November 2020 Chamber News

Chamber News November 2020

Vol. 56, No. 2

MENTORING GAINS MOMENTUM

Sioux Falls businesses see the

benefits of mentorship programs

Your networking needs are one of a kind, not one of exactly the same.

Midco.com/Enterprise

Internet. Networking. Data Center. Phone.

In this issue Feature

Mentoring gains momentum

Sioux Falls businesses see the benefits of mentorship programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-31 Top stories Program planned for Veterans Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Keep the cheer here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 In this issue

Chamber News Publisher

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Chamber News Ad Sales

For advertising information, call Steven Herman at (605) 373-2013 or email chambernews@siouxfalls.com

Chamber News Layout/Design Jill Blom Branch Creative Co.

Message from the Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chamber News Editor

Event Calendars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9

For editorial information, call: (605) 336-1620

Economic Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Chamber By The Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Faces & Places. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-24 Community Appeals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Business Advocacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Headlines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-36 Business Sense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Chamber Partner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Ribbon Cuttings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41-42 New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Member Anniversaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45 Five Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Jennie Doyen

Chamber News is published by the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57104 Postmaster please send address changes to: Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce 200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57104 Phone: (605) 336-1620 • Email: gsfcc@siouxfalls.com

Chamber Mission As the leading Sioux Falls area business advocate, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce represents its members by advancing and promoting the economic health and quality of life of the region.

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR VISIT siouxfallschamber.com /siouxfallschamber Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce @GreaterSFCC @SF_Advocate siouxfallschamber

Read online or find archived issues: issuu.com/siouxfallschamber

Thank you to the following members for supporting the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce by being premium sponsors of the Chamber News magazine.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 3

Message from the Chair

Message from the Chair At the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, and in the entire community of Sioux Falls, support of others and collaboration is what we do best. Today I want to bring to your attention several items your Chamber is focusing on in this spirit of working together.

Over the last several years there has been a common thread to the dialogue and discussions among business owners and leaders – workforce development. An available and qualified workforce is in high demand in Sioux Falls. Even in the midst of a pandemic, Sioux Falls is hiring.

Dan Doyle

2020-21 Chair of the Board

One strategy to build the workforce we need for tomorrow is to invest in the youth of today. An effective way to do this is through mentoring. In addition to improving the possibilities of long-term success for mentees, there are also tremendous benefits for the mentors and even their employers.

Research has shown that employees of employers that provide support and flexibility to allow for mentoring report feeling more engaged and invested in their companies. It only makes sense. When people are aware that they are serving as a role model, self-awareness kicks in and they take pride in what they do.

One strategy to build the Along the way, if that passion of purpose inspires and educates the next generation, we all benefit workforce we from this success. need for tomorrow In a similar vein, we also need to be mindful of the folks that have come before us and have given is to invest in the us the opportunities that have allowed for our success. youth of today.

Every year, the Chamber’s Military & Veterans Affairs Committee partners with local veteran groups to organize and host the annual Veterans Day Ceremony on November 11. If you’ve never attended this event, I encourage you to take some time out of your morning to join us in recognizing the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans. More information on the event can be found on page 35 of this issue. It is a truly touching and inspiring experience.

We cannot thank these folks enough for the personal investment and sacrifices they have made in support of our community and country.

2020-21 GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEADERSHIP AND STAFF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair Dan Doyle, Cutler Law Firm, LLP Chair-Elect Alex Ramirez, USA Media TV Vice Chair Paul Hanson, Sanford Health Treasurer Scott Lawrence, Lawrence & Schiller, Inc. Immediate Past Chair Bobbi Thury, Legacy Law Firm, P.C. Chamber President & CEO Jeff Griffin BOARD OF DIRECTORS Miles Beacom, PREMIER Bankcard Kim Burma, Midco Martin DesLauriers, UBS Financial Services, Inc. Tamien Dysart, Think 3D Solutions Natalie Eisenberg, Click Rain, Inc. Kayla Eitreim, Junior Achievement of South Dakota David Flicek, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center Pam Homan, Augustana University Chris Houwman, Malloy Angela Lammers, Cetera Services Valerie Loudenback, Grand Prairie Foods Tolcha Mesele, Smithfield Foods Nathan Stallinga, DakotAbilities Tony Venhuizen, Office of Governor Kristi Noem

EX-OFFICIO Jean Bender, Minnehaha County Commission Kyle Groos, Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools Derrick Karsky, Farmers Insurance Group - Karsky Agency Cynthia Mickelson, Sioux Falls School Board Jay Rasmussen, Journey Group Companies Jim Schmidt, Lincoln County Commission Dr. Jane Stavem, Sioux Falls Public School System Mayor Paul TenHaken, City of Sioux Falls CHAMBER & ESF STAFF Jeff Griffin, President & CEO Diane Balk, Accounting Manager Matt Barthel, ESF Communications Manager Joan Bartling, Finance & Accounting Director Justin Bentaas, Public Affairs & Research Manager Jill Blom, Graphics & Communications Manager Patrick Daschel, ESF Sales Manager Anna Derry, ESF Sales Manager Erin DeWitt, ESF Sales Manager Jennie Doyen, Marketing & Communications Director Jami Gates, Membership Director

Becky Griebel, First Impressions/Administrative Assistant Elizabeth Heidinger, Membership Services Specialist Steven Herman, Membership Development Manager Mary Hublou, ESF First Impressions Manager/Project Assistant Kayla Huizing, Young Professionals Network Manager Jay Kaltenbach, ESF Services/Resale Manager Pat Lund, Membership Engagement Manager Mike Lynch, Forward Sioux Falls Director of Investor Relations Jill Niedringhaus, ESF Sales Manager Krista Orsack, ESF Director of Marketing Debra Owen, Public Policy Director Kathie Puthoff, ESF Administrative Assistant Holly Rader, Agribusiness & Professional Development Director Emily Schaffer, ESF Creative Development Manager Teri Schmidt, ESF Executive Director Teresa Schreier, Public Affairs & Communications Assistant Susan Seachris, Administrative/Accounting Assistant Jackie Wentworth, ESF Sales Manager

chambernews.com | Chamber News 5

Calendars

CHAMBER and YPN

Events Calendar

Dates, times and locations are subject to change. For a current listing of all Chamber events, visit siouxfallschamber.com, read the weekly edition of Quickly, or call (605) 336-1620. You can register and pay for events online at siouxfallschamber.com.

For a current listing of all YPN events, visit siouxfallsypn.com.

FEATURED EVENT

MIXER NOVEMBER MEMBERSHIP

Tuesday, Nov. 10

4:30–6:30 p.m.

South Dakota Military Alliance, Inc. 1600 W. Russell St.

SPONSORED BY:

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres & cash bar $5 admission or use your Mixer Pass

YPN A Seat at the Table with Craig Snyder Wednesday, Nov. 11 Noon–1 p.m.

Hybrid delivery: choose Zoom or in-person

DETAILS: The November A Seat at the Table features Craig Snyder, CEO and founder of VIKOR Teleconstruction, Pomegranate Market and several other businesses. A Seat at the Table is reserved for YPN Members only. You must register in advance and select whether you’d like to attend in-person or online.

COST: Free REGISTER: siouxfallsypn.com

YPN Morning Buzz Thursday, Nov. 12 7:30–9 a.m.

The Clean Bean, 550 W. 85th St.

DETAILS: YPN’s Morning Buzz will meet at The Clean Bean in November for networking and a morning (coffee) buzz.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend so we can monitor space requirements.

COST: Free RSVP: khuizing@siouxfalls.com or call (605) 373-2002

YPN Off the Clock Thursday, Nov. 19

4–6:30 p.m.

Lupulin Brewing Company, 2425 S. Shirley Ave., Suite 112

2020 Veterans Day Program

Wednesday, Nov. 11 10:30 a.m.–Noon South Dakota Military Alliance, Inc. 1600 W. Russell St. DETAILS: This annual program recognizes those who have served. Sponsored by the Chamber’s Military & Veterans Affairs Committee and other veterans organizations. The Keynote speaker is Brig. Gen. Michael J. Oster.

COST: Free and open to the public.

6 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

DETAILS: Join us at Lupulin Brewing Company for November’s Off the Clock. In true YPN fashion, you will have a chance to make new friends and business connections by networking in a relaxed setting. No registration required – just show up and encourage other young professionals or colleagues to join you.

A strong future starts today.

It takes love and dedication to be a member of the armed forces. It’s that love for family and country that drives you—we understand! It’s what drives us too. After all, we employ over 1,800 veterans across the United States, including nearly 100 right here in Sioux Falls.

