Staff
Chris McGowan
President
712.255.7910
Chris McGowan serves as the President of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and The Siouxland Initiative (TSI). A licensed attorney in the State of Iowa, McGowan has been involved in economic development efforts in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota for over twenty years.
A native of Sioux City, Iowa, McGowan received his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota earning a double major in Government and Management. He served in the Iowa Air National Guard and as a Fortune 500 Account Executive prior to attending graduate school. Chris earned his Juris Doctor from the Ave Maria School of Law in Ann Arbor, Michigan and worked in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions of the Department of Justice at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit while attending law school.
McGowan joined TSI in August of 2003 and was promoted to President of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and TSI in 2011.
Barbara Sloniker
Executive Vice President
712.222.1248
Barbara Sloniker serves as the Executive Vice President of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and The Siouxland Initiative (TSI). Sloniker has been employed by the Chamber for the past 26 years.
Raised in Sioux City, Sloniker received a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from Iowa State University. Sloniker joined TSI in October 1997 and was promoted to Executive Vice President of the Siouxland Chamber and TSI in 2011.
Sloniker’s responsibilities include developing/lobbying legislative agendas in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota and on the federal level including coordination and planning of the Annual Siouxland/Washington Conference and Bi-Annual Tri-State Governors’ Conference; monitoring/advocating for transportation improvements: highway, rail, river, airport; overseeing Chamber’s fundraising events; economic development; serving as Executive Director of the Dakota Valley Business Council; and serving as Air Service Development Director for the Sioux Gateway Airport/Brigadier General Bud Day Field.
Lori Allen
Director of Finance
712.222.1241
Lori Allen joined our organization in August of 2011 and serves as the Director of Finance for the Siouxland Chamber, The Siouxland Initiative and the Siouxland Chamber Foundation. Lori’s primary functions include membership invoicing, payments, payables, payroll, financial reporting and budgeting. Lori also acts as the Human Resource Coordinator managing all aspects of employee benefits and serves as liaison to IT personnel for maintenance of office equipment/network system.
Lori is a native of Mapleton, Iowa and continued her education at the University of Northern Iowa. Lori then joined the United States Air Force and served 4 ½ years with tours in Biloxi, Mississippi, Prum, Germany, and Las Vegas, Nevada. After this enlistment Lori and her husband Eric spent 12 years in California before returning to Iowa to raise their 2 daughters.
Laura Hartman
Director of Events
712.222.1240
Laura Hartman joined the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce in January 2022 as the Director of Events. In this role, her responsibilities include planning and executing the Siouxland Chamber’s special events and fundraisers, like our Annual Dinner, Golf Classic, Key Leadership Welcome Dinner, and Small Business EXPO as well as leading the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, also known as the “Green Coats.” She is also in charge of scheduling and planning ribbon cuttings and our monthly Rush Hour Connect events.
A native of Siouxland, Laura graduated from Hinton High School and subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing Communications with a minor in Sports Administration from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. She brings experience in event planning, marketing, and the not-for-profit sector as she most recently served as the Special Events Coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland. When Laura is not planning events, she enjoys shopping, getting her nails done with her Grandma, and spending quality time with her husband, family, and friends.
Tasha Pointer
Executive Assistant
712.255.7903 ext. 210
Tasha Pointer serves as the Executive Assistant for the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and The Siouxland Initiative (TSI). She provides administrative support and assistance to the executive staff, while serving as the liaison to the Chamber and TSI boards.
Tasha enjoys spending time with her family which includes trips to Ohio to visit her daughter and son-in-law. She loves spoiling her little morkie, Romeo, who requires a LOT of attention. Her favorite hobby is four-wheeling with her family and friends.
Heidi Reinking
Director of Investor Relations
712.222.1242
Heidi Reinking joined the team in April 2016. Prior to her officially joining the staff, Heidi served as one of the Chamber’s green coat Ambassadors giving her a unique perspective on membership. With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience, Heidi helps our members learn, network, and promote their businesses utilizing their Chamber benefits.
Heidi received her Associate of Applied Science degree in Marketing Management from Western Iowa Tech Community College and her Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Bellevue University. When Heidi isn’t promoting our members, she spends time riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle, teaching the Basic Rider Motorcycle Course at Western Iowa Tech, attending as many concerts as possible, and traveling with her husband.
Angela Rogers
Manager of Membership Retention
712.222.1244
Angela Rogers joined the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce in August of 2021 as the Manager of Membership Retention. In her role, Rogers is responsible for building strong relationships with members and to help them understand the value proposition associated with membership in this organization.
Angela is originally from the Twin Cities and after finishing high school in Minnesota attended Drake University in Des Moines where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in Broadcast News and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Her professional background includes television journalism, public relations, and marketing.
You’re likely to catch Angela at either a coffee or ice cream shop outside office hours. She enjoys being a “foodie” and cooking, playing with her dog Cooper, and going on adventures with her fiancé who is a pilot with Siouxland’s own 185th Air Refueling Wing.
Teresa Rosenboom
Director of Communications
712.222.1243
Teresa Rosenboom serves as the Director of Communications for the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and The Siouxland Initiative (TSI). In her role, she manages the Chamber’s social media presence, website and member correspondence including the “Week at a Glance” e-newsletter. Teresa also supports the Executive Vice President in event coordination of the Dakota Valley Business Council’s Pierre lobbying trip, Siouxland/Washington Conference and the Tri-State Governors’ Conference.
Teresa attended Northwestern College where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. When not in the office, you might find Teresa out running or walking, biking, playing pickleball, or out on the golf course.