October 2017 Chamber News

Page 1

Chamber News October 2017

Vol. 53, No. 1

A PUBLICATION OF THE SIOUX FALLS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Building Sioux Falls Van Buskirk takes over as volunteer leader of the Chamber



IN THIS ISSUE COVER STORY

Building Sioux Falls Steve Van Buskirk takes over as volunteer leader of the Chamber....................... 22-26

Chamber News PUBLISHER

Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

FEATURES

Community leaders join Chamber Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . 28-29 Leadership Sioux Falls class 32 announced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 IN THIS ISSUE: Message from the Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Events Calendars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9 Noteworthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Economic Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Faces & Places. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-20 Community Appeals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Business Advocacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Headlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29, 32-34 Business Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Convention & Visitors Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Member Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Business News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39-41 Chamber Partner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Using Your Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Ribbon Cuttings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-47 New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Member Anniversaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Five Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

ON THE COVER

Steve Van Buskirk, Van Buskirk Companies, is the 2017-18 Chair of the Board of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. He took over the Chamber’s top volunteer role Oct. 1 and will launch his term at the 111th Annual Meeting on Oct. 24. Photo by Mike Shafer.

CHAMBER NEWS AD SALES

For advertising information, call Steven Herman at (605) 351-1960 or email chambernews@siouxfalls.com

CHAMBER NEWS LAYOUT/DESIGN JILL BLOM

CHAMBER NEWS EDITOR

JENNIE DOYEN For editorial information, call: (605) 336-1620 Chamber News is published by the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57104 Postmaster please send address changes to: Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1425, 200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57101-1425 Phone: (605) 336-1620 • Email: sfacc@siouxfalls.com

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

Communicate WITH THE

CHAMBER .com/siouxfallschamber @SFAreaChamber @SFAreaAdvocate Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

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

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

chambernews.com | Chamber News  3


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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Message from the Chair It has been 25 years since I began my professional career in Sioux Falls. In that time, I have witnessed how the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce has assisted business growth by promoting community growth. The growth of our community has led to an expanding population, with new markets and new opportunities for our businesses owners. I encourage you to pause and reflect on our community’s success and the Chamber’s role in our community. When you do, I believe that you will be assured that your membership investment has been returned many times over. STEVE VAN BUSKIRK 2017-18 Chair of the Board

...your membership investment has been returned many times over

Having spent my entire life in Sioux Falls, it is clear to me that the Chamber’s leadership has had a positive effect on the population growth of our community. Consider the impact of the Chamber’s Community Appeals campaigns. Our organization has helped raise more than $60 million to support quality of life projects throughout the community. Those efforts have helped transform the quiet home town of my youth into a bustling city with first class amenities that attract people from all over the country. This is workforce 101, improve the quality of life to create a place where people want to live and your community and economic opportunities will grow. The Chamber’s leadership also created Forward Sioux Falls, a dynamic funding effort that has raised over $52 million in 30 years to fund education, quality of life and economic development efforts. In preparation for the programing phase of Forward Sioux Falls 2021, your leadership participated in a broad community assessment that included our workforce development efforts. That assessment emphasized the need for a realignment of our education system with the job market, long-term engagement of our students to prepare them for the work and identification of key elements that are needed for our continued growth as a regionally attractive community. Since that study, efforts have begun and progress has been made on those critical areas by your volunteer leadership and professional staff. Looking to the future, your leadership team remains dedicated to its membership and its community, with every intention of building on our great foundation. As Chair of the Board for the Chamber, I am committed to helping maintain our traditions and seek new opportunities for economic and workforce growth.

2017-18 SIOUX FALLS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEADERSHIP AND STAFF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR STEVE VAN BUSKIRK Van Buskirk Companies CHAIR-ELECT  TIM STURDEVANT Sturdevant’s Auto Parts VICE CHAIR BOBBI THURY Legacy Law Firm, P.C. TREASURER DAN DOYLE Cutler Law Firm IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR DAVE KAPASKA, D.O. PRESIDENT/CEO JASON BALL Chamber of Commerce

EX-OFFICIO GERALD BENINGA Minnehaha County Commission KYLE GROOS Sioux Falls Catholic Schools MAYOR MIKE HUETHER City of Sioux Falls DR. BRIAN MAHER Superintendent, Sioux Falls Public School System KATE PARKER Sioux Falls School Board JIM SCHMIDT Lincoln County Commission

BOARD OF DIRECTORS WENDY BERGAN JDS Industries TOM BIEGLER Regency Hotel Management PAUL HANSON Sanford Health SHARON HASELHOFF Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort MIKE HAUCK Accord Commercial Real Estate, LLC RANDY KNECHT Journey Group LAURIE KNUTSON EmBe MARK MICKELSON Mickelson & Co. CHRISTY NICOLAISAN Multi-Cultural Center of Sioux Falls ALEX RAMIREZ USA Media TV KARLA SANTI Blend Interactive CLAIRE SANTOS Zoup! and Wingstop CARL WYNJA U.S. Bank

CHAMBER & CVB STAFF JASON BALL President/CEO THANE BARNIER Web Development & IT Manager MATT BARTHEL CVB Communications Manager JOAN BARTLING Finance & Accounting Director JUSTIN BENTAAS Public Affairs & Research Manager HOLLY BEHRENS Agri-Business Division Manager JILL BLOM Graphics & Communications Specialist SHIRLEY BUSEMAN Receptionist RACHEL CRANE CVB Host City Manager ERIN DEWITT CVB Sales Manager JENNIE DOYEN Marketing & Communications Manager ANNA ELIASON CVB Sales Manager AMY M. FARR Membership Sales & Retention Manager

JEFF FEJFAR Web Designer MARY HUBLOU CVB First Impressions Manager/Project Assistant KAYLA HUIZING Young Professionals Network Manager JAY KALTENBACH CVB Services/Resale Manager MARK LEE Public Affairs & Communications Director PAT LUND Membership Development Director MIKE LYNCH Forward Sioux Falls Director of Investor Relations JILL NIEDRINGHAUS CVB Sales Manager WENDY NEUHARTH Membership Services Administrative Assistant KRISTA ORSACK CVB Director of Marketing KATHIE PUTHOFF CVB Administrative Assistant TAYLOR ROLLO CVB Sales Assistant EMILY SCHAFFER CVB Creative Development Manager TERI SCHMIDT CVB Executive Director TERESA SCHREIER Public Affairs & Communications Assistant SUSAN SEACHRIS Administrative/Accounting Assistant TATE STENSGAARD CVB Sales Manager JACKIE WENTWORTH CVB Sales Manager VALERIE WILLSON Membership Events Manager

chambernews.com | Chamber News  5


CALENDARS

CHAMBER

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.

FEATURED EVENT OCTOBER MEMBERSHIP

BUSINESS SENSE WORKSHOP: BUILDING YOUR CULTURE FROM THE GROUND UP WITH VALUES, PEOPLE & POLICIES TUESDAY, OCT. 3 Noon-1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce

200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200

DETAILS: John T. Meyer, CEO/Co-Founder of Lemonly, will talk about

how his company’s culture is its biggest strategic advantage. Lemonly’s culture attracts clients and prospective employees externally, but also builds loyalty and continual improvement with employees internally. John will walk through exercises to help determine your value, hire the right people and implement the perfect policies tailored to your company’s culture.

MIXER

COST: $10, bring your own lunch RSVP: khuizing@siouxfalls.com or (605) 373-2002

4:30-6:30 p.m. Montgomery’s 1725 41st St.

11:30-1 p.m. PAve, 130 S. Phillips Ave. DETAILS: Join us for lunch and catch up on activity taking place in

THURSDAY, OCT. 5

SPONSORED BY:

COMPLIMENTARY HORS D’OEUVRES & BEVERAGES $5 ADMISSION OR USE YOUR MIXER PASS

RSVP to vwillson@siouxfalls.com or at siouxfallschamber.com

CHAMBERHOOD – DOWNTOWN WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18

downtown Sioux Falls. This is a great way to find out what is new in your area and to meet fellow Chamber members who live, work or do business in your neighborhood.

COST: $20, includes lunch, limited to the first 75 people to RSVP. RSVP: vwillson@siouxfalls.com or (605) 373-2010

111TH ANNUAL MEETING TUESDAY, OCT. 24

4:30 p.m. reception, 6:30 p.m. dinner, 7:30 p.m. program Sioux Falls Convention Center, 1201 N. West Ave. DETAILS: Celebrate the Chamber and the community at the 111th An-

2017 VETERANS DAY PROGRAM

SATURDAY, NOV. 11 • 10:30 A.M. WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL, 501 N. SYCAMORE AVE. DETAILS: This annual program recognizes those who have served. Sponsored by the Chamber’s Military & Veterans Affairs Committee and other veterans organizations.

COST: Free and open to the public. MORE INFORMATION: vwillson@siouxfalls.com or (605) 373-2010

nual Meeting. We’ll recognize several volunteers, including new Chair of the Board Steve Van Buskirk. The keynote speaker is Elizabeth Gore, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Dell Technologies. See page 34 in this issue for more information.

COST: $85 per person with reserved tables of 10. RSVP: tschreier@siouxfalls.com or (605) 373-2050

NOVEMBER MEMBERSHIP MIXER AND HOLIDAY FAIR TUESDAY, NOV. 21

4:30-7 p.m. Best Western PLUS Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center 3200 W. Maple St. DETAILS: This Mixer features the Holiday Fair, with Chamber members

promoting their holiday gifts and service ideas. Booth space is available. Sponsored by Midco.