At Smithfield Foods, we’re committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of American veterans and their families by prioritizing veteran employment and career development, helping power veteran-owned businesses and strengthening the community and family support systems that veterans rely on every day. We know that our veterans are the foundation for a strong future—for our local communities, our country and for Smithfield.

Learn more about how we’re supporting our veterans and search career opportunities at

smithfieldfoods.com/veterans

Collaboration

you can bank on.

NOVEMBER

This calendar is a sampling of local events, concerts, fundraisers, seminars and more compiled from siouxfallsevents.com and experiencesiouxfalls.com/events. Visit these websites for a complete listing of events happening in the Sioux Falls area, or for more details on the events listed here.

1

Air Supply - The Lost in Love Experience at Washington Pavilion

6

First Friday in downtown Sioux Falls

6-7

PBR: Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

6-8

Heaven to Heaven at the Orpheum Theater

7

St. Michael Parish Bazaar

7

Homebuyer Express Part 1&2

13

Dreamfest Midwest at The District

13

Talent Draft Day 2020

13

Night Out benefit for The Furniture Mission Raise Your Ladies Expectations 13-15 12th Annual Ice Institute

All events are subject to change.

14 Preacher Lawson at Washington Pavilion Please check the online events 14 Sioux Falls Yogafest at Sioux Falls Convention Center calendars for the most recent updates.

Jennifer Johnson 14

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Fargo Force

15

Stained Glass Concert with Dakota String Quartet

Vice President 15 Branch Manager 17 NMLS 470758

(605) 444-4058

8 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

Sioux Empire Wedding Showcase Homebuyer Express Part 1

ID 405612

20

Winter Wonderland begins at Falls Park

12

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Fargo Force

20

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Omaha Lancers

13

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Lincoln Stars

20-22

2020 Autumn Festival: An Arts and Crafts Affair

13

Here Come The Mummies at The District

21

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Sioux City Musketeers

15

Homebuyer Express Part 1

21

The Genius of Mozart at Washington Pavilion

17-20

Twilight Flights at Strawbale Winery

24

Homebuyer Express Part 2

17-20

24th Annual Christmas at the Cathedral

25

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Des Moines Buccaneers

18

Christmas with Lorie Line at Washington Pavilion

25-27

Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic at Sanford Pentagon

19

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Waterloo Black Hawks

27

29th Annual Parade of Lights

19

Men’s Basketball: Gonzaga vs. Iowa

27-28

Midwest Supercross Racing at W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds

19

Holiday Jam with the Hegg Brothers

28

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Sioux City Musketeers

22

Homebuyer Express Part 2

30

Men’s Basketball: South Dakota State vs. Northern Arizona

26

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Fargo Force

31

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Fargo Force

DECEMBER 4-5

Twilight Flights at Strawbale Winery

5

Breakfast with Santa at Great Plains Zoo

5

Homebuyer Express Part 1&2

7

Big Sioux River Water Summit at Sioux Falls Convention Center

11-12

Twilight Flights at Strawbale Winery

chambernews.com | Chamber News 9

YOU. US. THAT’S WHAT WE CALL COMMUNITY.

Our commitment to this community is about more than putting energy into transmission lines. We’re into buying local.

Investing here. Supporting carbon-free initiatives.

Delivering energy you can count on to be cleaner, safer and less expensive. We’re here to keep living room lamps lit.

And futures as bright as we can make them. Because doing our part for the places we live and work is good energy.

© 2020 Xcel Energy

Economic Indicators

Tracking trends in business is just one way that the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce is looking out for our members. Sioux Falls is a great place to do business, in part because of its diverse economy. Check here for economic indicators that help show growth and development.

City of Sioux Falls Building Permit Data

Regional Unemployment Rates

September 2020

August 2020

CUMULATIVE YEAR TO DATE

5,241 permits

2018

5,829 permits

2019

BISMARCK

3.9%

5,687 permits

2020 0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

FARGO

3.9%

6000

MINNEAPOLIS/ ST. PAUL

Source: City of Sioux Falls

7.9%

RAPID CITY

5.2%

City of Sioux Falls Total Construction Value September 2020

SIOUX FALLS

ROCHESTER

5.9%

4.2%

CEDAR RAPIDS

CUMULATIVE YEAR TO DATE

8.0%

800 OMAHA

DES MOINES

4.5%

700

6.5%

LINCOLN

3.8%

600

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Note: figures represent Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), not just city; rates are not seasonally-adjusted

500

Agriculture Trends August 2020

400

10 300 $633.2 million $239.3 million

200

0

$8.66

$8.22 $477.3 million $161.4 million

(IN MILLIONS)

100

$8.50

$541.5 million $205.3 million

8

$8.22

$8.13

$7.74

Soybeans 2019

2018

Source: City of Sioux Falls

Total Construction Value

2020

(per bushel) U.S. South Dakota

6

New Non-Residential Construction Value

Corn

Sioux Falls Region Housing Overview September 2020

$3.93

4

$3.77

New Listings: 582 Days on the Market Until Sale: 77 Median Sales Price: $236,000 Inventory of Homes for Sale: 1,259 Source: RASE (Realtor Association of the Sioux Empire)

(per bushel) U.S. South Dakota

$3.21

$2.94

$3.12

$2.82

2

August July

2019

2020

August

2020

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

chambernews.com | Chamber News 11

GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

THE CHAMBER

2020 BY THE NUMBERS As the leading local business advocate, we represent our members by building consensus and creating strategies that advance and promote the economic health and quality of life in the region.

NEARLY

2,000 CHAMBER MEMBER BUSINESSES EMPLOY MORE THAN

80,000 PEOPLE NEARLY

900 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ARE MEMBERS OF YPN

12 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

CONNECT FACILITATED CONNECTIONS AT

20 NETWORKING EVENTS including Membership Mixers and Morning Mingles, both in-person and virtual.

1,662 MEMBER SERVICE CALLS OR VISITS completed by volunteer diplomats.

PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES AT AN AVERAGE OF

6 YPN ACTIVITIES EACH MONTH

for young professionals to learn, network and lead.

ENGAGE TRACKED AND REPORTED ON

118 LEGISLATIVE BILLS during the 2020 session.

ENABLED INTERACTION WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AT

2 INSIDE WASHINGTON EVENTS, 3 LEGISLATIVE COFFEES, AND 1 GOOD MORNING SIOUX FALLS EVENT.

LEARN HOSTED MEMBER-LED PRESENTATIONS AT

12 BUSINESS SENSE WORKSHOPS

on a variety of topics benefitting other members and their businesses.

OFFERED A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT LOCAL BUSINESSES THROUGH

8 BUSINESS TOURS

creating a deeper understanding of each business’ successes, challenges and impact on our community.

GRADUATED 32 LEADERSHIP STUDENTS FROM THE

34TH CLASS

of our successful Evan C. Nolte Leadership Sioux Falls program.

1000 GRADUATES have completed the program.

INVEST HONORED THE IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS AT THE

67TH ANNUAL SIOUX EMPIRE LIVESTOCK SHOW AND THE 37TH ANNUAL AG APPRECIATION DAY FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE

BY GENERATING MORE THAN

$80,000 at the Mayor’s Round-Up & Sale of Champions and awarding scholarships to

7 SIOUX EMPIRE LIVESTOCK SHOW EXHIBITORS.

REPRESENTED THE SIOUX FALLS BUSINESS COMMUNITY WITH MORE THAN

100 MEMBERS ON TWO BUSES

that travelled to Pierre on a 1-day trip for Sioux Falls Day at the Legislature.

THROUGH A COMMUNITY APPEALS CAMPAIGN, GLORY HOUSE RAISED

$1.1 MILLION FOR SAFE,

SOBER AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 13

Faces & Places

Faces & Places Our members do more than follow the news. They make the news. Job promotions and hirings. New projects. New partnerships.

Awards. Every day we hear about exciting accomplishments, historic milestones and other positive aspects of our member businesses that deserve to be shared. Submit news to jdoyen@siouxfalls.com.

Jay Rasmussen Journey Group Companies

Kelli Rogotzke

Junior Achievement of South Dakota

Dawn Olmstead

Tammy Beintema

Brandon Valley Journal

American Heart Association

Lynda Billars

James Gaspar

The Lynda B Advantage Corp - Lynda Billars KW

Interstate Office Products

Derrick Karsky Farmers Insurance Group/Karsky Agency

James Payer II The Empire Mall

Craig Lloyd

Lloyd Companies

Recognition of Chamber Volunteers Featured ambassadors and diplomats this month are: Jay Rasmussen, Journey Group Companies, four years as an ambassador; Dawn Olmstead, Brandon Valley Journal, one year as an ambassador; Tammy Beintema, American Heart Association, 12 years as a diplomat; Derrick Karsky, Farmers Insurance Group/Karsky Agency, six years as a diplomat; James Payer II, The Empire Mall, six years as a diplomat; and Kelli Rogotzke, Junior Achievement of South Dakota, one year as a diplomat.

