by Katy Beem
A cabin in Custer State Park.
4
Learn. Dream. Grow.
The South Dakota map Melissa Hamersma Sievers taped to her deskside upon her employ is generously studded with yellow, orange, and green dabs. They mark towns to which she’s traveled in her 18 years as an SDPB content producer and videographer. “I haven’t been to Edgemont yet, so the extreme southwest corner is a little bare,” says Hamersma Sievers. “And the northwest corner, I’m trying to track down a story there.” It’s clear the highlights mean more to Hamersma Sievers than mere dots on a map. “Next time I’m in my office, I need to remember to highlight Clear Lake!” exclaims Hamersma Sievers. “I hadn’t shot in Clear Lake before, so that was really exciting to get to a new community.” This September is Hamersma Sievers’ third season as producer of Dakota Life, SDPB’s flagship video-magazine program. The new season, the 23rd, looks a little different. “Dakota Life has always showcased our diverse population,” says Hamersma Sievers. “But we’re a very rural state, and we’ll still have stories from Rapid City and Sioux Falls, but we really want to highlight our rural communities.” Starting this season, Dakota Life ventures even deeper into the state’s some 77,000 square miles. Each episode will be anchored by a host community. Larry Rohrer, SDPB’s Director of Content and long-standing face of the program, steps outside the studio to shoot segment transitions from key locations in the host community.