COST: $5 or use your Mixer Pass RSVP: vwillson@siouxfalls.com or (605) 373-2010

SAVE THE DATE

Good Morning Sioux Falls – Jan. 4, 2018 Sioux Empire Farm Show – Jan. 23-27, 2018 Sale of Champions – Jan. 26, 2018 Sioux Falls Day at the Legislature – Feb. 21, 2018

6  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


UPCOMING EVENTS To RSVP to any of these events, email khuizing@siouxfalls.com or call (605) 373-2002. Visit siouxfallsypn.com for a full list of events.

SOCIAL ACTION TEAM MEETING TUESDAY, OCT. 3 4-5 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200

DETAILS: The YPN Social Team focuses on so-

cial events that showcase our community while providing a positive environment for networking, socializing and developing connections. The Social Team meets the first Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m., and is open to any member looking to get more involved. Join us!

COST: Free

MORNING BUZZ WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4

7:30-9 a.m. Coffea Roasterie and Espresso Bar, 2318 S. Louise Ave. DETAILS: Join us for Morning Buzz at Coffea!

Start your morning off right by gathering with fellow young professionals over a cup of coffee. Bring a co-worker or friend!

PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTION TEAM MEETING THURSDAY, OCT. 5 4-5 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200

DETAILS: The YPN Personal & Professional

Development Team focuses on fostering professional relationships, career development, entrepreneurial endeavors, and civic involvement while gaining an insider’s view of our regional business scene and exposing members to a broad range of community issues, and is open to ANY member looking to get more involved and have an input on YPN events and activities. The Personal & Professional Development Team meets the first Thursday of every other month at 4 p.m. Join us!

COST: Free

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS TOUR: GRACO INC. FRIDAY, OCT. 6

COST: Free to attend, drinks/food on your own

Noon-1 p.m. Graco Inc., 3501 N. 4th Ave.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS TOUR: ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS, INC. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4

DETAILS: Join us at Graco Inc. for South Da-

Noon-1 p.m. Electronic Systems, Inc., 600 E. 50th St. N.

DETAILS: Help us celebrate South Dakota

Manufacturing Week with a tour of Electronic Systems, Inc. ESI provides a full range of electronic manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers in the industrial, commercial, medical, energy and HVAC markets. From printed circuit board assembly to full system integration, ESI is the manufacturing floor for customers, helping them to improve their product quality and cost using lean principles and the latest technology.

kota Manufacturing Day! Since 1926, Graco Inc. has been a leading provider of premium pumps and spray equipment for fluid handling in the construction, manufacturing, processing and maintenance industries. The Sioux Falls facility manufactures spray guns, parts and accessories, and provides the following activities: Engineering, Research and Development, Manufacturing, and Assembly. The tour is limited to the first 30 people to RSVP.

OUR SIOUX FALLS: DTSF WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18

Noon-1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200 DETAILS: Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. (DTSF)

is a non-profit corporation committed to continually upgrading and enhancing the vitality of downtown by providing excitement, activity and a positive image within the community through promotions, design, economic development and public relations.

PRESENTER: Brienne Maner, Vice President of Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc.

COST: Free, bring your own lunch.

OCTOBER OFF THE CLOCK THURSDAY, OCT. 26 4-7 p.m. Fernson Brewing Company, 1400 E. Robur Dr.

DETAILS: It’s that time again! Join the Sioux

Falls YPN for our monthly Off the Clock at Fernson Brewing Company. With local brews and a fun atmosphere, this is one you won’t want to miss.

COST: Free to attend, drinks/food on your own

FOCUS GROUP: AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY TUESDAY, OCT. 31

Noon-1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200 DETAILS: Augustana University Business and

The tour is limited to the first 30 people to RSVP.

Accounting Department is considering expanding their programming to include continuing education, certificate programs and/or a Masters in Business program. Augustana recently launched their Masters in Accounting program in 2015. Augustana would like your feedback on continuing and graduate-level education programming needs in this region. Lunch will be provided.

COST: Free

COST: Free

COST: Free

Connect WITH THE

YPN

Find us on social media or visit siouxfallsypn.com

chambernews.com | Chamber News  7


OCTOBER 6

Art & Wine Walk Downtown

6

Downtown First Friday

6

Frankie Ballard at The District

7

Harvest Festival at Wilde Prairie Winery

7

Strauss Masterpieces at the Washington Pavilion

7

Stone Sour at The District

7

Southeast Tech Trek 5K Fun Run/Walk

7 -8

Remodeled Homes & Outdoor Living Showcase

Siouxfallsevents.com is the community’s free, comprehensive community events calendar. Anyone can post an event happening in the Sioux Falls area. It’s free and it’s a great way to promote your event.

10

The Sioux Falls Business Expo

12

Here Come The Mummies at The District

12

Jake Owen & Dustin Lynch at Sanford Pentagon

14

Newton Hills Trail Race

14

Chris Tomlin - Good Good Father Tour

The Sioux Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau developed the visitor-related calendar to provide visitors a list of events they may be interested in attending.

14

Harvest Festival at Strawbale Winery

14

Super Second Saturday

14

Second Annual Angels of Light Benefit

14-15

Quilt Show Dakota Pieces XIV

15

Hollywood Undead at The District

16

Old 97s at Icon Lounge

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

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8  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


19

Every Time I Die at Icon Lounge

20

Fall into Service - Volunteer Sioux Falls

20

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Pink Party

21

Sioux Empire United Way’s 17th Annual Reading Festival

21

Secondhand Serenade at Icon Lounge

21

St. Lambert Craft Fair

21-22

Wicked Divas

22

Kidz Bop

22

GonnaGetWed Bridal Showcase

24

Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce 111th Annual Meeting

24

Flogging Molly - Life is Good Tour at The District

26

Ceili Dance at the Old Courthouse Museum

26

ACLU Cheers to Liberty

27

Rake the Town 2017

27

Timeflies at The District

27-28

Haunted Corn Maze at Heartland Country Corn Maze

27-29

ZooBoo at the Great Plains Zoo

27-29

2017 Autumn Festival, An Arts and Crafts Affair

27-29

Motown the Musical at Washington Pavilion

29

Stained Glass Concert at Spirit of Peace

31

Old Courthouse Museum Halloween Party

NOVEMBER 3

Chad Prather - The Star Spangled Banter Tour

4

The South Dakota Symphony GALA

4

Third Annual Dancing with the Sioux Falls Stars

8

In This Moment at The District

10

Decades Rewind-Sioux Falls

10-11

Sioux Empire Arts & Crafts Show

10-12

9th Annual Dakota Ice Institute

11

Foo Fighters

14

Blue October at The District

16

The Second Annual Helping Kids Round First Dinner

17

Dan + Shay at The District

17

Winter Wonderland begins at Falls Park

18

Brahms SYMPHONY No. 2

19

South Dakota Symphony Youth Orchestra Concert

24

Parade of Lights

24-26

Sanford Pentagon Showcase (Men’s Basketball)

30

Disney On Ice

Share your message with the business community Advertise in Chamber News

Chamber News is a direct business-to-business publication that reaches the decision-makers in Sioux Falls area businesses. It is mailed directly to more than 5,000 Chamber members and distributed free at select locations around Sioux Falls. Promote your business in Chamber News. Contact Steven Herman at (605) 351-1960 or chambernews@siouxfalls.com. chambernews.com | Chamber News  9


NOTEWORTHY Headlines, accolades and rankings — Sioux Falls is often in the news for our community’s excellent business climate and high quality of life. Look for that information to be shared again here along with other topical quick hits.

10  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


ECONOMIC INDICATORS Tracking trends in business is just one way that the Sioux Falls Area 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

AUGUST 2017

JULY 2017

CUMULATIVE YEAR TO DATE

9,265 PERMITS

2015

5,300 PERMITS

2016

BISMARCK

1.9%

5,125 PERMITS

2017 0

2000

4000

6000

8000

FARGO

2.0%

10000

MINNEAPOLIS/ ST. PAUL

Source: City of Sioux Falls

3.3%

RAPID CITY

City of Sioux Falls Total Construction Value

2.9%

AUGUST 2017

SIOUX FALLS

CUMULATIVE YEAR TO DATE

2.4%

ROCHESTER

2.9%

CEDAR RAPIDS

3.4%

600 OMAHA

3.1%

DES MOINES

2.9%

LINCOLN

500

2.7%

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

400

Agriculture Trends JULY 2017

300

12

SOYBEANS

$526.4 million $234.1 million

200

0

$494.2 million $177.1 million

$10.20

10

$9.42 $9.66

(IN MILLIONS)

100

$502.3 million $178.3 million

(PER BUSHEL) U.S. SOUTH DAKOTA $9.10 $8.91

$9.05

8

2015

2016

Source: City of Sioux Falls

Total Construction Value

2017 New Non-Residential Construction Value

6

CORN

(PER BUSHEL) U.S. SOUTH DAKOTA

Sioux Falls Region Housing Overview AUGUST 2017

4

New Listings: 681 Days on the Market Until Sale: 78 Median Sales Price: $194,450 Inventory of Homes for Sale: 1,507 Source: RASE (Realtor Association of the Sioux Empire)

$3.60 $3.39

2

July 2016

$3.43

$3.49

$3.17

$3.22

June July

2017

2017

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture chambernews.com | Chamber News  11


FACES & PLACES

Faces & Places

HOLLY BEHRENS Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

CINDI JOHNSON Spectrum Marketing Services

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.