The Ace Award is given monthly to one ambassador in recognition of their sales efforts.

Lynda Billars, The Lynda B. Advantage Corp – Lynda Billars KW, was the September Ace Award winner.

James Gaspar, Interstate Office Products, received the Voice of YPN Award for 2020. The award recognizes a YPN Steering Committee member who actively represents YPN in the community and to Chamber membership.

Craig Lloyd, Lloyd Companies, received the Spirit of DeWald Award. This award recognizes an individual who has achieved professional distinction and made significant community service contributions both locally and statewide. To be considered, a person must be a Chamber member, assist the Chamber in reaching its goals, be involved in other community, professional or charitable organizations, and present a positive attitude and professional image on behalf of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Professional portraits of Chamber volunteers are courtesy Chad Phillips Photography, chadphillipsphotography.com.

14 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

The Ambassador Committee honored Bernie DeWald with the 2020 Ambassador of the Year award. From left: Chamber Membership Director Jami Gates; Ambassador of the Year Bernie DeWald; and Chamber President & CEO Jeff Griffin.

The 2019-20 Diplomat Committee Team Captains were recognized for their year of service. From left: Cindi Johnson, Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort; James Payer II, The Empire Mall; 2019-20 Diplomat Committee Chair Carrie Dragt, American Cancer Society; Derrick Karsky, Farmers Insurance Group/Karsky Agency; Mark Lee, Reliabank; Immediate Past Chair of the Board Bobbi Thury, Legacy Law Firm, P.C. Not pictured: Anna Heeney, CellOnly; Brad Nelson, Keller Williams Realty of Sioux Falls; Deb Peterson, CorTrust Bank; Brian Sittig, CNA Surety.

New Faces & Promotions The Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History has named Rebeka (Becky) Dewitz as its new CEO. Dewitz previously served as zoo director at Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot, North Dakota since 2016 after beginning there as an educator.

She is a South Dakota native and a graduate of South Dakota State University. She is also on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation inspection committee. Dewitz takes over for Suzie O’Meara, who led the Zoo as interim-CEO for the last seven months.

Michelle Trent, MS, NCC, LPC-MH, is the new executive director of The Compass Center.

Trent has been with The Compass Center since 2014 and most recently was responsible for all clinical operations of the agency. She holds a master of science degree in counseling from South Dakota State University. Trent replaces Anne Rieck McFarland, who had been serving as interim executive director for the organization since mid-2019.

Caliber Creative has hired Elle Nemitz as a graphic designer. Nemitz has a background in design and marketing. In her role, Nemitz will assist the creative team with day-to-day design projects and concepts.

KELOLAND Media Group has promoted Chris Morrison to General Sales Manager.

Morrison joined KELOLAND six years ago and has served as a digital account executive, digital sales manager and most recently as the local sales manager. Morrison is a South Dakota State University graduate and lifelong South Dakotan.

Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP is pleased to announce that Alayna A. Holmstrom has joined the firm as an associate attorney. She practices in the areas of commercial and complex litigation, plaintiff ’s litigation, insurance litigation, employment litigation, trust litigation, labor and employment, and family law. Holmstrom is a graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Law.

Alternative HRD has added two new employees to its team. Gail Anderson is an HR consultant with 20 years of HR experience. Anderson has experience in setting up HR departments for smaller employers, and in addition to recruiting, she has worked with performance management, benefits, employee relations and conflict management. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Briar Cliff University.

Jacqueline Rust joined the team as financial analyst. She manages bookkeeping and accounting functions, provides financial and project analysis, prepares reports for clients’ review and assists with a variety of projects that involve data analysis. Rust has experience working for the SD Department of Revenue and runs her own tax business. She is also a veteran of the South Dakota Army National Guard.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 15

Faces & Places

Honors & Awards Mike Bornitz, Cutler Law Firm, LLP, has been selected as the South Dakota Trial Lawyer of the Year for 2020 by the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association. The annual honor is reserved exclusively for the most respected trial lawyers who demonstrate high ethical standards, a commitment to upholding and maintaining the jury trial system, make active contributions to the organization and have achieved success in litigation. Bornitz focuses on litigation in the areas of personal injury, insurance bad faith, products liability, wrongful death, worker’s compensation and business and estate litigation. He has tried nearly 50 cases in state and federal courts and administrative agencies in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, and argued cases before the South Dakota Supreme Court and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Bornitz has been with Cutler Law Firm, LLP since 2000.

The South Dakota American Water Works Association (SDAWWA) selected Erin Steever, Bartlett & West, as the recipient of their George Warren Fuller award. This honor is given to SDAWWA members for exceptional and extraordinary service to the water supply field. Steever is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in environmental engineering. She has 17 years of water supply industry experience.

CO-OP Architecture won two Merit awards from American Institute of Architecture (AIA)

South Dakota. They received a Merit award in Preservation & Adaptive Reuse for its design of Look’s Marketplace in collaboration with BCV Architecture + Interiors and a Merit award for Architecture for its design of the Britton Event Center in Britton, South Dakota.

Koch Hazard Architects won a Merit Award in Preservation & Adaptive Reuse from American Institute of Architecture (AIA) South Dakota for the renovation and restoration of McVicker Plaza in Vermillion, South Dakota.

TSP Inc. captured the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) South Dakota People’s Choice Award for its design of the Jewett Regional Science Education Center, located at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

The South Dakota District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration recognized three Chamber member businesses with awards during Small Business Week. Wells Fargo Bank was named 7(a) Loan Volume Lender of the Year; The First National Bank in Sioux Falls was named 7(a) Dollar Volume Lender of the Year; and Dakota BUSINESS Finance was named 504 Dollar and Loan Volume Certified Development Company of the Year.

Insight Marketing Design received two awards at the Summit International Awards, a competition recognizing excellence in design, creativity and effectiveness of advertising and

Leadership Jason Lemke, Chief Development Officer for The Compass Center, has been named a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). The CFRE certification program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute and is the only accredited certification for fundraising professionals. CFRE recipients are awarded certification for a three-year period. To maintain certification status, CFRE holders must demonstrate on-going fundraising employment and fundraising results and continue with their professional education.

16 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

marketing communications. They received a Silver Award for a website designed for Rausch Granite Monuments and a second award for a television commercial for South Dakota Farmers Union.

Kendra Gottsleben, marketing and communications specialist for the USD Center for Disabilities, was honored by SD Governor Kristi Noem with the 2020 Governor’s Award for Outstanding Individual with a Disability.

A Dakota State University building designed with both beauty and energy efficiency in mind has received a prestigious honor from the U.S. Green Building Council: LEED Silver certification. The 31,300-squarefoot Beacom Institute of Technology is the first South Dakota Office of the State Engineer project to receive the award after being designed under the LEED organization’s newest sustainability guidelines. LEED, which is an acronym for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, provides a point system to score “green” building design and construction. It includes five basic areas: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. Buildings are awarded points based on the extent various sustainable strategies are achieved.

Good Deeds Kristina Schaefer, First Bank & Trust, was appointed as one of eight members of the Community Bank Advisory Council. The Council’s role is to advise and consult with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on consumer financial issues related to community banks. Schaefer is General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer for Fishback Financial Corporation/First Bank & Trust.

The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation received a gift of $150,000 from First Bank & Trust in support of the Bridging the Gap Fund, a fund established to help inspire, build and develop emerging leaders among the city’s diverse populations. The money will be used to award grants to organizations and programs dedicated to: training and mentoring to help build and develop leaders from diverse backgrounds; providing resources for employers and employees to help create more pathways for inclusion in the workplace; and building community, fostering connections and creating awareness through art, media and storytelling.

Be Seen

1 1 A&B Business Solutions hosted the September Morning Mingle at their event room on Russell Avenue. Chamber members took advantage of the opportunity to start their day with coffee and networking.

The Coverage You Want.

The Commitment You Need.

Business | Home | Health | Life We all need insurance to protect our homes and businesses. You also need the support of professionals who stand by your side— sweating the small stuff so you don’t have to.

