Elevate Magazine - June 2023 - Rapid City South Dakota

ELTINA THREE STARS LEADING WITH COMPASSION AND COMPROMISE

EMERGING LEADERS

ELEVATE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE COACHES THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS IN RAPID CITY

THE START OF A LASTING LEGACY

Anyone who’s ever been in charge of a team for more than five minutes can tell you that leadership isn’t about being in charge at all. It’s about being of service. Servant Leadership—that’s the official buzzword the consultants use. Pull back the layers, however, and we’re talking about something deeper, something that goes down to the very marrow of what it means to serve—humility, compassion, selflessness. It could be a teacher that goes above and beyond for her students. It could be a volunteer who donates his time and energy to help others. It could even be (dare we say) a politician who puts the needs of constituents ahead of her own.

At the Elevate Leadership Institute, it’s exactly the kind of leadership we espouse. Each year, we train Rapid City’s future leaders on what it means to lead, what it means to serve, and what it means to be a servant leader. If we do this year after year, leader after leader, Rapid City’s best days are always ahead.

Welcome to this issue of Elevate where we share a few stories from recent leadership classes. You’ll meet a young woman who returns home and finds strength in her community and her culture. Other stories are tales of entrepreneurship, told through the different lenses of medical records and rock climbing. And our final story is one that demonstrates the most powerful and lasting lesson of leadership training— relationships matter, more than anything.

They

Tom Johnson, President & CEO

Elevate is a monthly publication produced by Elevate Rapid City. It is the premier business magazine for the Black Hills region telling the stories that make our area unique and vibrant.

PO Box 747, Rapid City, SD 57709 605.343.1744 elevaterapidcity.com

PRESIDENT & CEO

Tom Johnson

SENIOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR

Taylor Davis

SENIOR MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Shiloh Francis

SENIOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Lori Frederick

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Liz Highland

EVENTS & MARKETING DIRECTOR

Rachel Nelson

PUBLIC POLICY DIRECTOR

Garth Wadsworth

HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Laura Jones

WORKFORCE & SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER

Reese Niu

ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT & PROPERTY MANAGER

Loni Reichert

BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION MANAGER

Kallie Ruland

VISUAL CONTENT MANAGER

Maggie Jean Wince

INVESTOR RELATIONS MANAGER

Jason Wittenberg

DIGITAL CONTENT COORDINATOR

Sydney Riendeau

EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Ashley Simonson

DESIGN AND LAYOUT

Maggie Jean Wince

PUBLISHED BY THE RAPID CITY JOURNAL

Ben Rogers, President ben.rogers@lee.net

ADVERTISING

Kelly Kanaan 605.394.8472

Jaimie Mohler 605.8302326

Tom Eltgroth 320-583-284

are truly our lasting legacy and allow for us to serve. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did writing them. Stay safe and God-speed.

Tom

WHAT'S INSIDE

ELEVATE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE GRADUATES

LAURA

BELLISLE page 12

ELTINA

THREE STARS page 18

REBECCA

BRADLEY page 25

TREY

LIVERMONT page 30

JUNE 3

SPRING VOLKSMARCH

The bi-annual Crazy Horse Memorial Volksmarch (an organized hike) is a 10K or 6.2-mile woodlands ramble to the world’s largest mountain carving in progress.

www.crazyhorsememorial.org

JUNE 3

TWO-SPIRIT POW-WOW

Free Event Everyone Welcome

1st Annual Two-Spirit PowWow in the Sacred Black Hills.

www.unitingresilience.org

JUNE 17

FAMILY BICYCLE FAIR

Learn about some biking basics, like routine maintenance, riding safely, and family and beginnerfriendly places to ride in the Black Hills.

striderbikes.com/all-events/ family-bicycle-fair-2023/

HAPPENINGS

AROUND THE REGION

SUMMER NIGHTS

Summer Nights is a free weekly concert series that runs every Thursday evening from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Happy Hour running from 5:00pm – 6:00pm and the entertainment from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.