NATHAN STALLINGA

JOEY ROTERT

DakotAbilities

Sioux Falls Federal Credit Union

JULIE NELSON

DAREN ANDERSON

American Bank & Trust

Big D Technology Solutions, Inc.

APRIL MEYERINK Black Hills Federal Credit Union

BRIAN SPADER New York Life

LARRY AYRES Ayres Group

KELLI ZIMMER Sioux Empire Housing Partnership

Recognition of Chamber Volunteers The Ambassador Team of the Month for August was Team Stallinga: Nathan Stallinga, DakotAbilities; Joey Rotert, Sioux Falls Federal Credit Union; and April Meyerink, Black Hills Federal Credit Union. Larry Ayres, Ayres Group, won the Ribbon Cutting Award for the month of August. Cindi Johnson, Spectrum Marketing Services, was awarded Diplomat of the Month honors for August. Second place honors went

to Julie Nelson, American Bank & Trust, and Daren Anderson, Big D Technology Solutions, Inc., was awarded third place honors. Brian Spader, New York Life, won the Ribbon Cutting Attendance Award. Kelli Zimmer, Sioux Empire Housing Partnership, won the Reinvestment Award.

Scouts-Dakota Horizons; Dustin Brouwer, Sioux Falls Seminary; Tammy Beintema, JDRF; and Craig Lindes, Hom Furniture/ Gabberts Design Studio.

Diplomat Team of the Month for August went to Captain Cindi Johnson, Spectrum Marketing Services; James Payer II, Girl

Faces & Places is great way to use your membership to be seen. This column appears each month in Chamber News and features information about Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce members and volunteers. Submissions may include grand openings, changes in management, moves, major developments and award recognition. Submit news using the Faces & Places form at chambernews.com or email jdoyen@siouxfalls.com.

12  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


FACES & PLACES

New Faces & Promotions Holly Behrens is the Agri-Business Division Manager for the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. A native of south Texas, Behrens previously served as the Auctions Coordinator in the Agricultural Competitions & Exhibits Division of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Tim Barbetta, Scott Den Boer and Derek Kreutzfeldt have joined Cornerstone Bank in Sioux Falls. Barbetta is a Home Mortgage Consultant with over 17 years of mortgage lending experience. From pre-qualification to closing the loan, he will work alongside homebuyers to help them achieve their home ownership dreams. Den Boer is a Business Banker with over 12 years of professional experience. Kreutzfeldt is a Universal Banker with 2 years of banking experience.

design and marketing experience in Sioux Falls, leading and working on regional and national brands in the food, restaurant and tourism categories. Vu is a recent graduate of Augustana University with a double major in Art and Journalism. She’s a 2017 Minnesota PRSA Classics Award winner. Scott Olson joins as Digital Marketing Strategist. He has experience as a digital director for a major corporation, as well as working directly for clients and on his own startup.

Mike Hay has joined TSP, Inc.’s Sioux Falls office as a graphic designer. Hay most recently was ad director at Adwërks in Sioux Falls.

Midco has promoted four leaders. Kim Beck has been promoted to Director of Employee Relations. Beck is responsible for oversight of all employee relations matters, performance management, compliance, leaves and accommodations. Bill Chatwell has been promoted to Director of Video Engineering. Chatwell oversees the design, deployment, and maintenance of Midco’s advanced video services. He also serves as the Director for the Dakota Territory chapter of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers. Ben Dold has been promoted to Vice President of Central Operations. Dold leads the customer experience, operations analytics, supply chain and consumer product management teams. Pat Mastel has been promoted to General Counsel. Known for his ability to find common sense solutions, Mastel oversees all legal matters at Midco, analyzing legal issues, assuring legal compliance and providing recommendations based on federal and state laws and regulations.

HenkinSchultz Creative Services announces the addition of three new team members. Derek Soukup and Julie Vu have joined as Graphic Designers. Soukup has over 12 years of

MetaBank has hired four new employees: Kaisha Stofferahn is Director of Internal Audit; Jeremiah Zuraff is Software Engineer; Debra Jensen is Business Development

Sioux Falls marketing and public relations agency Epicosity has expanded two of its departments with the addition of new staff members. Justin Summers now serves as business development strategist, joining the team full-time after spending the spring and early summer with the company as a sales intern. Aaron Puckett now serves as a digital strategist, joining the growing digital department with a background in design and web project management.

Manager; and Randall Groenhagen is Database Administrator III. In addition, four employees have been promoted: Lucas Kading to Director of Corporate Development; Jennifer Warren to SVP Head of Operations; Trenton Brown to Statistical Analyst Lead; and Jacques Apaloo to SVP of Audit and Chief Audit Executive. The First National Bank in Sioux Falls has promoted the following team members: Jeff Russell to Senior Vice President, Chief Banking Officer; Phil DeGroot to Vice President, Ag Banking Team Lead; Joe Miller to Vice President, Ag Banker; Grant Olson to Vice President, Ag Banking Team Lead; Kelsey Stevens to Assistant Vice President, Wealth Management Operations Manager; and Tyler Urban to Crop Insurance Officer. Three new employees have also joined the team: Bill Anderson joins as Vice President, Customer Experience Manager; Kimball James joins as Assistant Vice President, Retirement Plans Manager; and Erik Ustad joins as Investment Analyst. Correction: George Saavedra, MD, was incorrectly listed as a psychiatrist in the September issue of Chamber News. Saavedra is a physiatrist with the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System. Chamber News regrets the error.

chambernews.com | Chamber News  13


FACES & PLACES

David Johnson, DAKOTACARE, was recognized for 10 years of dedicated service to the Diplomat Committee. Diplomat Committee Chair Sheila Hoff, Keller Williams Realty of Sioux Falls, presented Johnson with a commemorative plaque.

Honors & Awards The Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce was recognized with a “Best Event Ideas” award by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The peer-selected recognition was earned for the creation of ChamberHood events. The Sioux Empire Housing Partnership recognized several individuals and businesses at their recent 20th anniversary breakfast. Lender of the year is Jeremy Huber, Plains Commerce Bank. Realtor of the Year is Chhabi Neopaney, RE/MAX Professionals, Inc. The Outstanding Service Award went to Ryan Spellerberg, First PREMIER Bank. Both Costello Companies and Lloyd Companies were recognized with a Friend of Affordable Housing Award.

Confluence received three awards from the Great Plains Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Honor Awards were received for renovation of the Paladino Hohm Sculpture Garden at the Washington Pavilion and the Raven Industries Corporate Terrace; both in downtown Sioux Falls. In addition, a Merit Award was received for design at the McCrory Gardens Visitor Center at South Dakota State University in Brookings. American Banker has named two South Dakota banks to its list of “Best Banks to Work For.” First Bank & Trust ranked #20 on the list and First PREMIER Bank ranked #61. In all, 75 banks across the nation achieved “Best Bank” status.

Good Deeds

Leadership

The 22nd Annual Hot Harley Nights, sponsored by J&L Harley-Davidson, resulted in a gift of nearly $166,000 to Make-A-Wish® South Dakota

Rob Oliver has joined the Board of Directors for First Bank & Trust in Sioux Falls. Most recently, Oliver was President of Augustana University in Sioux Falls.

The Folk Off & Rib Challenge held at Strawbale Winery on July 29 raised $7,000 each for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire and South Dakota Friends of Traditional Music.

Make-A-Wish® South Dakota has elected its 2017-18 board members and officers. Serving as Chair of the Board is Gina Hopkins, CorTrust Bank; Vice Chair is Steve Morgans, Myers, Billion, LLP; Secretary is Bobbi Thury, Legacy Law Firm, P.C.; and Treasurer is Matt Hocks, Sanford Health. Newly elected board members are Ed Bloom, Sioux Falls Ford Lincoln; Trish Delaney, retired; Brad Derby, Brad Derby Agency, Inc.; Chris Halverson, The First National Bank in Sioux

14  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

Prairie Business Magazine named several Chamber member businesses to its annual list of 50 Best Places to Work. Included on the list are Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. (AE2S); Cornerstone Bank; EAPC Architects Engineers; Eide Bailly LLP; Epicosity; High Point Networks, Inc.; JLG Architects; KLJ; Lemonly; Lloyd Companies; Marco; and Midco. Companies were nominated through an anonymous employee satisfaction survey and rated in areas including work environment, employee benefits and happiness.

Falls; Rae Morlan, First PREMIER Bank; and Ross Reitsma, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management. Other board members are Jim Berman, KSFY-TV; Bob Compton, Dacotah Bank; Courtney Ehlers, Avera Health; Doug Ekeren, Avera Sacred Heart Hospital; Joe Entenman, J&L Harley-Davidson; Dr. Kimmy Hart, Sanford Health; and Tasha Unkenholz, Unkenholz Dental. Dr. Rick Kooima, Avera McGreevy Clinic, was elected as a new medical advisor. Additional medical advisors are Dr. Clark Likness, Brown Clinic; Dr. Donald Oliver, Black Hills Pediatrics; and Dr. James Wallace, Sanford Children’s Specialty Clinic.


FACES & PLACES

Be Seen

1

2

3

1-4 The September Membership Mixer was

hosted by Brown & Saenger. Approximately 165 Chamber members enjoyed the networking on a beautiful fall day.