Fischer, Rounds & Associates combines the coverage you want with the commitment you need. That’s at Your Service. At Your Side.

Call Us in Sioux Falls Phone: 605-336-4444 Toll Free: 877-789-3773

2300 W. 49th St. Sioux Falls, SD 57105 FischerRounds.com

Offices also in Mitchell, Pierre, Watertown and Rapid City

Offices also in Mitchell, Pierre, Watertown and Rapid City chambernews.com | Chamber News 17

Faces & Places

Be Seen

2 2 The 35th class of Leadership Sioux Falls met for their first session in early October in a socially-distanced setting at the Sanford Event Barn. The program began with participants exploring personality profiles and hearing from alumni about how to maximize their experience. 3 Members of the Chamber’s Military & Veterans Affairs Committee received a tour of the new State Veterans Cemetery, which is under construction in northwest Sioux Falls.

3

18 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

4

4 YPN hosted a Diversity and Inclusion Focus Group to gather critical feedback and solutions to make YPN an even more inclusive environment for young professionals from all backgrounds.

We Are Growing Our Team to Best Serve You and Your Family Mary, Megan and Tyler are eager and proud to welcome Kim Erkonen, Financial Advisor, to our team in Baird’s Sioux Falls office.

The Howard Group 4930 S Western Ave. Suite 400 Sioux Falls, SD 57108 605-275-2310 . 888-352-4040 ©2020 Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated. Member SIPC. MC-512316.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 19

Faces & Places

Be Seen 5-6 Experience Sioux Falls staff hosted a

booth at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport welcoming hunters arriving in the city for opening weekend of pheasant hunting in South Dakota.

7 YPN members took part in a walking tour showcasing historic sites in downtown Sioux Falls.

5

6

7 20 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

8

8 Members of the Young Professionals Network gathered at La Luna Café in October for coffee and networking at Morning Buzz.

Accessible Business Expertise No matter your business. No matter your balance.

www.cornerstonebanks.net | 605-305-3400 chambernews.com | Chamber News 21

Faces & Places

Be Seen

9

10

11

13

9-18 The 114th Annual Meeting of the Greater Sioux Falls

Photos by Lisa Aust Photos

22 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

12

Chamber of Commerce was held Oct. 20, 2020. The in-person audience size was limited to allow for social distancing. Chamber members were also invited to join the celebration by watching via livestream. The 114th Annual Meeting featured keynote speaker Larry Young, Boiling Frog Development. The audience also heard from 2020-21 Chair of the Board of Directors Dan Doyle, Cutler Law Firm, LLP, Chamber President & CEO Jeff Griffin and Event Chair Jay Rasmussen, Journey Group Companies. The program included performances by Amy Elsworth and Dan Mahar.

15

14

16

17

18 chambernews.com | Chamber News 23

Faces & Places

Be Seen

19

20

24 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

21

19-21 The Chamber’s Agribusiness Division hosted the third annual National

Farmer’s Day at the Barn. Guests at the family-friendly event learned about agriculture and had the opportunity to select a free pumpkin to take home and decorate.

Community Appeals

GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Community Appeals Scheduled Fund Drives The purpose of the Community Appeals Committee is to qualify and provide orderly scheduling of capital fund drives to the business community.

By vetting capital fund drives, the objective of Community Appeals is to affirm the project is a sound community investment and worthy of donor consideration.

It is the intent of the Chamber to encourage every business to carefully consider such requests. However, we also acknowledge that many businesses have limited resources for capital fund drives, both in an ability to properly evaluate them and a sufficient budget to contribute. Our Community Appeals process is intended

to provide our members with assurance that a Community Appeals campaign is worthy of investment.

The Chamber will continue to closely monitor the economic environment and how it may further impact the viability of future campaigns; therefore, modifications to the Community Appeals campaign calendar may occur.

For more information on the Community Appeals Committee, call Mike Lynch at (605) 373-2008.

FORWARD SIOUX FALLS FEB. 1, 2021–JUNE 30, 2021

To provide programs that result in an improved economy and quality of life for those in our region.

SIOUX FALLS SKATEPARK ASSOCIATION NOV. 1, 2021–MARCH 31, 2022

To create a high-quality, multi-purpose, concrete skatepark/plaza in the core of Sioux Falls at Nelson Park. Once built, the skatepark will become part of the Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department.

THE FURNITURE MISSION OF SOUTH DAKOTA APRIL 1, 2022-JULY 31, 2022

To build a new and larger Furniture Mission facility on the Empower Sioux Falls Campus (previously the School for the Deaf Campus).

chambernews.com | Chamber News 25

MENTORING GAINS MOMENTUM Sioux Falls businesses see the benefits of mentorship programs

By Dirk Lammers, for the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce When Farmers Business Network (FBN) launched a mentorship program earlier this year to pair emerging talent with more experienced employees, the ag tech company realized it already had robust resources within its organization to foster professional development.

FBN simply needed to provide the conduit to get the right people connected, says Kira Dylla, the company’s senior manager for learning and development.

“The feeling was, hey, we’ve got a lot of great experience, perspective, know-how, all of those kinds of things,” Dylla says. “We should really be utilizing our own assets and our own experience and expertise to help build and develop our workforce.”

“We should really be utilizing our own assets and our own experience and expertise to help build and develop our workforce.”

Kira Dylla Senior Manager for Learning and Development at Farmers Business Network

26 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

Cover Story

FBN is one of numerous companies across the greater Sioux Falls area embracing mentorship as part of a strengthened community effort to help those needing guidance.

Mentorship pairs a person seeking to gain skill and knowledge with an adviser, establishing the mentor as a coach and role model to boost the mentee’s performance and professional development.

Sioux Falls boasts a rich history of mentorship through the efforts of such organizations as Lutheran Social Services, Junior Achievement and The Community Outreach, but a greater community need persists. A January 2020 Augustana Research Institute study commissioned

by Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls found that although more than 1,800 mentors are actively engaged in mentoring relationships, more than 1,000 additional youth mentors are needed to meet demand and reduce the size of wait lists. In

addition to youth mentors, there is also a need for adult, senior and other types of mentors.

The Augustana University study provided Downtown Rotary with the research to ground the creation of Sioux 52, a collaboration between the City of Sioux Falls, the service club and area nonprofits and businesses. The bold initiative seeks to amplify the importance of mentorship in Sioux Falls and its surrounding communities by bringing together 52 nonprofits and 520 businesses to add 5,200 new mentors by 2026.

Helpline Center is serving as the clearinghouse to connect potential mentees with community mentoring programs from myriad businesses and organizations. Some examples of programs include TeamMates, a schoolbased, one-to-one mentoring program serving grades 3 through 12, Safe Families for Children, a Bethany Christian Services program helping single mothers, and SCORE, an SBA-backed program serving entrepreneurs and small business owners.

About Sioux 52 What is the Sioux 52 Mentoring Initiative?

Sioux 52 is a universal connection point for our community’s mentoring efforts. It is not an organization, but rather, it is a movement to fill a mentoring gap felt by well-established nonprofit organizations in the greater Sioux Falls region.

Why is the Sioux 52 Mentoring Initiative important?

Sioux 52 is a universal, widespread, significant and long-lasting commitment to mentoring in our area — asking individuals to give a little time to help make our community better, one

relationship at a time. It is a way to put more people on the path to success through one-toone or one-to-many relationships.

As a business, what are the benefits of encouraging mentorship?

There are three key benefits: • Engages employees, providing opportunities for skill building and improving retention • Develops a future talent pipeline by preparing young people for college and careers • Strengthens community understanding, one relationship at a time

chambernews.com | Chamber News 27

Cover Story

“We can be that resource for them if they may be struggling with how to move a conversation along,” Schmidtbauer says. “Or if they’re looking for other resources that they might suggest for their mentee, we’re there to help with that.”

Jennifer Schmidtbauer Director of Talent Development at Raven Industries, Inc.

Internal programs develop employees Raven Industries, Inc., a Sioux Falls-based diversified technology company, has embraced internal mentorship programs in some form for eight to 10 years, but it formalized Raven’s efforts in February, says Jennifer Schmidtbauer, the company’s director of talent development. Their three-prong program matches new leaders with existing Raven leaders, invites employees seeking professional development to submit requests for mentors and establishes an 18-month leadership immersion cohort that pairs managers with company executives.

Raven’s new-leaders program issues a mentoring playbook, provides an hour of training for both the mentor and mentee and makes sure that both parties are committed to putting in the time and effort to lead to success, Schmidtbauer says.

“One of the things we do is if you are looking for a mentor, we have a questionnaire and a conversation to really find out what are you hoping to get out of the relationship,” she says.