JUNE 1 - BRANDON JONES | COUNTRY

JUNE 8 - JOHN SCALIA AND THE DIRTY WORD | ROCK

JUNE 15 - TRIPWIRE | MULTI-GENRE

JUNE 22 - SLAMABAMA | COUNTRY/POP

JUNE 29 - DAVID GRAHAM & THE ESKIMO BROTHERS | COUNTRY/ROCK

rapidcitysummernights.com

BLACK HILLS FARMERS MARKET

Open Saturdays 8am to 1pm. Dogs are allowed at Black Hills Farmers Market if leashed and well-behaved. blackhillsfarmersmarket.org

JUNE 17-18

WEST BOULEVARD SUMMER FESTIVAL

Every summer hundreds of visitors congregate in Wilson Park to enjoy food, music, performances, and shop dozens of local vendors selling everything from art and jewelry to food and drinks.

www.westblvdrc.com/festival

MOONLIT MOVIE

Partnering with the Elks Theatre in Downtown Rapid City, Main Street Square hosts this free family friendly event.

JUNE 12 - WALL-E

www.events.visitrapidcity.com/ event/moonlit_movies

HAPPENINGS

TUESDAYS

FAMILY FOOD TRUCK NIGHT

Bring your family, bring your friends! Hit up Canyon Lake Park Starting at 5pm. There will also be special events during the summer with the food trucks, such as live music. www.facebook.com/ familyfoodtrucknight

ELEVATE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

The Elevate Leadership Institute is designed to instill leadership qualities and perspectives that mold everyday actions. We believe this empowers individuals to lead from wherever they find themselves at the moment, whether it's at home, at work, or as an engaged member of the community.

The Black Hills Region's future success depends on pro-active, visionary leaders that lead strategically and progressively towards the common good of all. The Elevate Leadership Institute develops passionate, motivated, and engaged citizens who understand how the workings of our community, state, region, and nation impact everyday lives.

This Leadership Program aims to attract engaged citizens from across the Black Hills region and provide them with the background, unique experiences, and insights necessary to assume leadership positions in the community. Participating in an ELI leadership class will build self-confidence, teach valuable skills, identify one's greatest strengths, and empower individuals to maximize opportunities for success. An ELI graduate will advance their natural desire to serve, engage, lead and inspire others to join them to achieve even greater success.

Application deadline is June 16.

www.elevaterapidcity.com/eli

AARON COSTELLO Black Hills Energy

CASSANDRA BIRRENKOTT South Dakota Mines

CONOR CASEY Beardsley, Jensen & Lee

JACOB VISSIA SD Army National Guard

KERRY LASSAUX SEQUEL

NATE STARKEY BMS Financial Advisors

ALLYSON FORMANEK Visit Rapid City

CHESLIE OGAARD Children's Home Society of South Dakota

ELTINA THREE STARS Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board

JACOB WEST Omnitech Inc.

MARC COTE Rapid City Police Department

SAM HARKIN South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

AMANDA DILLING Monument Health

CHRIS JOHNSON Tinderbox

HALEY HOLZWARTH JLG Architects

JOEL HERMANN Black Hills Community Bank

MICHAEL BROWN 605 Grit Fitness

TREY LIVERMONT Pergroup

BOBBI SCHAEFBAUER Rapid City Area Schools

CHRISTINE CAREY Community Health Center of the Black Hills

INGRID REUTER First Interstate Bank

KALLIE RULAND Elevate Rapid City

MICHELLE PAWELSKI Firehouse Wine Cellars/ Smokejumper Station

TY TOMASKO Cole-TAC

“For some people, building a technology company serving customers in more than 60 countries requires being located in Silicon Valley or some other traditional tech hub. B9Creations is located in Rapid City because we put values and quality of life first in building this business.”

Limited time offer not available in all areas and subject to change. Available only to qualified, first-time business customers in existing Bluepeak service areas. Contract required and minimum commitment period may apply Pricing excludes applicable taxes, fees, and surcharges, which are payable by customer Installation and activation fees may apply Stated speeds are “up to” speeds based on a wired connection. W ireless speeds may vary All services are subject to the applicable Bluepeak service ter ms and conditions. Restrictions apply Visit www.mybluepeak.com/business/home or call 866-991-9722 for more infor mation.