4 chambernews.com | Chamber News  15


FACES & PLACES

Be Seen

5

7 5-6 Members of the Chamber’s Business Leadership Council, Board of Direc-

tors, Ambassador Committee and Diplomat Committee learned about our growing community during a city-wide bus tour. Jeff Schmitt from the City of Sioux Falls for narrated the tour. 7 John Murphy, Senior Vice President for International Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, discussed the importance of international trade agreements and how they impact South Dakota directly.

6 16  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


FACES & PLACES

8

9 8-9 The Chamber’s Diplomat Committee celebrated their 35th anniversary with a reunion gathering. Current and former diplomats enjoyed an evening of laughter and reminiscing.

chambernews.com | Chamber News  17


FACES & PLACES

Be Seen

10

11 10 Members of the Young Professionals Network

toured Raven Industries as part of a recent Community Connections tour. 11 American Bank & Trust hosted approximately 50 Chamber members for Morning Mingle on Sept. 13. Caribou Coffee & Einstein Bagels provided complimentary coffee and bagels for attendees.12 The third annual GreatLife Challenge took place Aug. 31-Sept. 3 at Willow Run Golf Course. Kelsie Passolt, KDLT, was one of two local amateur golfers selected to play in the professional tournament. More than 160 volunteers helped to make the event a success for Sioux Falls.

12 18  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


FACES & PLACES

13 13-14 Chamber members had the opportunity to hear from U.S. Representative Kristi Noem about activity in our nation’s capital during the summer’s final Inside Washington event. Rep. Noem visited with members of the Young Professionals Network in a small group setting prior to the luncheon.

14

chambernews.com | Chamber News  19


FACES & PLACES

Be Seen

15 15 YPN’s most recent A Seat at the Table event fea-

tured Kennen Barber-Ensz, owner of barre3 Sioux Falls. 16 The AgriBusiness Division held its annual golf outing on Sept. 21. Approximately 40 golfers enjoyed the day of golf and networking. Pictured are Paul Renken, The First National Bank in Sioux Falls, Mark Lee, Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, and Shayne Maker, My A Team.

16

20  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


COMMUNITY APPEALS SIOUX FALLS AREA 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. The committee has a responsibility to discourage unnecessary or overlapping drives, to assess funds available in the Sioux Falls business community, and to provide input on realistic drive goals.

Community Appeals scheduled fund drives

Capital fund drive applications will be accepted by the committee until Aug. 1 of any one year and the suggested solicitation amount and time slot for approved drives will be determined and scheduled by the committee no later than February of the following year.

GREAT PLAINS ZOO & DELBRIDGE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY APRIL 1-JULY 31, 2018 $1.41 MILLION

STOCKYARDS AG EXPERIENCE NOV. 1, 2017-MARCH 31, 2018 $1.19 MILLION Create a living heritage outdoor plaza on the site of the original Sioux Falls Stockyards.

Create a new “Big Cats of Africa” exhibit.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY NOV. 1, 2018-MARCH 31, 2019 $1.2 MILLION

Construct a Hope Lodge for patients who live at least 40 miles or one hour from cancer treatment in Sioux Falls.

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICASIOUX COUNCIL APRIL 1-JULY 31, 2019 $1.57 MILLION

Renovate existing facilities to meet the increasing safety and program standards necessary to equip local youth to be “Prepared for Life.”

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

chambernews.com | Chamber News  21


COVER STORY

Building Sioux Falls Steve Van Buskirk takes over as volunteer leader of the Chamber BY JENNIE DOYEN

Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

Steve Van Buskirk has been helping to build the Sioux Falls area since his childhood. His parents, Myron and Joan, founded Van Buskirk Companies in 1971 and soon began building houses in Brandon, which at the time was still an unincorporated community. As a young boy, Van Buskirk earned spending money by cleaning up after work crews in the new homes being constructed in the Kingswood neighborhood on what was then the western edge of town. Sioux Falls has changed drastically since the 1970s, growth that Van Buskirk attributes in part to the Chamber of Commerce. “The Chamber is a building block and a foundational piece of our community’s success,” he said. The Chamber is so ingrained in the community that many people may not realize all the areas that the organization touches. “People seem to understand that the Chamber is a leader, but they may not fully grasp how or why,” stated Van Buskirk. “It is because they are involved in all these different programs, year after year, and they bring people together to help move Sioux Falls forward, to build our economic base and our quality of life.”

22  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

As but one example, Van Buskirk points to the 2015 Legislative Session when a change to the way the bank franchise tax was calculated began to emerge in Pierre. This change targeted Citi due to their unique banking operation in the State of South Dakota. The financial impact of the proposal was significant and would have jeopardized keeping Citi’s charter in-state (which would also jeopardize unclaimed property revenues for state government). Chamber leadership took an active role in the conversations and invited the Governor and his key staff to Sioux Falls to meet with leaders of our area financial institutions. “People may not realize that Chamber leadership was at the table for those conversations between bank officials and the governor,” Van Buskirk said. “Whenever big issues arise, people look to the Chamber.” That Friday afternoon meeting was instrumental in stopping the proposed change and eliminating the risk of losing Citi’s charter to another state. This example of the Chamber’s role in advocating for businesses is replicated over many other public policy issues in our state.


chambernews.com | Chamber News  23


COVER STORY

On Oct. 1, Van Buskirk began a 12-month term as Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Workforce development continues to be challenge in the region, and Van Buskirk expects the Chamber to maintain its focus in the coming year on ways to improve recruitment and retention efforts to strengthen our workforce. The Sioux Falls region is increasingly diverse. More than 5,200 people moved to Sioux Falls last year, and as our community grows, so does its diversity. Creating a community that celebrates diversity is a first step toward building an inclusive workforce culture. If Sioux Falls is intentional about inclusivity, it can continue to grow. Achieving a culture of inclusion requires the long-term vision and commitment of business and community leaders, said Van Buskirk. He calls inclusivity “Workforce 101” and says the first step is to take the time to listen to what people need. “If there are barriers to engaging in the workforce that we can knock down for people, then let’s do that.”

Above: Steve Van Buskirk, Chad Van Buskirk and Mike Van Buskirk review site plans for the development of Lake Lorraine Lifestyle Center. The three brothers lead the company started by their parents, Myron and Joan, in 1971. Above right: A young Steve Van Buskirk plays on construction equipment with his brother Chad in this photo from the 1970s. Lower right: Steve Van Buskirk congratulates Patrick Heitkamp, QuickHealth Urgent Care, following a Chamber ribbon cutting ceremony for his business. QuickHealth Urgent Care is located in the Raintree on Louise development – a Van Buskirk Companies commercial property.

24  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

The Forward Sioux Falls 2021 plan identifies short-, midand long-term initiatives to address workforce challenges. These include external marketing, career-based training and education opportunities and the development of Sioux Falls Thrive—a cradle-to-career coalition. “We are working on all fronts,” said Van Buskirk. “It won’t be any big glamorous headlines, it’s just a lot of hard work year after year. We’ll just keep doing the right things to make our community better.” After graduating Lincoln High School, Van Buskirk left the state to attend the University of Minnesota. He returned to Sioux Falls in 1992 to join his father in the family business and since then has filled a number of roles in the company, from construction manager to property manager, then residential and commercial development. Today he is the Director of Land Development, turning cornfields and vacant lots into finished projects. The role requires him to work with multiple stakeholders to keep projects moving forward. City planning and engineering officials, business owners and customers are


COVER STORY

Steve Van Buskirk, Van Buskirk Companies, is the 2017-18 Chair of the Board for the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

a few of the parties that have influence over how a particular development comes to fruition. Van Buskirk puts it this way, “My job is to find the gaps. I work to coordinate all the parties so that we stay moving toward the end goal.” The ability to collaborate to achieve a goal is a defining characteristic of the Sioux Falls business community, according to Van Buskirk, and something he believes has long been the key to the city’s strong growth. “Sioux Falls is collaborative. Our businesses might compete fiercely, but when needed, we all come together to make things happen. That’s how our community was built.” Another of Van Buskirk’s goals in the coming year is to help member businesses understand the value they receive by investing in an organization that is working for the betterment of the community as a whole. He encourages people to think long-term—a Chamber priority from years ago may be benefitting your business today. “Someone is out there every day, year after year, working to make our business community better. That work results in

population growth, which allows us to expand our businesses organically because there are just more people to serve,” he said. The advocacy work the Chamber does is another benefit that members may not immediately appreciate. The Chamber tracks activity at a city, county, state and national level and keeps members informed of issues and policies that have the potential to impact their business. Van Buskirk said his business, like many others in our community, doesn’t have the time or resources to do that work. Instead they contribute to a larger organization, the Chamber, that can actively look out for the best interest of business and the community. Van Buskirk shared a piece of advice he received from his father: “When you decide you need a membership organization to help you get past a hurdle in your business, it will probably be too late. You need to support the organization now, so that they can support your business when you really need it.”

chambernews.com | Chamber News  25


COVER STORY

Left: Steve Van Buskirk participates in a ribbon cutting ceremony for Grand Living at Lake Lorraine. Below: Steve Van Buskirk and Ryan Jansa at the site of Cherry Lake Reserve in October 2013, when the development was just getting underway.

STEVE VAN BUSKIRK 2017-18 Chair of the Board Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

OCCUPATION

Director of Land Development, Van Buskirk Companies

HOMETOWN

Born in Dubuque, Iowa; raised in Sioux Falls

EDUCATION

Graduated from Lincoln High School, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and later an MBA from the University of Minnesota

FAMILY

Wife, Shannon, and two sons Jacob (14) and Simon (12)

CHAMBER INVOLVEMENT • Leadership Sioux Falls class 7 • Forward Sioux Falls campaigner COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT • Home Builders Association - past president of the

Sioux Empire chapter, also served as a director at the State and National levels • Boy Scouts of America-Sioux Council, co-chaired the Friends of Scouting Committee.