“And I also think it’s really important to think about personalities and making sure there’s a good fit there.”

Once Raven’s mentors and mentees begin meeting regularly, program leaders check in at one-month and three-month intervals to make sure the pairings continue to work. For the

28 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

mentors, program leaders offer additional assistance from a professional development coach.

“We can be that resource for them if they may be struggling with how to move a conversation along,” Schmidtbauer says.

“Or if they’re looking for other resources that they might suggest for their mentee, we’re there to help with that.”

In the Sioux Falls School District, which is the community’s fourth largest employer, a district-run mentor program funded by the South Dakota Department of Education pairs new teachers with instructional coaches to improve effectiveness and boost employee retention.

Instructional coach Nancy East provides guidance to 18 Sioux Falls teachers with less than three years of experience. East makes regular visits to the classroom of Melanie Morford, a first-year instructor who teaches biology to English learners at Washington High School to observe 15 to 20 minutes of one of Morford’s lessons. The pair will then sit and talk to reflect on common questions such as, “What’s going well? And in that, where do you see evidence of student learning?” and “Is there anything you would change if you were to repeat this lesson?”

East, who taught physics at Roosevelt High School for nearly two decades, says instructional coaches make clear that they’re not evaluative and are there solely to help.

“We do not talk to the principals about what we see in the classroom,” East says. “We are completely separate.”

Morford says she appreciates the feedback and notes that because she teaches the same content for five sections, she can make immediate adjustments to better serve her students. Receiving feedback can be difficult in any job, but she urges mentees to recognize that the goal of a mentoring relationship is always to help.

“It’s really important to understand that the relationship is not about, ‘You’re doing a bad job’ or ‘You’re doing a good job,’” Morford says. “It’s about where you’re at and how can we go forward and make it better.”

Mentoring builds community and workforce Sioux 52, which was introduced in January by Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, takes a broad view of mentorship, linking mentors to a wide range of opportunities to serve students, seniors, new immigrant families, at-risk youth, former inmates, entrepreneurs and new business owners.

Melanie Morford works with students in her biology classroom at Washington High School.

BryAnn Becker Knecht, the Mayor’s Office communications coordinator, has experience as both a mentee through EmBe’s Women’s Leadership Program and as an alumni mentor for Augustana University students. She says one-on-one connections can improve our community one person at a time, and the opportunities are open to anyone.

“It’s really important to understand that the relationship is not about, ‘You’re doing a bad job’ or ‘You’re doing a good job.’ It’s about where you’re at and how can we go forward and make it better.”

Melanie Morford First-year biology teacher at Washington High School chambernews.com | Chamber News 29

Cover Story

“The beauty is it’s a communitywide initiative and anyone can participate” BryAnn Becker Knecht Communications Coordinator at City of Sioux Falls

BryAnn Becker Knect, City of Sioux Falls, with her mentor, Erin Johanning of Midco, at the EmBe Women’s Leadership Program graduation in 2017.

“The beauty of this is it’s a communitywide initiative and anyone can participate,” Becker Knecht says.

Such efforts also contribute to the community’s workforce development efforts, Burke says.

The Sioux 52 Mentoring Initiative is a perfect fit for Downtown Rotary’s 300 members, most of whom are business leaders, says Tony Burke, an LSS disaster response project manager, training and support coordinator who’s leading the club’s efforts. Sioux 52 exemplifies Rotary’s principal motto of “Service Above Self” and aids the business community by:

“When we talk about workforce development, a lot of times we focus on trying to bring people back to South Dakota,” he says. “However, there’s a population in South Dakota that are very capable to work and need support. They need somebody to come alongside them.”

• Engaging employees, providing opportunities for skill building and improving retention • Developing a future talent pipeline by preparing young people for college and careers • Strengthening community understanding, one relationship at a time

Downtown Rotary’s first-year goal is to recruit 200 participating businesses by July 2021, asking companies to embrace mentoring and inspire employees to participate by offering such benefits as flexible schedules or paid volunteer time off.

Mentoring advocates say any business can create a program regardless of size or budget.

“When we talk about workforce development, a lot of times we focus on trying to bring people back to South Dakota. However, there’s a population in South Dakota that are very capable to work and need support. They need somebody to come alongside them.”

Tony Burke Disaster Response Project Manager, Training and Support Coordinator of Talent Development at LSS

30 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

Employees stay invested and engaged Burke says the research for Sioux 52 shows that businesses get a more engaged workforce and a greater morale boost by investing in their employees’ personal and professional development. Nobody embarks on a life journey alone, he says, though the help and guidance we receive is not always formally classified as mentorship.

“We are all in our community understanding that we’ve all had mentors in our lives,” Burke says. “We may not have called them a mentor, but it’s about somebody that’s come alongside of us to help us in times that are tough, help us in times that are good, help us make decisions or help us just be able to be heard.”

Dylla points out that mentorship programs don’t have to be cost prohibitive.

When Farmers Business Network launched its pilot program, coordinators focused on building a sustainable framework rather than spending a bunch of money on extra resources. To better ensure success, program leaders instituted a blind selection and matching process, limited pairings to six-month commitments and trained mentees to drive the program by setting their own goals, Dylla says.

FBN’s 10 mentees indicated in their final survey that being blindly selected from a pool of some 30 candidates boosted their confidence and thus made them more committed to the program. Many of the mentor-mentee pairs continue to meet informally, but FBN is sticking with the six-month timeframe it set on the formal relationships as that limit makes it easier for potential mentors to commit, she says.

The company also used its diversity to its advantage. FBN is both job-function diverse, with engineers, data scientists, crop marketers, HR administrators and IT techs, and geographically diverse, with a corporate headquarters in San Carlos, California, its largest office in Sioux Falls and other locations across the globe. That diversity allowed program leaders to pair mentors and mentees cross-departmentally, helping to expose employees to the company’s other business units and proving the psychological safety of not having to pair with someone within their own department, Dylla says.

One of the pairings connected a data scientist who sought to better understand FBN’s business operations with a business expert, who wound up benefiting from learning another aspect of FBN’s operation.

“It really ended up being … this great knowledge exchange between two people,” Dylla says.

Sioux 52 Business Partners The following Chamber members are registered as Sioux 52 business partners. List is current as of October 20, 2020.

Allen Edge Real Estate Team Americans for Prosperity – SD Austad’s Golf Avera Heart Hospital City of Sioux Falls Click Rain, Inc. Denny Sanford PREMIER Center First Bank & Trust First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard Grand Prairie Foods Inc. GreatLife Golf & Fitness Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons Helpline Center Jefferson Bus Lines Lawrence & Schiller, Inc. LifeLight Communications MarketBeat Maximizing Excellence LLC Oxenham Group Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce TSP Inc. Washington Pavilion

want to get out of their mentorship so the mentor can help them reach those goals. The aim is to establish a personal and professional relationship based on trust so both mentor and mentee can be vulnerable and share candid conversations. Part of the expectation is set in Raven’s six team-member values, which include humility and authenticity.

“We’ve already set the expectation that for both the mentor and the mentee that you’ll be vulnerable and you’ll share, and this is a safe space and we’re going to be real with each other,” Schmidtbauer says. “I think that emphasis on being genuine and authentic also gives us some really nice results.”

Schmidtbauer says one of the keys to success of Raven’s program is that it asks mentees to be specific about what they

chambernews.com | Chamber News 31

Business Advocacy

Members direct Chamber's advocacy work The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce is an effective influencer to all levels of government on major issues affecting business. Our team regularly attends local government meetings, along with having “boots-on-the-ground” in Pierre during the legislative session.

At the federal level, the Chamber is a convener of conversations between our members and our congressional delegation.

It is a privilege to serve as the voice of business in these forums. Our advocacy efforts often place the Chamber at the center of public policy issues and allow us to be a partner in shaping the future of our community.

Debra Owen

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

Most importantly, our work is directed by Chamber members.

Most importantly, our work is directed by Chamber members. The Issues Management Council (IMC) bears the responsibility of making recommendations to the Board of Directors on myriad public policy issues. The Council meets monthly and is tasked with carefully analyzing the impact of public policies on our business community. A recent example is the presentations on the three ballot questions voters were presented with on Election Day. The effort is challenging, but IMC members are thoughtful and committed to their work.

Each year, IMC reviews the Chamber’s policy statements. This document is foundational to our advocacy efforts and guides activities throughout the year. The policy statements represent a set of core beliefs rather than specific actions or initiatives. As such, policy statements tend not to change drastically from year to year. Instead, they are edited for context—outdated sections may be removed, or new sections may be added if necessary.