“We rely on technology partners like Bluepeak to enable us to stay connected to customers in markets around the world.”

Shon Anderson B9Creations, CEO

BECOME A CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT & BEGIN A REWARDING NURSING CAREER!

West River AHEC's Rural Health Works progra m has 100% fundin g assista nce availab le for studen ts enrolle d in the Comm unity CNA Progra m at Monum ent Health ! CNA studen ts will also be eligible for a $1000 stipend . A new cohort of eight studen ts will be accept ed each month from now throug h Decem ber 2024.

APPL Y

NOW ! WestRiverSDAHEC@gmail.com 605.718.4077

WestRiverSDAHEC.org

General Contracting | CMAR | Design-Build

Street and Utilities | Excavation | Sitework

Drilling | Demolition

www.rcsconst.com

STORY BY SARAH GRASSEL PHOTOS BY SARAH GRASSEL WANDERING WILDE MEDIA

CLIMBS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

“We believe that when people do hard things on the climbing wall, they prove to themselves they can overcome the hard things in their lives.” Laura Bellisle

Growing up in a small town in Iowa, it may have been hard for Laura Bellisle to imagine where she is today – an entrepreneur in Rapid City, sharing her love and passion for rock climbing. All it took was a bouldering leap of faith – to leave school and head to Yosemite. “I wanted to be the kind of person who was outdoorsy, so I applied for a summer job in Yosemite National Park,” Laura admits.

“At the time, I didn’t even know Yosemite was known for climbing,” Laura laughed. “So, I would never have guessed that in my first week in the park, I would be 600 feet off the ground finishing my first-ever climb.”

During her time in Yosemite, Laura developed a passion for living the simple life and a love of the climbing sport itself. She ultimately decided to return to school and finish her social work degree but moved back to Yosemite immediately after graduation “I spent three of the next five years in Yosemite just working and climbing.” The other two years were spent traveling throughout southeast Asia and Australia.

She eventually met her husband in Yosemite, followed him to Denver and later to Rapid City. After a fast 15 years, the couple has come to call Rapid City home. Laura loves serving the climbing community in the Black Hills with her partner.

“After spending one winter here, we decided we couldn’t go another year without a climbing gym,” Laura explained. Seeing the need in the community not only for herself, the journey for Black Hills Basecamp began in August of 2019.

After being in business for only a few years, Laura stumbled upon Elevate Leadership Institute and took the opportunity to grow and learn. Both of Laura’s parents are educators, so this course was a great value for continued learning in the community according to Laura.

“When I saw an advertisement for the ELI program, I thought it would be a great opportunity to connect with other local leaders and learn skills my business would need me to have as it grows,” she says.

“To me, the biggest takeaway was my relationship with fellow classmates,” Laura explains. As a graduate from the 2022 class, Laura attended the program with 23 other business leaders from the area. Entrepreneurship can often be a lonely journey. Creating a network of support can be the key to success. This is evident as Black Hills Base Camp is getting ready to expand, some of those classmates have teamed up with Laura.

“We are honored to be working with Jeremy Muth of Select Construction to build the new site for our new gym. As a fellow graduate, Jeremy and I had a prior relationship that has allowed us to trust each other. I am so grateful for him and the hard work his team has put into making our new facility the best it can be. What an honor to have been part of this class, develop relationships, and move forward in our community and businesses together.”

This July, Black Hills Basecamp will move to its new location at 2461 Seger Dr. in Rapid City. The expansion will more than double the climbing space and offer a separate wall for private parties and classes.

“It's been a joy to see the climbing community grow, and we are so excited to be building our new, larger facility that will open in July!”

Laura Bellisle

Quality building projects require expert coordination of both people and processes. We simplify your journey by being your advocate, guiding through funding, architecture, and construction. We manage the players, the budget, the schedule, and we protect your interests every step of the way.

the build, we know it’s about more and concrete. It’s the realization of a start of something big. We’re honored to be part of that. It’s not enough that our clients have a quality building, we also pledge that you’ll experience quality. Welcome to your new facility.