26  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

Van Buskirk will share more about his vision for the coming year during the Chamber’s 111th Annual Meeting, which will be held Oct. 24 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. The event is a chance to celebrate the business community and opportunities for moving the Sioux Falls area forward. The keynote speaker is Elizabeth Gore, Entrepreneurin-Residence for Dell Technologies. Gore will discuss how businesses of all sizes can unlock hidden innovators within their organization. As he begins his year in the Chamber’s top volunteer leadership position, Van Buskirk is keeping his eye on building for the future. “I feel privileged to do my little piece to keep this community moving forward. It has required a lot of people over the course of a lot of years to accomplish what we have,” he said. “This is how we’ve been successful in the past, and it will continue to keep us strong in the future.”


S I O U X FA L L S A R E A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE th

111 Annual Meeting TUESDAY

OCTOBER JOIN US AT THE 111TH ANNUAL MEETING

to celebrate our strong foundation and bright future. Sioux Falls Convention Center 1201 N. West Ave. Sponsored by the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

24 2017-18 Chair of the Board Steve Van Buskirk

Van Buskirk Companies

4:30 p.m.

RECEPTION

6:30 p.m. DINNER

7:30 p.m.

PROGRAM

9:15 p.m.

POST-RECEPTION

KEYNOTE SPEAKER Elizabeth Gore is the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Dell Technologies, where she oversees advocacy efforts to support global entrepreneurship. Gore is ambassador for the importance of policies and practices that support and enable the growth of small business owners, including an emphasis on female entrepreneurs. She is a firm believer that entrepreneurship is a mindset and will explain how large corporations can unlock hidden innovators within their organization and how smaller businesses can drive scaled success while retaining an entrepreneurial and innovative culture.

Keynote Speaker Elizabeth Gore

Dell Technologies

Tickets: $85 per person. Reserved tables of 10 are available. Visit siouxfallschamber.com, or call (605) 336-1620 to reserve your ticket for the Annual Meeting.


HEADLINES

Community leaders join Chamber Board of Directors As directed by the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce bylaws, each year, five individuals are nominated to serve three-year terms on the Board of Directors. The following Chamber members have been elected and began their term of service October 1, 2017: Tom Biegler, Regency Hotel Management; Paul Hanson, Sanford Health; Randy Knecht, Journey Group; Karla Santi, Blend Interactive; and Claire Santos, Zoup! and Wingstop. In addition, the Board elected Curt Zaske, Wells Fargo, to fill seat vacated by Bill Albrecht. Zaske will serve two years on the Board, completing Albrecht’s original three-year term. The following Board members were also elected to serve one-year terms on the Chamber´s Executive Committee: Chair Steve Van Buskirk, Van Buskirk Companies; Chair-Elect Tim Sturdevant, Sturdevant’s Auto Parts; Vice Chair Bobbi Thury, Legacy Law Firm; Treasurer Dan Doyle, Cutler Law Firm; and Immediate Past Chair Dave Kapaska, D.O., retired. Chamber President/CEO Jason Ball is also a member of the Chamber’s Executive Committee, serving as its Secretary. The Chamber’s Board of Directors is rounded out by the following members: Wendy Bergan, JDS Industries; Sharon Haselhoff, Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort; Mike Hauck, Accord Commercial Real Estate LLC; Laurie Knutson, EmBe; Mark Mickelson, Mickelson & Company; Christy Nicolaisen, Multi-Cultural Center of Sioux Falls; Alex Ramirez, USA Media TV; and Carl Wynja, U.S. Bank. The following representatives also serve as ex-officio members: Gerald Beninga, Minnehaha County Commission; Kyle Groos, Sioux Falls Catholic School System; Mayor Mike Huether, City of Sioux Falls; Dr. Brian Maher, Sioux Falls School District; Kate Parker, Sioux Falls School Board; and Jim Schmidt, Lincoln County Commission. The following retiring directors will be recognized at the Chamber’s 111th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24: Immediate Past Chair Paul Bruflat, CNA Surety; Gary Gaspar, Interstate Office Products; John Henkhaus, The Everist Company; Jay Huizenga, KELO-TV; and Dean Karsky, Farmers Insurance Group/ Karsky Agency.

28  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

2017-18 SIOUX FALLS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEADERSHIP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair  Steve Van Buskirk Van Buskirk Companies

Treasurer  Dan Doyle Cutler Law Firm

Chair-Elect   Tim Sturdevant Sturdevant’s Auto Parts

Immediate past chair  Dave Kapaska, D.O.

Vice Chair  Bobbi Thury Legacy Law Firm, P.C.

President/CEO  Jason Ball Chamber of Commerce

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Wendy Bergan JDS Industries Tom Biegler Regency Hotel Management Paul Hanson Sanford Health Sharon Haselhoff Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort Mike Hauck Accord Commercial Real Estate, LLC Randy Knecht Journey Group

Laurie Knutson EmBe Mark Mickelson Mickelson & Co. Christy Nicolaisan Multi-Cultural Center of Sioux Falls Alex Ramirez USA Media TV Karla Santi Blend Interactive Claire Santos Zoup! and Wingstop Carl Wynja U.S. Bank

EX-OFFICIO Gerald Beninga Minnehaha County Commission Kyle Groos Sioux Falls Catholic Schools Mayor Mike Huether City of Sioux Falls

Dr. Brian Maher Superintendent, Sioux Falls Public School System Kate Parker Sioux Falls School Board Jim Schmidt Lincoln County Commission


Tom Biegler is the President & CEO of Regency Hotel Management. Biegler currently serves on the South Dakota Tourism Board, the Avera McKennan Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors for Sioux Falls Cares, and the Board of Directors for Ramkota Companies. He has previously volunteered for numerous other community organization boards, including the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau.

TOM BIEGLER

Regency Hotel Management

Paul A. Hanson, MHA, FACHE, is Executive Vice President for Sanford Health. Hanson also serves on the boards of directors for the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. Sanford Health has been a Chamber member since 1907. PAUL A. HANSON Sanford Health

Randy Knecht is the President & CEO of Journey Group Companies. He is active in the community, currently serving on the boards of directors for Junior Achievement, Volunteers of America - Dakotas Foundation, Northern State University Foundation and the advisory board for The First National Bank in Sioux Falls. His past service includes Eide Bailly, Southeast Tech Foundation, YMCA and CFMA. RANDY KNECHT Journey Group Companies Knecht’s involvement with the Chamber includes serving on the Community Appeals Committee, the Business Leadership Council and Forward Sioux Falls – most recently as co-chair of the Pacesetter Division in 2021 campaign. He is a graduate of Leadership Sioux Falls class 13 and Journey Group has been a Chamber member since 1907.

Karla Santi is the CEO and founding partner of Blend Interactive. She currently serves as the Chair of the Chamber’s Business Leadership Council and was a breakout session speaker at YPN’s 2017 Crossroads Summit. Santi is an active mentor through EmBe’s Women’s Leadership Program and volunteers on the marketing committees for Downtown Sioux Falls and EmBe. She previously served on the AIGA Board of Directors. Blend Interactive has been a Chamber member since 2001. Claire Santos is the Owner and Brand Partner of Wingstop and Zoup! restaurants in Sioux Falls. She is a board member and past secretary for the Sioux Falls Children’s Choir, a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners and a member of the American Business Women’s Association. Santos also previously served as Director of Youth Affairs for Rotary Club of Cavite East.

KARLA SANTI Blend Interactive

CLAIRE SANTOS Wingstop/Zoup!

Curt Zaske is Market President and Business Banking Manager for Wells Fargo Bank. He has served or is currently serving on boards of directors for Sioux Empire Housing Partnership, Sioux Empire United Way, Volunteers of America, Dakotas and the National Board of Directors for Volunteers of America, Inc where he served three years as National Treasurer. Zaske’s involvement with the Chamber of Commerce has ranged from CURT ZASKE Wells Fargo Bank Ag Appreciation Day and Sioux Empire Farm Show volunteer to working on numerous Community Appeals campaigns. He is a graduate of Leadership Sioux Falls class 6 and most recently served as a cabinet member for the Forward Sioux Falls 2021 Campaign.

chambernews.com | Chamber News  29


BUSINESS ADVOCACY

A busy public policy and political summer Ah, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer when we get a chance to kick-back, enjoy some downtime and relax. Whoops, not this summer as it has been filled with activity and will most likely be a summer where past is prologue to a very busy 2018. So, as we prepare for the upcoming year, let’s look back and see exactly how the table is being set.

A SPECIAL SESSION

MARK LEE

Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

Everything is setting the stage for public policy and political activity in what will be a very busy 2018.

We began this summer in a unique way as our Legislature met in special session on June 12 to consider the issue of nonmeandered waters and the recommendations coming from a study committee on the issue. A compromise bill was debated, passed and signed by the governor. However, the 2018 legislature will be required to revisit the issue since there was a sunset clause on the act of June 30, 2018. If they do not, at a minimum, eliminate the sunset clause the provisions of the act are automatically repealed and we would be right back where we were. The 2017 special session was the sixth special session since 2000. Below is a list of those sessions and their topics: December 29, 2000

The sale of the State Cement Plant

October 24, 2001

Legislative redistricting based on the 2000 census

June 27, 2003

Health insurance and establishing a health insurance risk pool

October 14, 2005

Appropriate funds for the Homestake underground lab project

October 24, 2011

Legislative and judicial redistricting based on the 2010 census

June 12, 2017

Nonmeandered waters

As you can see, special sessions are rare, but we can be assured of one in 2021 following the results of the 2020 census. We’ll analyze that more deeply in the future as the Sioux Falls area will undoubtedly have at least one more district added.

