Young Professional Spotlight: Stacey Denke

Stacey Denke

Accounting Manager // Black Hills Energy

Tell us about yourself.

I grew up on a family ranch near Wall. I never expected to stay around Western South Dakota, but after going to college and working in Sioux Falls for 9 years, I decided to move back in 2016. I took a job with Black Hills Energy and now currently lead their Corporate Accounting team.

As for outside of work, I have really enjoyed rediscovering the Black Hills – you can usually find me on a hiking trail or at a lake in my kayak in my free time. I also enjoy connecting with my friends, checking out breweries, reading and taking my two pups to the dog park.

We’re glad to have you back in West river. What is it like working for one of the largest employers in the state?

I feel very fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to continue my career with Black Hills Energy. The opportunity to work for a publicly traded company, while still getting the benefits of living in Rapid City, have been amazing. The opportunities afforded me and the ability to advance my career within a larger employer have been amazing. The quality of employees at Black Hills Energy pushes me to grow professionally every day. I am beyond blessed to have found a home with them.

Tell us about your involvement in the Young Professional Group.

When asked what I miss about Sioux Falls, my answer was always that I missed the plethora of young professionals. I had found finding like-minded, younger, individuals in my new community was challenging. Enter YPG of Rapid City. I attended my first gathering in March of 2019 and it was the group I had been searching to find. I have met so many new friends and grown my network exponentially. I have gotten involved in the Membership and Community Involvement sub-committees and decided, last year, to join the Steering Committee. One of my passions is connecting people. I have loved the opportunity YPG allows me to either connect with new individuals myself or help individuals grow their network or find mentorship opportunities within my network.

What does the Steering Committee have planned?

The Steering Committee is always looking for new and fun ways to offer value for our members! In addition to our monthly social events, we are looking for new and fun ways to get our members involved in the community, grow and develop professionally, and connect with others. To go along with my passion for helping people connect, we’re kicking off a new opportunity called “Coffee Connections." We want to give our members an opportunity to connect with a leader in the community – whether this leads to an expanded network, a new mentorship relationship or just an enjoyable hour of coffee will be up to our members and the community leader. Look for communication in the near future. If anyone has ideas of how else we can further provide value as a group – let us know!