Faces of Waukee: Carrie Embree

September 23, 2014 by admin

Photo courtesy of Laura Wills Photography

Where were you born?

I was born in Moline, Illinois, but I’ve lived in Waukee since I was in the second grade.

Tell us about your family.

My husband and I have been married for three years. My parents and older brother live in Waukee, and my younger sister is moving to Indiana
in September.

Tell us briefly about your current career.

This is my sixth year of teaching P.E. at Prairieview School. I’m also the varsity head softball coach, and I give individual youth softball lessons on the side.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I’ve always been interested in athletics. I graduated from high school as a four-sport athlete. I was very fortunate to receive all-state honors, and to be part of state championship teams in track and softball.

I played softball for four years while attending the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and took my fifth year of eligibility to play basketball. In college, I received All-American honors and played on two national championship teams. After college, I played on a professional softball team called the New England Riptide in Massachusetts.

In my free time, I love to work out, run, play all types of sports, hang out with friends and spend time with my family.

What do you like most about living and/or working in Waukee?

I like Waukee’s close community feel. Even though it’s growing, it has maintained its small-town atmosphere.

What motivates and inspires you?

My faith journey has truly inspired me to push through the challenges I have experienced. My outlook on life is to fight through the battles and to view the glass as half full, not half empty. I try to teach valuable life lessons to my softball girls, because there is so much more to life than just the game of softball. For example, I try to show them that they’re always going to face setbacks and obstacles in life, but if they keep doing the right thing and stay on their path, good things will eventually fall into place.

Faces of Waukee: Laura Warner

July 30, 2014 by admin

Photo courtesy of Laura Wills Photography

Once upon a time a little baby girl was born On August 21, 1962 to Robert and Pauline Procter…

I grew up in a suburb of Chicago and graduated from the University of Iowa, where I earned a BA in Communications. After moving to Des Moines in 1986, I ended up in hotel sales and marketing. From the start, it was the perfect fit, and after two years as a Sales Manager, I became Director of Sales at a hotel in Clive.

In 2001, I joined the West Des Moines Marriott as Director of Sales. The hotel business is more than just selling guest rooms and banquet space. It’s about creating relationships, networking and building trust. Actually, many of my clients are people I have encountered in my personal life. You really can’t separate the two when you’re in sales.

I was recently appointed to the Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce and volunteered to chair the Ambassador Committee. I thought my time and energy could be put to good use welcoming new companies and members to the Chamber, and helping them see and experience the value in being involved with the Chamber.

My husband, Steve, and I have been married for 27 years. We’ve lived in Waukee for the past 18 years. We have no plans to leave until we’re ready to head to the Lake of the Ozarks for our retirement, but that’s still a few years down the road.

My husband owns a lawn care business called S & L Lawn Care Service. In the 13 years I’ve been with the West Des Moines Marriott, I’ve also played the role of Administrative Professional for his business. S & L stands for Snow & Lawn as well as Steve & Laura!

The other loves in my life are my sons, Evan and Garrett. Evan graduated from Waukee High School in 2008. He won an international modeling competition in New York this past summer and was picked up by Wilhelmina, one of the world’s most prestigious modeling agencies. He moved to Los Angeles last September and is enjoying great success. My younger son, Garrett, graduated from Waukee High School in 2011.
He’s a junior at the University of Iowa and a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

If you were to ask me my favorite thing about Waukee, it’s that it has a “small town” feel with a splash of cosmopolitan flare. I also love that you can go almost anywhere in Waukee and run into someone you know.

That’s a good thing unless you’re running errands on a Saturday morning with no make-up, glasses and a ponytail! It’s a melting pot of sorts – folks born and raised in Waukee, longtime residents like myself and people just moving in from other places near and far.

Together, we all bring something to Waukee that gives it life, energy and balance.

Do you know anyone we should feature for future editions of Faces of Waukee? Let us know! Visit our contact page and drop us a line.

Faces of Waukee: Cy Phillips

July 30, 2014 by admin

Photo courtesy of Laura Wills Photography

Where were you born?

Clover Bend, Arkansas. It’s a small town of about 60 people in Northeast Arkansas.

Where did you attend college?

University of Iowa, 2002-2006. I earned a BA in Communication Studies and a Certificate of Entrepreneurial Management.

Tell us about your family.

Proud father of two children, Charlie (2½) and Genevieve (1), lucky husband of Meighan, and pet owner of 2 Jack Russell Terriers (Lily and Bridget).

Tell us briefly about your current career.

I earned my real estate license at the end of 2007… arguably one of the worst possible times to step into a career in real estate. It turned out to be one of the best professional decisions I’ve ever made. Today I really enjoy helping people find great homes and in the process, I’ve met some incredible friends!

What are your hobbies/interests?