LEGISLATIVE INTERIM COMMITTEES In addition to the nonmeandered waters issue, the legislature had three different committees meeting that were of interest to the Chamber. They include the Task Force on Government Accountability; the Task Force on Initiative and Referendum; and the Workforce Housing Committee. As of this writing, only the Task Force on Initiative and Referendum has produced substantive results in terms of legislative proposals. All three of them will continue to meet and be active well into October. The Task Force on Government Accountability is focusing on issues of campaign finance and reporting as those issues were prominent in IM 22 that passed last fall and was subsequently repealed by the legislature. It remains to be seen what will come from it exactly, but we do anticipate proposed changes. The Task Force on Initiative and Referendum is really focusing on the details of the initiative process, changes to improve the process and ways to help educate voters. There is no effort to eliminate access to the ballot by citizens, but there are proposals to make certain changes. We have long been concerned about how relatively easy it is to gain access to the ballot and voter approval for constitutional amendments. While the signature requirement is greater than for initiated laws, a constitutional amendment only requires a majority vote to enact. In all the Task Force’s work, this may be the area we need to be most attentive. The Committee on Workforce Housing, as of this writing, has only met twice and does not have another meeting scheduled. We do not know what to expect from this study and have not seen any substantive legislative proposals. One thing we do know is that with state revenues where they are today, funding for new programs will be hard to come by.

30  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


INITIATED MEASURES While the initiative process is being studied, it also being actively used by several parties as they seek access to the 2018 general election ballot. To make the ballot, petitioners must have signatures to the Secretary of State’s office by November 6, 2017 which is one year prior to the 2018 election. To initiate a law, petitions must have at least 13,871 valid signatures. To initiate a constitutional amendment, petitions must have at least 27,741 valid signatures. As of this writing, there are 12 petitions being circulated for initiated measures with four of them proposing to amend our constitution and eight of them proposing new laws. As we have described before, South Dakota has both a relatively low threshold for access to the ballot and we permit initiated measures for both laws and constitutional amendments. Plus, our relatively inexpensive media markets make us ripe for experimentation. After we identify which of the measures are certified for the ballot, we will begin our efforts to educate and inform our membership and leadership. We may also engage in one or more of the campaigns as we have done in the past. So, 2018 is going to be a busy year from this perspective too.

ELECTIONS On Tuesday, April 10, the next Sioux Falls city election will be held and, almost undoubtedly, on Tuesday, May 1, a runoff election will be held. There are five city posts to be filled and they include the Mayor, two at-large city council positions, the city councilor for the southeast district and the city councilor from the central district. The council races are just starting to see some action and two of the races will likely have incumbents vying to retain their seats – Christine Erickson (at-large B) and Rick Kiley (southeast). The other two council seats are currently held by Rex Rolfing (at-large A) and Michelle Erpenbach (central) and both are term-limited. The mayor’s race is garnering a lot more attention and, as of this writing, finds eight declared candidates for the office being vacated by Mayor Mike Huether who is term-limited. To win the mayoral race requires a majority of the votes cast meaning that a runoff is almost a certainty. In 2010, there were six candidates and the leading vote-getter in the initial election was Kermit Staggers with 49 more votes than Mike Huether. Neither of these candidates got even 25 percent of the votes cast. In the runoff, Mike Huether won rather handily with 56.7 percent of the vote. And, the runoff election had a larger turnout than the initial election. The statewide elections already have a number of high-profile campaigns well underway. On November 6, 2018 we will be electing the offices of U.S. House of Representatives, Governor and Lt. Governor, Public Utilities Commissioner, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, and Commissioner of School and Public Lands. Of course, all 105 legislative seats are up for election as well as many county posts. When combined with the initiated measures, the ballot will be, once again, quite full.

NEW LEGISLATIVE APPOINTMENT Also, this summer, Rep. Don Haggar stepped away from his District 10 legislative post to take a new position. District 10 is a rather large geographic district for the Sioux Falls area and includes the City of Brandon plus part of northeast Sioux Falls that is mainly east of I-229 and north of 10th Street/Arrowhead Parkway. In these instances, the Governor makes the replacement decision and, as a side note, this is the 14th appointment made by Governor Daugaard. From what we heard, there was a lot of interest in this open seat with several excellent candidates. In the end, Doug Barthel was appointed to the seat. We congratulate Doug and look forward to working with him as he assumes this new role. In addition, we thank Rep. Haggar for his service to our state.

CONCLUSION The word conclusion is probably a misnomer since everything we wrote about herein is setting the stage for public policy and political activity in what will be a very busy 2018. Yes, Mr. Shakespeare, indeed “what’s past is prologue.”

chambernews.com | Chamber News  31


HEADLINES

Leadership Sioux Falls class 32 announced The 32nd class of the Evan C. Nolte Leadership Sioux Falls program meets for the first time this month. Thirty-one individuals representing a variety of businesses, industries and non-profits comprise this year’s class. A signature program of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Sioux Falls uses the community as its classroom and is designed to meet the community’s need for active participation of informed and dedicated community leaders. The goal of the program is to inform, challenge and motivate participants by providing information on community resources, discussing community concerns, interacting with community leaders and building a sense of community trusteeship. Angela Lammers of Cetera Services will facilitate 2017-18 program. Chamber President & CEO Jason Ball said that Lammers has been involved in guiding improvements made to the program in recent years. “Angela is continuing to evolve the program to meet changing needs and make it an experience that stays with participants throughout their careers,” said Ball.

Evan C. Nolte

Leadership Sioux Falls

Class 32

Jennifer Adix

Mary Kolsrud

Robbie Arend

Mindy Kroll

Amberly Austad

Ashley Lipp

BryAnn Becker Knecht

Ryan Martin

Matt Brockmeier

Andrea Miller

Jade Delaney

Erik Nyberg

Christopher Drayer

Thomas Otten

Minnehaha County First Bank & Trust Lemonly Poet

Security National Bank of South Dakota Sanford Health Foundation J & L Harley-Davidson

Joel Engel

Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith P.C.

Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Time Management Systems Lloyd Companies U.S. Bank

Journey Group Companies Cutler Law Firm, LLP Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center

Tommy Pollema

Dr. Eric Fahrendorf

Cain Ellsworth & Company, LLP

Steven Fessler

P & M Steel Co.

More than 900 people have graduated from Leadership Sioux Falls and gone on to serve the community and the region in a number of leadership positions. The class runs October through May each year, with applications available in July and selections taking place in September. This year, 75 applications were received for Leadership Sioux Falls 32. Due to the nature of the program, class size is limited each year.

Lucas Fiegen

Lutheran Social Services of SD

Mallory Flanigan

Helpline Center

Lexie Frankman

RSM US LLP

Nikki Gronli

American Bank & Trust

Eric Gulden

Sioux Falls Development Foundation Southeast Tech

Congratulations to the class members and their sponsors. For more information on Leadership Sioux Falls, contact the Chamber at (605) 336-1620.

Michelle Klobassa TSP, Inc.

32  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

Fahrendorf Family Chiropractic & Wellness, P.C. City of Sioux Falls

Fiegen Construction Co. Tallgrass Recovery & Sober Living Homes Midco

SDN Communications Dorsey & Whitney Trust Company LLC

Katrin Profilet Sara Ramirez Susie Ryks

Daniel Schelske Aaron Tribble

Jennifer Tuttle

Chellee Unruh


HEADLINES

Pictured above is the 2016 Veterans Day program. The 2017 program will be held Saturday, Nov. 11.

Program planned for Veterans Day Among the great days of national remembrance, none is more deeply moving to Americans than Veterans Day. The Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, in partnership with local veterans organizations, will host a Veterans Day program on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. In a change from tradition, this year’s program will take place at Washington High School, located at 501 N. Sycamore Ave.

The program will 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. Brigadier General Myrna H. Williamson will deliver the keynote address.

VETERANS DAY CEREMONIES Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 10:30 a.m. Washington High School 501 N. Sycamore Ave.