As they stand today, the Chamber’s policy statements include the following section titles: Quality of Life; Taxation; Development Incentives; Business Climate; Education; Infrastructure; Environment; Government; Visitor Industry; Housing; Workforce; Diversity and Inclusivity; Business Development; Agriculture; and Health Care.

This year saw no major changes to the policy statements, and last month the Board of Directors approved the recommendations from IMC. Later this month, IMC will provide input for our work in Pierre through the Legislative Platform. Both the policy statements and the Legislative Platform are key to our advocacy efforts at all levels of government.

The complete policy statements and legislative platform can be found on the Chamber’s website under the advocacy tab, at siouxfallschamber.com/policy-statements.cfm. I encourage you to review them, as all of the advocacy work begins with these member-driven documents.

32 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

Headlines

Give local on Giving Tuesday South Dakota’s statewide Day of Giving will be held Tuesday, Dec. 1. The date coincides with the globally recognized Giving Tuesday, which brings attention to the work, impact and need of nonprofit organizations.

South Dakota Day of Giving seeks to generate excitement and grow philanthropy in South Dakota. Nonprofits across the state are uniting to encourage generosity and raise as much money as possible on a single day. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to demonstrate support for their favorite local nonprofit agencies both through donations and by raising awareness on Dec. 1.

Donors make donations directly to the local nonprofit. Every donation received, no matter the amount, increases that organization’s chances to win additional funds from a prize pool. South Dakota Gives organized the prize pool and is also providing resources and training to support nonprofits who participate in Day of Giving. The event is fully funded by The Bush Foundation, the South Dakota Community Foundation and several generous donors and partners.

Research has shown that nonprofits that participate in a Giving Day bring new donors to an organization, and that existing donors are more likely to increase their gift. More information about South Dakota Day of Giving can be found at southdakotagives.org.

34 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

South Dakota Day of Giving December 1, 2020 Encourages people across the state to give generously to local nonprofit organizations

The 2019 Veterans Day program.

Program planned for Veterans Day Among the great days of national remembrance, none is more deeply moving to Americans than Veterans Day. The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, in partnership with local veterans organizations, will host a Veterans Day program on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. The event will take place at South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance, Inc., 1600 W. Russell St. It will also be streamed live on the Chamber's Facebook page.

Veterans Day Wednesday, November 11, 2020 • 10:30 a.m.

The Alliance, 1600 W. Russell St. Livestreamed at facebook.com/SiouxFallsChamber Brig. Gen. Michael J. Oster South Dakota Army National Guard

Brigadier General Michael J. Oster, the Assistant Adjutant General for the South Dakota Army National Guard, will be the featured speaker at this year’s program.

Oster began his military career by enlisting in A/Battery, 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery Brigade in Mitchell, SD as a 31 Kilo Combat Wire Installer in January, 1986. He received his commission from the South Dakota Military Academy Officer Candidate School in July of 1990.

General Oster served as a platoon leader, company executive officer and later commanded both the 665 Maintenance Company and the 727th Transportation Company. BG Oster served in staff positions with the 139th Transportation Battalion, 88th Troop Command, 109th Engineer Group and 109th Regional Support Group. He served as a Battalion Commander for the Recruiting and Retention

Battalion from 2007 to 2009 and the 152nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion from 2011 to 2014.

General Oster has completed two combat tours of duty; Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004-2005 with the Rapid Fielding Initiative and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, as the 152nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Commander in 2013. General Oster also commanded the 109th Regional Support Group from 2016 to 2019.

General Oster has his Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees, both from South Dakota State University, and is a graduate of the United States Army War College, through a Fellowship in the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

The program will also feature a mass colors presentation of flags from various military, veterans and service and civic club organizations in Sioux Falls, along with a performance by the Singing Legionnaires of American Legion Post 15.

The Veterans Day program is free and open to the public.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 35

Headlines

Keep the cheer here A meal at your neighborhood diner, a visit to the specialty boutique or a trip to the local hardware store. Each time you choose to spend your dollars locally, you are helping to boost the Sioux Falls economy.

For every $100 spent at a local business, $68 stays in the community. The dollars spent here turn over more often than dollars spent at national chains.

In addition to supporting the local economy, shopping locally promotes a more vibrant community. The people who are employed by or own the small businesses are quite often the same people you see coaching the youth sports team, volunteering for local charities and donating to community causes.

“Heading into the holiday shopping season is a great time to remind people of the impact they can have by shopping locally,” said Chamber President & CEO Jeff Griffin. “Many of our local restaurants and retailers were hit particularly hard by the pandemic this year. By choosing to shop small and support locally owned businesses, we can help them on their road to recovery.”

The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce defines small businesses as those organizations with ten or fewer employees. Businesses of this size make up 60% of the Chamber’s total membership of 2,000 businesses.

In South Dakota, more than 58% of workers are employed by small businesses. Nationwide, small businesses are the nation’s job creators, credited with generating 65% of net new jobs since 2000.

They pay over 40% of the private sector payroll in the U.S. Sioux Falls area small businesses that are members of the Chamber can be found in the online member directory at siouxfallschamber.com.

Small Business Saturday

The first Small Business Saturday took place in 2010 and quickly gained momentum across the United States. Small Business Saturday falls on the Saturday following Thanksgiving each year, and this year will be celebrated on November 28.

The mission of Small Business Saturday is simple – encourage people across the country to support small, local businesses during the holiday shopping season.

According to shopsmall.com, nationwide in 2019, shoppers spent a reported $19.6 billion at small businesses on Small Business Saturday. Shopsmall.com has customizable marketing materials that small business owners can use for free to promote their business this Small Business Saturday.

36 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

For every $100 spent at a local business,

$68 stays in the community.

For every $100 spent at a national chain store,

$43 stays in the community.

Small Business Saturday November 28, 2020

Business Sense

Marketing in the moment: Tips for communicating in a crisis Where does a business turn when the world is turned upside down? What steps should you take to keep your business moving forward?

These and many more questions have become an everyday challenge for business people due to the global pandemic we’re all enduring.

Insight Marketing Design saw the potential effect the pandemic would likely have on businesses and organizations and understood that many clients might soon be facing Roger Nolan unprecedented challenges. In response, Insight Insight Marketing Design developed a weekly e-newsletter that focuses on practical tips businesses and other organizations could utilize to help them survive and perhaps even thrive during these unusual times.

The first 20 “micro insights” have been collected into an eBook called Marketing in the Moment: Sh*t Now What? The eBook is free to download for anyone interested in effective approaches to marketing during a crisis. Here are a few abridged micro insights that you’ll find in the eBook.

Insight Marketing Design will donate a dollar to Feeding South Dakota for every “Marketing in the Moment: Sh*t Now What?” free download.

Review What You’re Not Doing

No one knows what tomorrow will bring for businesses, but we do know who will tell us. Our customers.

This is undoubtedly not “normal times” and much of your target market has most likely changed their typical behavior patterns.

This may be the time to review how you’re reaching customers.

With more people at home with time on their hands, they may be more inclined to read the newspaper or magazines, spend more time looking at direct mail messages or even listening to radio or Pandora stations that wouldn’t normally be thought of as delivering workday appropriate programming.

Naturally internet and social media usage has risen, but there still might be much to gain in exploring media outreach tactics that provide less noise to drown out your message.

Listen Carefully

With all the challenges in the world today, people are searching for answers and solutions in every aspect of their lives. This means even small problem resolutions make a much bigger positive impact on individuals.

Fortunately, there are more ways than ever before to hear what consumers want, need or are thinking about. From social media and website contact forms to phone calls, emails and in-person conversations, the two-way communication lines are always buzzing. But you need to be “listening” to all communication sources to identify trends and opportunities.

It’s a good idea to capture incoming customer communications and organize them based on subject matter. For example, if you have a large number of emails asking if you’re open, then you’ll know whatever efforts you have previously been doing to keep people informed about your business’s operational status are not reaching the right people at the right time.

Plan for This and That

Even with states relaxing their pandemic guidelines, it’s smart to not count on a quick and complete return to normal. This means keeping your marketing plans flexible to adapt to the “one step forward, two steps back” reality we’ll all be dealing with for a while.

Preparing marketing strategies for a variety of scenarios – return to normal, return to some degree of normal or back to lockdown will put you ahead of the game, regardless of what the rest of this crazy year gives us.

The one advantage we all now have is that we’ve seen what a pandemic can do to our economy and, by necessity, learned what steps can work to minimize the damage to our company’s brand and bottom line.