AND WELCOME TO QUALITY EXPERIENCED.

Jess Ulmer Strategic Account Manager julmer@1call2build.com

605.515.3590 | 1call2build.com

I T’S MORE THAN A BUILDING. I T’S YOUR LAUNCH PAD.

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

• A&B BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

• BLACK HILLS TIRE

• TSP

BEAUTIFICATION AWARD

• HOWARD JOHNSON DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY

• NELL’S GOURMET TO GO

• WINDSOR BLOCK BAR

EMERGING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

• BUILT RIGHT ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION

• CINDY’S K9 TREATS

• X GOLF

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BEST PLACE TO WORK

• HDR ENGINEERING

• KETEL THORSTENSON, LLP

• RAPID CITY MEDICAL CENTER

BUSINESS EXPANSION AWARD

• NELL’S GOURMET TO GO

• RAPID CITY MEDICAL CENTER

• WINDSOR BLOCK BAR

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AWARD

• FORK REAL COMMUNITY CAFÉ

• RAPID CITY MEDICAL CENTER

• VISIT RAPID CITY

LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

• BLACK HILLS SURGICAL HOSPITAL

• H-S PRECISION INC.

• RESPEC

NON-PROFIT OF THE YEAR

• BLACK HILLS BADGES FOR HOPE

• HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE BLACK HILLS

• ONEHEART

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

ELEVATERAPIDCITY.COM/EVENTS

TOP 3 Awards Night

JUNE 13, 2023

LEADS WITH COMPASSION AND COMPROMISE

STORY BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI

PHOTOS BY SHILOH FRANCIS

Eltina Three Stars has never been one to hide her struggles – not her pregnancy at 17, not her difficulty in finding work because of her last name, not her thoughts of suicide during the pandemic, not her decision to come out as bisexual.

Instead, she opens her heart and shares her story in hopes of bridging gaps, reducing barriers, and creating avenues for resources.

It is what makes her a powerful leader.

“I want to raise my children in a childhood they don’t have to heal from, but should they have to, I also want them to have access to those resources. The Creator has put me on the path of some struggles to help me see what it is like so I can better help people.”

Eltina’s flair for leadership started on the elementary school playground. When her classmates wanted to her pick sides, she instead looked for common ground.

Born in Bennett County, Eltina lived her first eight years in Sioux Falls. “All my friends were different races when I lived in Sioux Falls. I didn’t notice color or anything.”

That changed when her family moved back to Martin. “I didn’t have the identity of being Native American as a little girl. Nobody made it an obvious thing. Then we moved back to my hometown which is half Native American and half non-native and it was a night and day difference.”

That division opened her eyes and allowed Eltina to use her innate ability to bring people together.

“I was a good mediator,” she said. “I was always able to see things from other people’s perspectives. I could relate and bridge the gap between people. That is one of my biggest gifts, still to this day. I can sit in a room and hear from everybody’s perspective and be able to communicate in a way that by the end of that meeting we are able to come to an agreement.”

Growing up, Eltina was involved in every extracurricular activity available – sports, drama, music. “I didn’t fit into one certain clique. I did everything.”

Her pregnancy at 17 didn’t stop her involvement in her school community. “I refused to be one of the high school dropouts or to hide my pregnancy. I didn’t allow people to shame me. I played sports as long as I could and went to every possible event. I made sure I graduated. I knew there was a stigma with teen pregnancy, but I also wanted to make sure my daughter was brought into the world with love and acceptance.”

Along with being a teen mom, working and going to school, Eltina made community engagement a top priority.

“My biggest thing was creating a better community to raise my children in.” She was involved in several leadership movements including a grant program aimed at improving impoverished areas. Martin was chosen to participate with the only requirement to train 25 adults in the curriculum. Eltina chose to lead the youth area with a goal of creating a safe place and activities to reduce gang involvement. However, with only two adults stepping up, the program disbanded.