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

State Chamber provides Economic Outlook seminar The South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry will hold their annual Economic Outlook seminar to provide a look at regional and statewide economic projections and industry trends. The seminar will be held Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 4-6 p.m. at The Country Club of Sioux Falls. The seminar is crafted with input from business leaders, young professionals and educators. This year’s event has been redesigned to provide top quality speakers presenting concise information in an interesting format. The agenda includes a networking opportunity for attendees and will feature two speakers. Dr. Ernest P. Goss, professor at Creighton University Heider College of Business, will offer future projections on current economic indicators. This will include a review of 2017 projections and track the

successful and missed predictions. A second speaker, to be announced soon, will provide a focused look at retail trends. “Providing quality speakers on important topics fits the South Dakota Chamber’s mission to serve its members, as well as the statewide business community,” stated Fred Slunecka, Avera Health, and Founding Chairman of the Economic Outlook Seminar program. Slunecka is also a past chair of the South Dakota Chamber Board of Directors.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK SEMINAR Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017 4-6 p.m. The Country Club of Sioux Falls $30 per person Learn more at sdchamber.biz

The Economic Outlook seminar is open to the public. The registration fee is $30 and includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. More information can be found at sdchamber.biz. The deadline to register is Friday, Nov. 3.

chambernews.com | Chamber News  33


HEADLINES

Elizabeth Gore to keynote Chamber’s Annual Meeting The Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its 111th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. The featured speaker is Elizabeth Gore, Entrepreneurin-Residence (EIR) at Dell Technologies and Emeritus Chair of the United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council. Gore is ambassador for the importance of ELIZABETH GORE policies and practices that support and enable Dell Technologies the growth of small business owners, including a particular emphasis on female entrepreneurs. She was recruited by Michael Dell to serve as the company’s second-ever EIR, overseeing Dell’s advocacy efforts to support global entrepreneurship. Gore is a firm believer that entrepreneurship is a mindset and will explain how large corporations can unlock hidden innovators within their organization and how smaller businesses can drive scaled success while retaining an entrepreneurial and innovative culture. Gore was the first woman in her family to attend college and then went on to work at the United Nations, first as Vice President of Global Partnerships and later at the UN Foundation led by Ted Turner. She is a regular columnist for Inc., where she writes about the intersection of entrepreneurship, government, technology, and business. She was named by People as one of the top “100 Extraordinary Women,” one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business” and to Entrepreneur Magazine’s list of “Women to Watch.” The theme for the evening is Building on a Great Foundation. The Annual Meeting will celebrate the successes of the past and share priorities for the coming year. The event also launches the one-year term of the incoming chair, Steve Van Buskirk, Director of Land Development at Van Buskirk Companies. Van Buskirk assumed the Chamber’s top volunteer position Oct. 1, following 2016-17 Chair of the Board Dr. Dave Kapaska. Randell Beck, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center is serving as chair of the Annual Meeting. The Denny Sanford PREMIER Center is sponsoring this year’s event. Tickets are available for $85 per person or a table of ten for $850. For more information about tickets, contact Teresa Schreier at (605) 373-2050 or tschreier@siouxfalls.com.

34  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

SIOUX FALLS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 111TH ANNUAL MEETING Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, Sioux Falls Convention Center Featuring keynote speaker Elizabeth Gore, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Dell Technologies

Social, 4:30 p.m. Dinner, 6:30 p.m. Program, 7:30 p.m. Program includes: • Introduction of the 2017-18 Chair of the Board Steve Van Buskirk, Van Buskirk Companies • Recognition of retiring Board Members • Announcement of the 2017 Bernie DeWald Award recipient • Keynote presentation from innovator Elizabeth Gore

Tickets are $85 per person. Tables of ten may be reserved for $850. Order tickets online at siouxfallschamber.com or call (605) 336-1620. Sponsored by the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.


BUSINESS SENSE

Health Savings Accounts still on the rise BY NATHAN SCHWAB

KEY HSA BENEFITS TO EMPLOYEES

As soon as the leaves start to fall and the first chill is in the air, medical benefits for the upcoming year become a topic of workplace conversation. With that topic comes the often-heard HSA discussion. Health savings accounts (HSAs) no longer feel like the “new kid on the block” after over a decade of existence. However, many employers and employees are still discovering the vast benefits of this workhorse savings account.

HSAs are just as attractive an option for employees as for their employers. The tax implications alone are enough for an HSA to stand out in the health care benefit crowd. Employees receive potential tax-free earnings on their HSA as well as pre-tax payroll contributions. Tax-free withdrawals to cover their qualified health care expenses and tax-advantaged savings for future medical needs make these accounts smart investments. Unlike other medical savings accounts, HSAs do not come with a “use it or lose it” penalty. These accounts carry over year after year. Knowing that medical needs can change drastically from one year to the next, this account feature makes it extremely flexible for individuals and families.

First Bank & Trust

NATHAN SCHWAB First Bank & Trust

At its core, an HSA is a special-purpose account that enables you to pay for current health expenses and save for future qualified medical expenses, including retiree health expenses, on a tax-free basis. Several key features make an HSA a win-win offering for employers and employees.

EMPLOYERS BENEFIT FROM OFFERING HSAs Offering employees an HSA-eligible high-deductible health plan (HDHP) has its benefits for a company. With ever-rising medical costs, a higher-deductible health care option can save employers on a portion of the premiums. In many cases a higher-deductible option used by employees can change their health behavior for the positive, saving employers money on insurance claims. HSA contributions by the employer may be deducted on their federal corporate income tax return for the contribution year. Tax advisors should be consulted on this benefit, but often HSA contributions to employees by employers can result in significant tax savings for the company. Offering a high-deductible health care option with an HSA is often a competitive benefit that is used to attract good employees. Because this account follows the individual, employees feel this benefit aids in taking control of their health and financial futures.

Perhaps the most unique and attractive feature of an HSA is that it belongs to the employee. Through change of jobs or health care plans, as well as through retirement, the HSA is the employee’s asset to continue to save and spend. This feature means the HSA can act not only as a medical savings account, but it can also be used as a part of an individual’s overall financial plan. By taking advantage of an HSA in their 20s, when medical expenses are low, an employee can let that money grow tax free for 30 to 40 years. If an HSA is started a bit later for an employee, say in their 50s, it’s not too late to reap the benefits. Currently, employees 55 or older can take advantage of the $1,000 annual catch-up contribution, allowing them to save tax free faster. Health savings accounts are a win-win offering for both employers and employees. With a new year right around the corner, consider adding an HSA option to your individual portfolio or your company’s medical benefits offerings today. Nathan Schwab is a Retail Banking Officer at First Bank & Trust in Sioux Falls. He specializes in educating businesses and individuals on health savings accounts. This article is general information regarding Health Savings Accounts. Please consult a financial or tax advisor on any benefits associated with these accounts.

chambernews.com | Chamber News  35


Why Sioux Falls? There are many reasons groups of all sizes choose to meet in Sioux Falls. As the CVB travels throughout the country selling the community as THE place to meet, we have great fun in cheering about the many exceptional opportunities Sioux Falls offers visitors. Here are just a few of the great reasons we believe people choose Sioux Falls for their convention, meeting, or event……………

1.

The people.

2.

Sioux Falls is easy to get to.

3.

Lots to do and see.

4.

Eat. Sip. Enjoy.

5.

You’re safe.

6.

Hotels for everyone.

7.

Places to meet.

8.

You can count on the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

Sioux Falls is known for its hospitality. Warm smiles are common to those we know and those we meet on the street.

Being located in the “Heart of America” is a big plus for those traveling here. Sitting at the junction of 2 major interstates makes it easy to drive to. Add in the available air service and it’s easy to get here from anywhere.

Falls Park, the zoo, waterparks, museums, sporting events, concerts, plays, musicals, art, culture, bike trail, festivals, shopping and so much more – there’s a lengthy list of ways to have fun in Sioux Falls.

Sioux Falls has well over 700 restaurants, several breweries, & wineries.

With the low crime rate and excellent police force you can feel safe.

Our community offers a wide range of hotels--from budget to premium-choose what works for you.

If you want a state-of-the-art convention center, we have it. If you want a hotel with meeting space, it’s here. If you want a park, we have many. If you want a sports facility, take a look. If you want an arena, we’ll show you a great one. You tell us what you need and we’ll show it to you.

The CVB stands committed to working with any group from planning to the end of your gathering. Sioux Falls’ hospitality community is a strong group of partners who work together to make Sioux Falls a #1 Host City. We focus on making every visitor’s stay successful and memorable. Contact the Sioux Falls CVB to bring your Convention, Meeting, Event, Reunion, or Vacation Group to Sioux Falls! 605.275.6060 36  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


Autumn is in the Air! Falls Park Visitor Information Center

Open daily 10am-9pm through October 29, 2017. For winter hours call 605.367.7430 or go to VisitSiouxFalls.com/FallsPark.

Sioux Falls

Welcomes Pheasant Hunters!

Thursday • October 19, 2017 • 12pm - 7pm Friday • October 20, 2017 • 9:30am - 7pm For more information contact Rachel at rcrane@siouxfalls.com or 605.373.2026.


MEMBER VOICE

Building a disability inclusive workforce Do you know what the third largest market segment in the United States is? It is the 57 million people with disabilities. As with any customer base, one of the best ways to tap into this market is to have people with disabilities represented in your workforce. According to a national survey of consumer attitudes towards companies that hire people with disabilities, 92 percent of the American public view companies that hire people with disabilities favorably, and 87 percent of the public prefers to give their business to companies that employ people with disabilities.

VICKI KERKVLIET

Business Resource Network

Inclusive cultures promote healthy and functional environments for everyone.

Seventy six percent of job seekers with disabilities said it was important for a potential employer to have a reputation as being “disability friendly.” There are several items to consider as you evaluate how your company can become more disability friendly.

