festival for the past two years, and is grateful to have the opportunity to now be involved in new things. Her favorite OCMS events are the Latino Festival, Fourth of July and the Wine Walk. A fun fact about Elizondo is she enjoys cooking and likes to collect cow stuffed animals.

Josh Stephenson

Stephenson grew up in Osceola and graduated from Clarke Community High School. He is the owner of Stephenson Insurance Group and Stephenson Realty, both in Osceola.

Stephenson chose to join the OCMS board as he believes it is important for the community to have a strong and thriving business sector, as many local residents would prefer to purchase goods and services from local businesses. In doing so, they tend to appreciate their local relationships, friendly customer service and the ease of doing business. Shopping locally promotes local residents supporting one another, and Stephenson wants to help promote and explore ideas to strengthen Osceola’s business offerings.

In being on the board, Stephenson looks forward to learning more about the people and businesses in the community and seeing how he can help them thrive. He also wants to learn more about what residents are looking for in the local community.

Stephenson currently serves as the Secretary of the Osceola Rotary Club, and is a mentor in the Teammates Program. His favorite OCMS event thus far has been the annual “Meet Your Merchants” event, a fun evening with local businesses, vendors, live music and a great turnout from the community.

Stephenson was born in Creston at Greater Regional Medical Center, which is located on Townline Road. Growing up in Osceola, he lives on Townline Road, and his parents still live there today.

Teresa Woods

Woods was born and raised on a century farm south of Van Wert, and now lives in southern Clarke County. She serves as Bank President I at First Interstate Bank in Osceola. Woods wanted to join the OCMS board in order to provide additional knowledge, talent and dedication to the Osceola community, bringing her 40+ years of experience from being involved in various boards throughout the community. Now serving on the board, she looks forward to interacting with others from the community, and providing insight and support on upcoming projects and events.

In addition to her role on the OCMS board, Woods is the President of the Rotary Club of Osceola, Vice-chair of the Board of Trustees for the Clarke County Hospital, a member of the Clarke County Development Corporation and a member of the Clarke Area Arts Council. In years past, she has been on the board of the Osceola Summerball League, board of Kiddie Karousel Preschool, board of the Rural Iowa Consortium, Advisory Board of Hospice of Central Iowa and board member of the South Central Iowa Community Foundation.

Woods’ favorite OCMS event is the annual Clarke County Development Corporation/OCMS celebration banquet. She enjoys visiting with those who attend, and finding out who the winner is of the annual Community Service Award.

Woods enjoys traveling, and experiencing new cultures and destinations.

OCMS’ two other new board members are Brady Smith, Ag/Commercial lender, American State Bank and Jake Voss, Fareway Meat Manager.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new board members who bring fresh energy and new ideas to help enhance and deliver on our strategic priorities,” said Eckels.

Interested in helping?

OCMS is always looking for more volunteers for their many events and activities that occur throughout the year. To volunteer or to learn more information, reach out to OCMS events coordinator Leslie Torres or Eckels at 641-342-4200. Board meetings are typically the fourth Thursday of the month at noon in the CCDC/OCMS board room, 115 E. Washington St.