“It was really disheartening. That lack of community involvement solidified my decision to relocate. Rapid City had always been a hub for us. It always felt like home.”

Eltina moved her family and her desire to make a difference to Rapid City in 2010. “That is when I started laying down roots to make Rapid City a better place to live not only for me but for my kiddos and their kids if they choose to have any.”

The young mother opened her home for conversations on race relations with community leaders including the police department. “I was doing race relations from my home early on. We only met a few times, but those meetings got heated and I found myself in a mediator position again. I could understand both sides.”

In her years living in Rapid City, Eltina used her professional roles to work toward change. As a recruiter for Adecco Staffing, she helped with workforce development,

Changemaker

providing professional coaching, resume writing and cultural training for recruiting. “It was an opportunity to educate our hiring managers on the differences in growing up in the Lakota Native American way versus Western.”

In 2019, she joined the Great Plains Tribal Leader’s Health Board as the community engagement coordinator just as it was taking over management of Indian Health Services. Eltina found a community divided and again jumped in as mediator. Not long after joining the health board, Eltina, along with the rest of the world, was plunged into the historic COVID-19 pandemic. She struggled to navigate her personal and professional life along with isolation.

“I was feeling society’s anxiety along with being isolated with five kids in school and trying to work from home. All the calls to the Oyate Health Center for covid screenings were sent to my personal phone. I was taking calls from people who were scared.”

Eltina herself was scared and doubting her purpose. Her kids and a phone call from work asking her to work the covid isolation unit brought her back. “That is when I realized the importance of behavioral health. I made the vow to be a light in someone else’s darkness.”

She became a behavioral case manager and is currently the program manager for the Circles of Care program where she engages with community members to identify gaps and biases for those accessing behavioral health and treatment services.

Since joining the health board, Eltina has been propelled into a variety of leadership positions.

She has been called a “changemaker.” It is a title she honors and continually works to fulfill.

Eltina is a 2023 graduate of the Elevate Leadership Institute. “Anything involving leadership I am super interested. For me it is innate. It is always there.”

The ELI program helped her to sharpen her leadership skills and develop better self-awareness. “One thing I have difficulty with is that constructive criticism. It was good for me to put myself out there and see how I can improve.” She also discovered a fascination for community infrastructure –something that will aid in her eventual run for city council.

Eltina plans to run for the Ward 4 seat –a goal she set during last year’s Day of Excellence. But first, she is on the road to achieve her other goal set that day –become a surrogate mother.

Eltina is a 2023 graduate of the Elevate Leadership Institute. “Anything involving leadership I am super interested. For me it is innate. It is always there.”

“I had the privilege of having five kids, and I feel like it is a gift everyone should experience. And I always wanted to do something completely selfless and give back something that no one could repay.”

Eltina has been matched with a couple in California and hopes to have the embryo implanted in the next few months.

While she has many goals, they all revolve around making the world better for those in her community.

Eltina believes people need to bridge the gap between their own expectations and where other people are coming from. “We need to meet people where they are. I think we forget to do that as adults. We just assume everybody has their stuff together. That nobody has a bad day. We forget that we are human beings.”

People need to actively listen to each other to understand values, needs, desires, and struggles. Eltina says to heal the community, compassion needs to be added back and leaders need to be vulnerable.

“We can’t heal our community until we give that safe space to do so. If we have people in leadership positions who act like they have it all together and haven’t gone through any struggles that is what creates a divide. Understanding that we are struggling together but we can also come together to heal. The biggest thing for Rapid City is to acknowledge the hurt and come forward with solutions."

Rebecca Bradley

LEADS NURSES IN PROVIDING EXCELLENT PATIENT CARE COMPROMISE

Rebecca Bradley knew she would one day be a nurse.

Her grandmother worked as a nurse, and she loved the thought of making a difference in the daily lives of patients.

In 2014, she fulfilled her dream. She graduated from the West River South Dakota State University nursing program and earned a position as a medicalsurgical nurse at Monument HealthRapid City.