If I’m not working, I’m outside playing in the backyard with our little people and organizing my garage!

I love mowing the yard (some might say I am very particular about the stripes), washing my truck and playing with our kids at Gym Space.

What do you like most about living and/or working in Waukee?

The people! Our quality of life and amenities. The buzz around town about the future. The small town feel. I really like being able to wave at people when driving
down the road.

This is an incredible community and I’m proud to be a part of it!

Do you know anyone we should feature for future editions of Faces of Waukee? Let us know! Visit our contact page and drop us a line.

Faces of Waukee: Scott Politte

July 2, 2014 by admin

Photo courtesy of Laura Wills Photography

Where were you born?

I was born in St. Louis, Missouri.

Where did you go to college?

I attended Southern Methodist University, University of North Texas and Rutgers University. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science.

Tell us about your family.

My wife’s name is Lisa, and my grandmother, Dorothy, is 95.

Tell us briefly about your current career.

I left Stivers Lincoln Mercury in 2005 to open Stivers Ford in 2006. We had purchased the assets of Mid States Ford. We had a very large learning curve in terms of sales and service because of the number of Ford models. The auto business experienced tremendous change from 2008-2010, and we adapted with the times. We put a lot of time into finding and training the right people, and it has paid off.

We added Lincoln to our Ford dealership, and have been Iowa’s#1 Ford Lincoln dealer since 2010. We completed a 14,000 square-foot expansion in 2013. We were recently awarded the President’s Award by Ford Motor Company. We’re the only dealership in central Iowa to achieve it. It’s Ford’s most prestigious award, and only the top 10% of dealers earn it.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I like to read when there is no football or hockey to watch.

What do you like most about living and/or working in Waukee?

I live and work in Waukee, so being a part of intelligent growth is exciting. I like seeing familiar faces everywhere I go. I like greeting friends when they come to the dealership. Being involved with the Waukee Chamber of Commerce, Waukee Arts Council, the Waukee Leadership Institute, and several other organizations means that I get to meet other people that are also highly engaged in the activities and opportunities in Waukee.

What motivates and inspires you?

I’m inspired by the life lessons and values that my parents instilled in me – honesty, hard work and treating others as you would like to be treated. I also like the quote: “If you don’t have the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over?”

Do you know anyone we should feature for future editions of Faces of Waukee? Let us know! Visit our contact page and drop us a line.

Faces of Waukee: Angela Wagner

July 2, 2014 by admin

Photo courtesy of Laura Wills Photography

Where were you born?
I was born in Fort Madison and raised on a farm outside of West Point. As the youngest of six girls, my sisters always thought that I was spoiled, but I remind them that if I had been a boy, I would have given a whole new definition to spoiled.

Where did you go to college?
After attending a small Catholic high school, I chose a small Catholic college, St. Ambrose University in Davenport, to pursue my degree inaccounting. After graduation, I went on to pass the CPA exam.

Tell us about your family.
My husband Leroy and I have two boys. Owen just graduated from Waukee High School and will be attending DMACC in the fall. He’ll be living in the campus housing in Ankeny. Jerad will be junior at Waukee High School.

Tell us briefly about your current career.
I’m a Manager at McGowen Hurst Clark and Smith, PC, a full-service public accounting and business advisory firm with offices in West Des Moines and Winterset. I work at the West Des Moines location. I help both individual and corporate clients by assisting them with their tax returns, providing accounting services and serving as a consultant on other financial issues. I enjoy working at MHC&S and I’m proud to be part of the team.

What are your hobbies/interests?
My boys are growing up quickly, so I enjoy spending as much time with them as I can – or as much as they will allow! I also enjoy giving back to my community. I have served on the boards of the Waukee Chamber of Commerce and the Waukee Leadership Institute. I currently serve on the board of the Greater Iowa Chapter of JDRF, a Type 1 Diabetes research foundation, and I volunteer at many of their events.

What do you like most about living and/or working in Waukee?
When I moved to Waukee more than 20 years ago, I thought I was moving to the country. Hickman Road was only two lanes and the home I currently live in was a grassy field. Who would have known back then that my son would graduate from a high school with 475 students in his class? Although Waukee has grown greatly, it still maintains its small-town feel.

Living in Waukee, where much of the development is complete, I can walk to the ice cream shop, farmer’s market and football stadium, which makes it feel like a small town. However, I’m excited to see the next phase of Waukee develop. The growth in the past has been in housing and in the school system. It will be great to see the commercial side of Waukee expand and grow, especially as the new Kettlestone Development begins to unfold. It’s an exciting time to live in Waukee.

What motivates and inspires you?
I enjoy helping clients and knowing that my work is valued. Hearing “thank you” from anyone – be it a client, co-worker, family member or friend – always makes me feel appreciated and makes me want to do even more.