The old saying seems most appropriate for today’s chaotic markets: “Plan for the best and prepare for the worst.”

It’s about proactive flexibility

As you can see, many of the micro insights in the Marketing in the Moment eBook encourages looking at marketing challenges in a new way. Which makes sense, considering the fundamental changes the pandemic has had on so many aspects of business and life.

Roger Nolan is partner and vice president of account services at Insight Marketing Design. From defining the right incentive program to determining a target audience, Roger provides clients with detailed programs and commonsense know-how.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 37

Chamber Partner

Creating pathways for more inclusive workplaces Conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) have been amplified over the last eight months as a social issue. But the reality is, DE&I is also a business, economic and workforce development issue. More and more business leaders and organizations are recognizing the importance of creating diverse workplaces that center on inclusion and equity, but they have also said they need help with knowing what to do. Pathways helps to bridge this gap.

Kira Kimball

Marsh & McLennan Agency

DE&I is also a business, economic and workforce development issue.

Pathways is a group of local professionals formed to educate businesses on how to craft policies, procedures, practices and workplace cultures that are inclusive and equitable for all employees. Through a new partnership with the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, Pathways will offer an educational series available to Chamber members. By being intentional about creating work environments that celebrate and invest in diversity, business leaders can realize improved employee retention, a more engaged workforce and increased productivity.

What is Pathways to Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces?

Pathways is a community coalition, led by business leaders, professionals, community advocates and DE&I educators. Its mission is to engage employers in the development of inclusive and equitable workplace practices.

How did Pathways come to be?

After 100+ conversations with businesses and individuals about DE&I, Pathways emerged from a demonstrated need, articulated by employers, for skill building related to creating inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Why is its mission important?

With changes in demographics in the Sioux Falls area, coupled with aspirations for continued economic growth for our region, a business commitment to DE&I is a workforce development solution, economic development strategy, community brand differentiator and an opportunity to create a community that not only celebrates diversity, but also values it as a success driver.

Why should businesses engage with Pathways?

Pathways equips workplaces with practical strategies to create and build upon their own DE&I vision, empowering businesses to take the knowledge they learn and apply it directly in their workplaces to inform recruitment, retention, engagement and culture. Some topics include: • • • • • • • •

The Business Case for DE&I Intercultural Competencies How to Build a DE&I Strategy Building a Culture that Supports DE&I Inclusive Leadership Development Recruitment, Retention & Engagement DE&I Strategies Unconscious Bias Creating a DE&I Scorecard

As partners, what do the Chamber & Pathways plan to accomplish?

By offering DE&I best practice education to employers of all industries and sizes through Chamber membership, Pathways helps create workplaces where individuals of all identities, backgrounds and worldviews are welcome and given the opportunity to thrive at work, increasing engagement, work outcomes and work well-being for all employees.

Kira Kimball serves as Chief Innovation Officer for Marsh & McLennan Agency Sioux Falls & Fargo operations and is a National Diversity Council Certified Diversity Professional. Kira leads MMA’s national DE&I team, and she is able to equal this effort in her Sioux Falls community as the leader for the Pathways to Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces community coalition.

38 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

This matters.

People often think wealth management only matters if your account balance is large enough. That’s not how we see it. To us, wealth management is intentionally taking care of the people you love and getting to where you want to be financially.

Managing wealth does not have to be overwhelming. Just talk to us. Ask us your questions, big or small. We’ll listen. And then we’ll help you get to where you want to go, because it matters.

SNBSD.com

Ribbon Cuttings

Ribbon Cuttings

The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce holds ribbon cutting ceremonies for members to celebrate joining the Chamber, milestone anniversaries, expansions or remodelings. The public and all Chamber members are invited to share in the celebration. Call (605) 336-1620 for more information or to schedule your event.

Groundbreaking ceremonies are coordinated by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. Call (605) 339-0103 for more information or to schedule your event.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire

NEW LOCATION

2001 E. 8th St. bgcsiouxempire.org The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire celebrated the combining of two existing sites at the new Empower Campus (former School for the Deaf). L to R: Billy Mawhiney, Mayor Paul TenHaken, Lynda Billars, Scott Lawrence, Tom Shields, Rebecca Wimmer (CEO), Julie Nelson, Jay Soukup, Erik Nyberg and Kassidi Smith.

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Sioux Falls

4700 W. 69th St. encompasshealth.com/siouxfallsrehab Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Sioux Falls provides comprehensive therapy services in a hospital setting. L to R: Becky Washnok, Lynda Billars, Josh Muckenhirn, Jami Paulson, Maria Klamm, Jeff Griffin, Michael O’Keefe (CEO), Kris Brandt, Jay Soukup, James Payer II and Lora Hummel-Koch.

NEW MEMBER

GLō Best Western Dawley Farm in Sioux Falls

NEW MEMBER

1211 S. Darryl Place bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-insioux-falls/glo-best-western-dawley-farmsin-sioux-falls/propertyCode.42058.html GLō is a new boutique-style hotel that recently opened on the east side of Sioux Falls at Dawley Farm. L to R: Kayleen Leonard, Gewei Cheng, Rod Lindquist, Tom Junck, Natalie Eisenberg, Tom Busch, Dean Gulbranson, Brian Kern (president), Peg Gulbranson, Cindy Johnson, Gavin Fawbush, Milana Arambasic, Jay Soukup and Amanda Norton.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 41

Ribbon Cuttings

The Pink Door Network

47291 Renberg St., Renner, SD The Pink Door Network provides lodging and support for rural breast cancer patients visiting Sioux Falls for medical treatment.

L to R: Verdene Whipkey, Jennifer Miles, Lynda Billars, Dawn Olmstead, Pam Hoffman (owner), Jay Rasmussen, Gita Hendricks and Alec Degelau.

NEW MEMBER

Weller Brothers Landscaping

27141 Parklane Drive wellerbrothers.com Weller Brothers Landscaping celebrated the opening of their new facility in Sioux Falls and their continued growth and expansion to Rochester, Minnesota. L to R: Amanda Beck, Lyle Dabbert, Tammy Beintema, Miles Beacom, Whitake Weller, Cole Weller (CEO), Elouise Weller, Roslyn Weller, Jay Rasmussen, Kari Weller and Grant Nustad.

NEW LOCATION

Enjoy the UPTIME.

42 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

sdncommunications.com

Nonstop action.

JOIN THE REGION'S MOST RELIABLE NET WORK AT

Navigate the continuous global marketplace at your own pace with the region’s most reliable broadband fiber network.

Membership

New Members American Solutions for Business

Associate Member Larry Zavadil, (800) 862-3690 31 E. Minnesota Ave., Glenwood, MN 56334 americanbus.com

CarrierNet Group Financial, Inc. Financial Services Rick Noonan, (605) 335-7517 500 W. 10th St., 57104 transportcarriernetwork.com

Dakota CPA, LLC

Certified Public Accountants Bryan Hakeman, (605) 705-6350 5617 S. Southeastern Ave., Suite 105, 57108 dakotacpa.com

Hegg Realtors - Heather Elrod Affiliate-Real Estate Heather Elrod, (605) 759-5030 6225 S. Minnesota Ave., 57108 heatherelrod.hegg.com

New members are printed in each issue of Chamber News. Following is a list of businesses or individuals who have invested in the greater community by joining the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. An online Membership Directory can be found at siouxfallschamber.com. Want to become a member? Call (605) 336-1620.

Hyatt Place Sioux Falls South

The Pink Door Network

Maxwell Strategies

Tru Massage Therapy

Quality IT

Wade C. Thomas Agency

Hotels & Motels Jeff Eliason, (605) 271-2871 4935 W. Lake Shore Blvd., 57106

Business Consulting Chris Maxwell, (605) 412-8722 P.O. Box 1238, Ft. Pierre, SD 57532 maxwellstrat.com

IT Consulting Darcy Christenson, (605) 371-5475 522 N. Main Ave., 57104 qualityit4u.com

Associate Member Pamela Hoffman, (605) 310-2221 47291 Renberg St., Renner, SD 57055

Massage Therapy Danielle Schwantes, (605) 941-2747 7640 S. Louise Ave., Suite 110, 57108 trumassage.com

Insurance & Benefits Wade Thomas, (605) 275-3935 817 S. Marion Road, 57106 agents.farmers.com/sd/harrisburg/wade-thomas

TEAK Apartments

Apartments Tammy Jo Zingmark, (605) 590-0856 3300 S. Westbrooke Lane, 57106 teaksiouxfalls.com

chambernews.com | Chamber News 43

Membership

Member Anniversaries Founding Member

Sioux Falls Regional Livestock Associate Member sfrlinc.com Member since 1930

40 Years

Carroll Institute for Alcohol & Drug Therapy Associate Member carrollinstitute.org

Casa del Rey Restaurants casadelrey.com

35 Years

AmesburyTruth

Manufacturing & Production amesburytruth.com

Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History Recreation & Amusement greatzoo.org

Sea Chiropractic Chiropractor seachiropractic.com

The Diamond Room by Spektor Jewelry thediamondroom.com

Wells Fargo Advisors Investing wellsfargoadvisors.com

Commercial Interior Decor, Inc. Commercial & Home Finishing & Design cidinc.net

K & J Trucking, Inc. Trucking & Transit kandjtrucking.com

Congratulations to the following members who are celebrating their milestone membership anniversaries this month. They are part of a continued commitment to our community through their investment in the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about Chamber membership, contact (605) 336-1620 or gsfcc@siouxfalls.com. Find a complete Membership Directory online at siouxfallschamber.com.

