First Fridays - Michelle DeClerck
Name:
First Fridays - Michelle DeClerck
Date:
March 1, 2019
Time:
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM CST
Registration:
Register Now
Event Description:
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is excited to team up with the Iowa Women's Business Center to bring you First Fridays! The goal of First Fridays is for the aspiring entrepreneurs and the people of Greater Des Moines (DSM) to hear from business owners and entrepreneurs who have helped shape the communities in which we live. The speakers are makers, store owners, movers and shakers, creators of regional or national brands and all have stories that are uniquely their own.
Michelle DeClerck, Certified Meeting Planner (CMP), founded Conference Event Management in 2003. As an industry’s premier provider of unique, world-class event, conference, incentive travel and meeting experiences, the company has experienced significant growth — primarily through referrals — since its inception, and in early 2017, was selected by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses as the only company in Iowa and one of 150 small businesses throughout the nation to participate in an elite business growth program.
A proven industry leader and innovator, DeClerck has won numerous professional accolades, including: the 2018 Enterprising Women Award. 2017: SBA Iowa Women in Business Champion of the Year; the Inspiring Women of Iowa – Character Award; Smart Meetings Top Influential Woman – Innovator of the Year Award; and Midwest Meetings Magazine Cover Feature. 2016 Awards included being named a Top 20 Change Maker in the Event Industry by MeetingsNet and named Iowa’s National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Business Owner of the Year (2011).
In recognition of her dedication to giving back to her community, DeClerck was named Citizen of the Year in Clive, Iowa (2016). Her community work includes: leading her team in quarterly volunteer projects; serving as co-chair for Matthew 25 (a hunger and homeless outreach initiative); launching the Iowa Hospitality Donation Network (a charitable initiative that assists Iowa hotels and event venues in donating leftover items to the hungry and homeless people of Central Iowa); serving as president of the board for Opportunity on Deck (a 501C3 organization that provides free sports clinics to underserved children), serving on the Clive Public Arts Advisory Commission Board; and on the West Des Moines Incubator Business Growth Board.
She also serves in an ongoing or previous volunteer role in various capacities for the Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army, several Iowa universities, her church and more.
DeClerck is also committed to supporting other businesswomen. Her leadership roles in this area include public speaking as well as serving as both the Director at Large Counsel and Programming Chair of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) – Iowa; serving on the Executive Council for Iowa Women Lead Change (IWLC); enrolling her company in the Iowa Epic Corporate Challenge; serving on the Million Women Mentors – Iowa committee; founding Mentor Tank to provide mentoring opportunities for young women; developing a panel of female business owners to educate local business fraternity members; and sharing her experience and insight by serving as a guest writer for the Business Record and for Lift Iowa, the Business Record’s publication for women.
Michelle DeClerck, Certified Meeting Planner (CMP), founded Conference Event Management in 2003. As an industry’s premier provider of unique, world-class event, conference, incentive travel and meeting experiences, the company has experienced significant growth — primarily through referrals — since its inception, and in early 2017, was selected by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses as the only company in Iowa and one of 150 small businesses throughout the nation to participate in an elite business growth program.
A proven industry leader and innovator, DeClerck has won numerous professional accolades, including: the 2018 Enterprising Women Award. 2017: SBA Iowa Women in Business Champion of the Year; the Inspiring Women of Iowa – Character Award; Smart Meetings Top Influential Woman – Innovator of the Year Award; and Midwest Meetings Magazine Cover Feature. 2016 Awards included being named a Top 20 Change Maker in the Event Industry by MeetingsNet and named Iowa’s National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Business Owner of the Year (2011).
In recognition of her dedication to giving back to her community, DeClerck was named Citizen of the Year in Clive, Iowa (2016). Her community work includes: leading her team in quarterly volunteer projects; serving as co-chair for Matthew 25 (a hunger and homeless outreach initiative); launching the Iowa Hospitality Donation Network (a charitable initiative that assists Iowa hotels and event venues in donating leftover items to the hungry and homeless people of Central Iowa); serving as president of the board for Opportunity on Deck (a 501C3 organization that provides free sports clinics to underserved children), serving on the Clive Public Arts Advisory Commission Board; and on the West Des Moines Incubator Business Growth Board.
She also serves in an ongoing or previous volunteer role in various capacities for the Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army, several Iowa universities, her church and more.
DeClerck is also committed to supporting other businesswomen. Her leadership roles in this area include public speaking as well as serving as both the Director at Large Counsel and Programming Chair of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) – Iowa; serving on the Executive Council for Iowa Women Lead Change (IWLC); enrolling her company in the Iowa Epic Corporate Challenge; serving on the Million Women Mentors – Iowa committee; founding Mentor Tank to provide mentoring opportunities for young women; developing a panel of female business owners to educate local business fraternity members; and sharing her experience and insight by serving as a guest writer for the Business Record and for Lift Iowa, the Business Record’s publication for women.