Always one to keep learning, Rebecca continued her education earning her Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Leadership and Management from Walden University in Minneapolis while continuing to work

on the third-floor surgical unit. After earning her master’s degree, Rebecca began assisting with nursing education and professional development, teaching orientation and onboarding courses.

Her role continued to grow.

She is now the Magnet Program Director for Monument Health. “My job now is to look at patient experience, nursing quality, and nursing satisfaction.”

Every hospital strives to achieve the Magnet designation – a recognition of nursing and staff excellence and patientcentered care. Rebecca’s position allows her to empower and motivate the 900 nurses throughout Monument Health’s Rapid City health care facilities.

“I think you find your passion in whatever you are doing. When I was caring for patients, it was all I cared about; it was all I wanted to do. When I moved away from patient care I definitely missed the patients, but now I am more fulfilled in seeing nurses succeed.”

Rebecca still sees the impact on patients, just in a different way. “We look at a lot of data and see what is going well in our nursing care and what is not. When I help an initiative go forward that will help patients, I still feel like I am impacting patients. We made this small change in the way we provide care, but it helped 100 patients. It is just more of a long term success.”

Along with being the Magnet Program Director and being the mom of 5-year-old JoAnna, Rebecca is earning her Doctorate in Health

Care Administration, also through Walden University. She plans to graduate in 2025.

“My academic background has helped me a lot. I’ve learned a lot about the business side of things, the day to day operations of nursing and healthcare.”

While she had the academic side, Rebecca lacked experience in leading people.

So, when Chief Nursing Officer Nicole Kerkenbush recommended she apply for the Elevate Leadership Institute (ELI), Rebecca took Nicole’s advice.

“I thought it would be an opportunity to marry the academic education and preparation I have had with real life hard skills and networking in the community."

Rebecca graduated ELI last year as part of the Class of 2022. The program exceeded her expectations, giving her new skills to use in both her professional and personal life. Her confidence in public speaking increased as did her cultural competency. “It doesn’t matter what role, you have the opportunity to grow in something that will change the way you are as a leader.”

Rebecca’s biggest takeaway from the program is the impact of the relationships and connections she made.

“You can’t teach someone another person’s story. You have to be intentional with every person, to make a connection, to make that relationship, to understand what’s next. How do we move the community forward together? How do we move the hospital forward together? How do we partner the community with the hospital? All those relationships and connections are the best things you can do.”

The opportunity to participate in ELI led Rebecca to apply for Leadership South Dakota, a similar program that expands participants knowledge of communities and leaders from across the state.

“I loved the opportunity. I wouldn’t have done Leadership South Dakota without the Elevate Leadership Institute, and I wouldn’t have done ELI without Nicole. It just takes the right person to motivate you to step outside that comfort zone.”

After her positive experience, Rebecca knew that it would continue to benefit her organization, so she recommended the program to Amanda Dilling, enterprise intelligence analyst with Monument Health and a member of the most recent ELI Class of 2023.

“You learn from other people that there is still so much you don’t know. Every day is a learning day.”

“I thought it would be an opportunity to marry the academic education and preparation I have had with real life hard skills and networking in the community."

Rebecca Bradley

Class of '22

SPRING YOUR WORKFORCE INTO WELLNESS

We know your employee’s are your most valuable asset. Monument Health Occupational Medicine focuses on providing high-quality, customized services to enhance your workforce performance.

SERVICES OFFERED

• DOT

• Pre-employment physicals

• Drug and alcohol testing

• Worksite Evaluations

• Independent Medical Exams

• Workman’s comp injury care and return-to-work evaluations

• FAA class 2 & 3 physical

Contact us for a complete list of services.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 605-755-2273.

STORY BY SARAH GRASSEL PHOTOS BY SARAH GRASSEL WANDERING WILDE MEDIA

JOINS THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Trey Livermont was at a crossroads. He was attending the University of South Dakota in pursuit of a degree in physical therapy. But with each class, and each day, he realized that this was not where his passion lay.

