SDPB New Staff

SDPB is pleased to announce that Marcy Drew has joined the staff as Director of Education.

Marcy Drew.

Drew grew up on a farm near Fort Thompson and graduated from Chamberlain High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from South Dakota State University and a master’s in Early Childhood Special Education and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Dakota. Most recently, Drew was a lecturer at USD, where she taught courses in early childhood, elementary, and special education and also supervised student teachers in classrooms for several types of field experiences.

“We are thrilled to add Marcy Drew to our talented team at SDPB,” says Julie Overgaard, SDPB Executive Director. “Her background and passion for education will help SDPB strengthen programming and services that provide a lifetime of learning.”

“I’m looking forward to working with SDPB to provide support and resources to educators and students across the state and build partnerships with a variety of stakeholders,” says Drew.

Drew and her husband Glen live in Sioux Falls with their 5th grader and middle schooler.

Arielle Zionts Named New Business & Economic Development Reporter

Arielle Zionts.

SDPB is pleased to welcome Arielle Zionts to the SDPB News team. Arielle is thrilled to be the new Business and Economic Development Reporter where she will help rural and urban South Dakotans understand how these topics impact their lives and how they make a living.

Arielle will cover not just business news and economic development initiatives, but also topics including poverty and the cost-of-living, the labor workforce and conditions, and agriculture.

Before joining SDPB, Arielle worked as the criminal justice reporter at the Rapid City Journal and as a general assignment reporter at the Nogales International, where she could walk to Mexico from her home on the Arizona border. She also worked as a producer for a Washington, D.C.-based radio show that was hosted by a nun and covered the intersection of religion, culture and politics.

In her free time, you can find Arielle riding her gravel and mountain bikes throughout the Black Hills, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her cats Sully and Esther.

Whether you’re a business leader, economic expert, worker or stay-at-home parent impacted by the economy, feel free to email Arielle at arielle.zionts@sdpb.org to say hello or share a story idea.