Samuelson Development, LLC

20 Years

25 Years

Attorneys bangsmccullen.com

Recreation & Amusement sioux-falls-sd.pyrocity.com

Best Choice Carpet Cleaning, Inc.

Contractors samuelsondevelopment.com

Black Cat Pyro City Outlet Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls Associate Member sfcatholic.org

Cedar Shore Resort

South Dakota Pork Producers Council

Certified Public Accountants taxexpress.com

Family Eye Care Center

Eye Doctors visionsource-familyeyecarecenterpc.com

First Savings Bank Banks firstsavingsbanks.com

Olde Towne Dinner Theatre Associate Member oldetownetheatre.org

Rudolph’s Shoe Mart Clothing & Shoes rudolphshoes.com

Associate Member sdparent.org

Oakridge Nursery & Landscaping Inc.

Trail Ridge Retirement Community

Sam’s Club Members Only Specialty Retail samsclub.com

44 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

Restaurants gcfb.net

Ensz, Neimeyer & Associates, PC

Insurance & Benefits

Associate Member homeviewsiouxfalls.com

Granite City Food & Brewery Parham Chiropractic Clinic

South Dakota Parent Connection

REALTOR Association of the Sioux Empire, Inc.

Home Cleaning Services siouxfallsbestchoice.com

Associate Member cedarshore.com

Norfolk Financial Insurance & Financial Services

Landscape & Garden oakridgenurseryinc.com

Bangs, McCullen, Butler, Foye & Simmons, LLP

Nursing Home, Assisted & Independent Living trailridgeretirement.net

Union Gospel Mission Associate Member ugmsf.org

Wayne & Mary’s Nutrition Center Nutrition & Supplements wayneandmarys.com

Chiropractor

Associate Member sdpork.org

Stewart School Vocational Training stewartschool.com

Vermeer High Plains Contractors vermeerhighplains.com

15 Years 44i, Inc.

Website Design & Development 44interactive.com

Confluence

Landscape & Garden thinkconfluence.com

Deffenbaugh Homes Building & Remodeling deffenbaughhomes.com

Disabled American Veterans

Associate Member davmembersportal.org/chapters/sd/01

Extremely Clean Carpet Cleaning Home Cleaning Services xtremelycleansd.com

Homestead Escrow & Exchange Co. Title Companies heec1031.com

Justice Fire & Safety

G & H Distributing, Inc.

Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs

Marlin’s Family Restaurant

Gregg’s Substation

Great Shots

WorkFORCE Occupational Health and Medical Services

JuLiana’s Boutique La Femme

Hotel on Phillips

Juna Sleep Systems

KONE, Inc.

Kore Cares

Lazaderm

Partner Medical Home Care

Legacy Eldercare Planning, LLC

Sprik Financial Group

Lupulin Brewing Company

Toppers Pizza

Prairie Rehabilitation

University of South Dakota (USD) Discovery District

Providence Financial

Security justicefire.com

Restaurants cbmfoodservice.com

Clinics workforceoh.com

10 Years

A-1 Portable Toilets Specialty Retail a1toilets.com

B & G Acoustical Ceilings, Inc. Engineering

Bender Commercial Real Estate Andi Anderson Affiliate-Real Estate benderco.com

Gemini Acoustical, LLC Contractors geminiacoustical.com

Hy-Vee, Inc. - E. 57th St. Grocery Stores hy-vee.com

Lemonly

Marketing/Advertising Agencies lemonly.com

OmegaQuant Analytics LLC Labs & Imaging omegaquant.com

Riverview Dental

Industrial Equipment & Supply ghdistributing.com

Restaurants greggssubstation.com

Clothing & Shoes siouxfallsboutique.com

Home Furnishings junasleep.com

Home Health Care korecares.com

Medical Services & Supplies partnermedicalhc.net

Financial Services sprikfinancial.com

Restaurants toppers.com

Associate Member usddiscovery.com

WoodGrain Brewing Company Bars & Breweries woodgrainbrew.com

FIRST YEAR REINVESTORS Abbey Group, Ltd.

Dental Care & Orthodontics riverviewdentalsf.com

Business Consulting abbeygroupltd.com

South Dakota Innovation Partners, LLC

Atoley Salon

5 Years

Charisse Oland

Financial Services southdakotainnovation.com

Ascend Financial Financial Services ascendfinancial.com

Cetera Services LLC

Public Relations & Communications ceteraservices.com

Restaurants goodcentssubs.com

Entertainment Services greatshots.golf

Hotels & Motels hotelonphillips.com

Specialty Industrial kone.com

Salons & Spas lazaderm.com

Personal Services legacyeldercareplanning.com

Bars & Breweries lupulinbrewing.com

Rehabilitation & Physical Therapy prairierehab.com

Insurance & Benefits 605insured.com

Severance Brewing Co. Bars & Breweries severancebeer.com

The Summit League Associate Member thesummitleague.org

Valorem, LLC

Business Consulting valoremllc.com

Salons & Spas atoley.com

Associate Member

Dairy Queen – W. 26th St. Restaurants fourteenfoods.com

Dairy Queen – Crossing Place Restaurants fourteenfoods.com

chambernews.com | Chamber News 45

Five Questions

Five questions is a monthly feature on a Chamber volunteer, Chamber member or staff member. Want to be featured here? Call (605) 336-1620.

Five questions with Becky Dewitz Becky Dewitz recently became the CEO of the Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History. She and her husband, Neal, moved to Sioux Falls with their daughter, Drew (age 9), and son Ellis (age 7) from Minot, North Dakota. In Minot, Becky most recently served as Director of the Roosevelt Park Zoo. Her experience also includes serving as an education coordinator, development consultant and leading strategic planning and large capital development projects. Becky is an Association of Zoos and Aquarium (AZA) inspector and proudly participates in the accreditation peer review process.

She is a graduate of South Dakota State University.

As a newcomer to Sioux Falls, what is your favorite thing about the city?

The Zoo! I also love the vibrance of the community, specifically recent improvements to downtown. Sioux Falls has grown so much since I lived in South Dakota and it is a beautiful city thriving with economic growth.

How did you choose your profession?

Becky Dewitz

Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History

Frankly, I did not go to college thinking this was my career path. When I first started at Roosevelt Park Zoo, I was their Education Coordinator. It was then that the “zoo bug” bit me in seeing the “aha” moment in a child’s eye and sparking their appreciation for the natural world. I champion a quote from Baba Dioum, a philosopher, which states, “In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” I see this as the paramount mission of any AZA accredited zoo; to provide moments that inspire an intrinsic connection to these animals who need us to appreciate them and advocate for their conservation.

What is your favorite animal and why?

This is a tough question as I love so many! At my former zoo if I were having a tough day, I would go visit the giraffes or grey wolves. The giraffes are gentle, graceful giants that inspire a sense of peacefulness. The grey wolves would remind me to have fun and play a little.

What is a skill you would like to learn, and why?

The ability to play piano – I enjoy classic piano music.

What is something you are optimistic about?

Today’s youth – they are committed and inspired to bettering the natural world. They strive to live with environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

46 Chamber News | NOVEMBER 2020

w

Get the care you need,

when you need it.

WALK IN FOR CARE.

WALK IN

CALL IN

LOG IN

With walk-in services at Sanford Health, we make it easy for you to get fast, convenient care for VIDEO VISIT E-VISIT health concerns like sudden illness,

allergies and minor injuries.

Visit sanfordhealth.org to find a walk-in clinic near you.

019024-01143 10/20