He took some time to reflect, to figure out where to go with his career. That was when he realized that a foundation had been there all along.

“Growing up, I always knew that my dad was in the business career field,” explained Trey. “But it wasn’t until high school that I started asking more specific questions and gauged an interest in it myself.”

Realizing that he was already curious about the business world, Trey changed his degree path to business admin and finance.

Trey graduated from college during the pandemic. With the world and economy in an uncertain state, he found himself taking a position in the family office.

“I thought I would work for a bank or somewhere in that sector, but I really enjoy working with the family. My dad is the President and CEO of Pergroup, and my sister is a credentialed medical coder as well,” he adds.

While this was not his initial first choice, Trey has grown to enjoy being part of the family business. In fact, learning firsthand experience from family on what to do in the business environment has been one of the things Trey has enjoyed most. Contrary to what most people would think, he takes pride and enjoys working alongside his family. “Everybody’s doors are always open for questions or conversations,” Trey smiled.

As a young professional, early in his career, Trey knew he needed to begin looking for opportunities to grow and network within the community. That was when he and his father heard about the Elevate Leadership Institute. His father encouraged him to apply, believing the program would be a great opportunity

For years, Pergroup has successfully partnered with clients across a half-dozen western states assisting them in generating timely and accurate medical records from coding and data entry to quality assurance and reporting. Trey explains, “Medical coders play a critical role in improving patient safety. The use of accurate medical codes helps assess the health of a patient, identify issues with the quality of healthcare, and even influence public policy. This data gives the exact condition of a patient, and accordingly, accurate medical codes are added, which allows for the efficient transmission of data to insurance companies and other healthcare payers, as well as healthcare administrators.”

for learning valuable leadership skills in the new career path he was taking.

“I had no idea what to expect, but they say you need to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to grow. That’s what I did.”

Trey was one of 24 participants in the 2023 class. They were taken into the community and Trey says he really worked on his public speaking skills. Trey would describe his time tvhroughout the program as challenging, but he enjoyed the experience in a forgiving and educational professional setting.

“Through this program we had very in-depth conversations about the community and how we can better it,” Trey starts. “There were so many different people with all kinds of different walks of life. We were all able to share our different perspectives on issues and various topics revolving around the Rapid City Community.”

Going into the ELI program, Trey expected to gain new skills and experience, but he never expected to take away so much more. He says, “I think the most valuable thing I gained in the experience was that leadership is uncomfortable. You need to be able to get out of your comfort box if you ever would like to make a difference in your community.”

MONUMENT HEALTH HARDROCKER

COMBINE

POWERED BY exos

JULY 28, 2023

Tests include:

• Vertical jump

• Broad jump

• 10-yd + 40-yd dash

• 20-yd shuttle

• 3 cone drill

• 60-yd shuttle

• Bench press with velocity-based training technology

LOCATION:

O’Harra Stadium on the South Dakota Mines Campus and the Quarry weight room

COST: $99

25% discount for EXOS members

PARTICIPANTS HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN AN

NFL COMBINE EXPERIENCE

SCAN TO REGISTER

SPORTS PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE POWERED BY

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COMBINE

At T SP, YOU OW N I T L ike really own it, as an owner of the company in our suppor tive, employee-owned environment that respec t s your wor k-life balance and tr uly put s you fir st Join the Team at T SP, where integr ated design is a way of life, not just a way to make a living Apply

W ishing P ost 22 B aseball a gr ea t season in their ne w stadium. M a y the t eam, lik e the stadium, hit it out of the par k!

Alice’s

Alice’s Adventures

June 29, 30 • 7:30 pm

July 1 • 7:30 pm

July 2 • 2:30 pm

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OF RAPID CITY • STUDIO THEATER

is only possible because of YOU!

The ar ts programs are funded by private donations, so without your help, Jill and her friends will miss out on the acting, creative writing, dance, and design classes that are happening now. Your heartfelt gift today will help Jill enjoy Flutter and other vital art programs that help her live a life full of joy and amazing experiences— Oppor tunities that are only possible because of you!

You can donate today by scanning the QR code!