APPLICATION Sometimes parts of an application process might unintentionally weed out good applicants with disabilities. Consider ways to remove obstacles and you may get more applicants and a wider range of candidates to select the best person for the position. Is your website accessible? Do people get timed out quickly when completing online applications? Please consider alternative ways for people to apply for a job. Can they fill out a paper copy rather than doing it online? Include a sentence on the online application stating, “If you cannot fill out the online application or need assistance, please contact…”

JOB INTERVIEW One thing some employers fear in hiring a person with a disability is whether the person will be able to do the job. In fact, the law is clear that applicants with disabilities, like all other applicants, must be able to meet your essential requirements for the job (such as education, training, experience, skills or licenses) and perform the essential functions of the job. You do not need to be afraid of these legal requirements. If you wonder how to determine if an employee is qualified without violating the sometimes-confusing rules of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the answer is simple: You can always ask applicants about their abilities, just not their disabilities.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS Your only additional obligation to an employee with a disability is to offer reasonable accommodations so that the employee can perform his or her job. A reasonable accommodation is simply that – a reasonable change that an employer can make for an employee to do his or her job. Most accommodations are simple, such as a special chair for an employee or perhaps a slightly modified work schedule. No such change or modification is required if it would cause undue hardship to the employer. “Undue hardship” means significant difficulty or expense and focuses on the resources and circumstances of the employer in relationship to the cost or difficulty providing a specific accommodation. An accommodation request can be made any time during the application process or while a person is employed. It is important not to focus on the disability when a request has been made; focus on what is needed for this person to perform their job. Providing reasonable accommodations leads to increased retention and productivity. Many times, people with disabilities have creative ways to make accommodations with little or no cost to the employer. An inclusive culture involves the full and successful integration of diverse people into a workplace. It means being inclusive in word and deed! It indicates a climate in which respect, equity and positive recognition of differences are all cultivated. Inclusive cultures promote healthy and functional environments for everyone. Communication is the key. It is important to have open dialogue between the employer and all employees. Vicki Kerkvliet is the Executive Director of Business Resource Network. For more information about the resources available for successfully employing people with disabilities, please contact the Business Resource Network at (605) 215-1760.

38  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


BUSINESS NEWS

Local entrepreneurs to speak at annual Innovation Expo South Dakota’s largest entrepreneurship conference is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 12 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Sioux Falls. The Innovation Expo encourages and celebrates entrepreneurship and connects those involved in the process of launching and growing businesses. Several local entrepreneurs will take the stage to share their story in hopes to inspire current and future entrepreneurs to take the leap into business. They include: Matt Paulson, founder of MarketBeat and chairman of Falls Angel Fund, LLC; John Berdahl, partner at Vance Thompson Vision;

annual Spirit of Enterprise Award winner will also be announced. Jodi Schwan, founder of Align Content Studio; Addie Graham-Kramer, founder of The Event Company; and Andy Jorgensen, founder of Fire Bros. Fireworks. These local business owners will share the stage with other regional and national speakers who will be speaking on a variety of entrepreneurial topics. The 2017 Innovation Expo features a student idea competition, including prize money, for post-secondary students. The

Tickets are $25, or $10 for students. Register at sdinnovationexpo.com. The Innovation Expo is a program of The Enterprise Institute, which seeks to encourage and assist the establishment of growth enterprises in the state. Key sponsors for this year’s event include the Bush Foundation, MarketBeat, MidAmerican Energy and the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship.

Volunteers needed to rake the town Volunteers are needed for the annual Workers on Wheels Rake the Town event, which will take place Oct. 27-28 in Sioux Falls. Rake the Town serves individuals within the Sioux Falls city limits over the age of 60 who do not have family available in the area to help with their yard work and are not financially or physically able to do the work themselves. Individuals under 60 with a documented physical disability are also eligible.

Over 1,000 volunteers are needed for this important community-wide event. Businesses, service groups, church groups, students, families and individuals are welcome to participate in the project to help the elderly in Sioux Falls. Workers on Wheels will provide the leaf bags but volunteers are asked to bring their own rakes and haul the bags to the leaf drop-off site. The Sioux Falls Landfill allows Rake the Town volunteers free access to the leaf drop off sites during the event.

The volunteer registration deadline is Oct. 12. To register or for more information, visit helplinecenter.org. Rake the Town is sponsored by CNA Surety.

chambernews.com | Chamber News  39


BUSINESS NEWS

Visitor Industry Updates MARKETING STRATEGY DRIVES SHOULDER SEASON TRAVEL The Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau is preparing to launch a shoulder season marketing campaign to encourage travel to Sioux Falls mid-October through February. This year there will be three phases of the campaign: Fall, Holiday and Winter. Each phase will promote a new lead-generating sweepstakes and will have unique imagery and messaging to align with the seasonality. The primary target market covers a 300-mile radius around Sioux Falls. The CVB will also keep a presence in Chicago and Kansas City from summer marketing efforts and will test fly-in creative in the markets of Orlando and Dallas/Fort Worth. A new dynamic content platform will feature imagery and content unique to each user’s interests on the landing page where users can register for the giveaway. Users can register for each of the three contests during the open timeframe.

Winners of the mechanical bull riding contest were L to R: Vanessa Gomez, Reece Ullerich and Troy Geis.

After a visitor registers for the giveaway, they will be directed to a newly developed persona slider that will engage them with partner directory listings or “things to do.” The persona slider will ask the user to rate their interest on a variety of topics, and in turn will display activities that fit their interests through an interactive graphic. Incorporating the directory listings will also drive users to utilize the trip planner for further engagement. The three giveaway time frames and persona slider will seek to achieve increased repeat engagement throughout the entire campaign, increased engagement with the trip planner and help showcase Sioux Falls culture. Creative ad elements include programmatic display and remarketing, Facebook canvas, Facebook static, social video, retargeting and native content. Online travel agency placements will reach an audience to encourage a booking after leaving the inspiration phase of their travel planning. Direct email campaigns will be deployed through USA Today to Des Moines, Minneapolis/Saint Paul and Omaha. From the CVB’s segmented email database, an initial auto-responder will be deployed and an automation tree incorporating a countdown clock to the next giveaway will be implemented. Influencers will also be a part of the shoulder season campaign. Three influencers will visit Sioux Falls at the start of the campaign. They will cover travel as a family, a foodie and an urban explorer or active traveler. Additional influencers will distribute the original travel content to engage audiences using Linqia’s Performance Match technology. Additionally, the Sioux Falls CVB will directly reach out to and engage up to three additional influencers in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. This effort is made possible through cooperative marketing funds provided by the South Dakota Department of Tourism.

40  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

Dakota Angler announced during a press conference that it will hold its Ice Institute at the Sioux Falls Arena in November this year. Picture left to right are South Dakota Secretary of Tourism Jim Hagen, Dennis Kassube, Dakota Angler owner Todd Heitkamp and Teri Schmidt.

ICE INSTITUTE IS A REGIONAL DRAW Dakota Angler will hold its 9th Annual Ice Institute Nov. 10-12 at the Sioux Falls Arena. The event is expected to draw fishing enthusiasts from a ten-state area. Show attendees will learn valuable information on trends within the industry, as well as pick up some new tips and tricks for their next outing. As the fourth largest ice fishing show in the nation, there is no other show like this in the tri-state area. All ages are welcome! There will be a kids’ fishing pond with all the proceeds going to Cure Kids Cancer.


NEW CONFERENCE CONNECTS CVB TO MEDICAL STAKEHOLDERS

The Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) will attend the Connect Medical conference in Cincinnati, Ohio at the Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel Oct. 24-26. This is a new event produced by Connect Meetings that will bring together medical stakeholders, hoteliers and suppliers for one-one-one meetings, continuing education sessions, keynote general sessions and networking. During the marketplace session of Connect Medical, planners and sellers are matched based on their specific needs and participate in pre-scheduled appointments to exchange information, RFPs and book future events.

SIOUX FALLS PREMIER RODEO BROADCAST NATIONALLY

CVB TO PITCH AT CONNECT FAITH

Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Sales Manager Erin DeWitt will represent Sioux Falls at the Connect Faith conference to be held Oct. 24-26 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Connect Faith is an annual education conference and appointment-only reverse tradeshow. The reverse tradeshow system matches planners and suppliers for individual appointments based on their needs, requests and additional factors. This show brings together active planners, suppliers and industry experts in faith-based meetings and events for three days of general sessions, workshops, appointments and numerous networking events. DeWitt will have the opportunity to meet with over 30 faith-based meeting planners during one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments. Thousands of suppliers and meeting planners will meet in Cincinnati looking for new opportunities and growth.

The Sioux Falls PREMIER Rodeo was held at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center Sept. 29–30 as part of the 2017 PRCA Wrangler Champions Challenge Finale. The PREMIER Rodeo featured some of the top rodeo stars competing for the grand prize and a chance to qualify for the 2017 National Finals Rodeo. Sioux Falls received national coverage as the rodeo was televised on CBS Sports Network, which reaches about 60 million households across America.

chambernews.com | Chamber News  41


CHAMBER PARTNER

Groundbreakings highlight a summer of development This summer has been a busy season for groundbreakings, and the ceremonies illustrate the strong growth and diversity of development Sioux Falls is experiencing. Hosted by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, groundbreaking ceremonies give expanding and new companies an opportunity to announce their projects to the public and invite the business community to share the excitement. This year the Foundation will host 12 groundbreaking ceremonies—nearly double last year’s total. Even more significant is the dollar volume and industry sector range of the projects announced. DEAN DZIEDZIC

Sioux Falls Development Foundation

...this year’s groundbreaking activities reflect the pattern of growth in our community

Bookending the groundbreaking season thus far have been major projects in the health services sector, as both Sanford and Avera broke ground. In March, Sanford announced the construction of a 42,000 square foot multi-purpose clinic; a $21 million project bringing services to the west side of Sioux Falls at 32nd Street and Ellis Road. On August 22, ceremonies celebrated the kickoff of the $174 million, 210,000 square foot Avera on Louise Health Campus, with orthopedics and sports medicine, gastroenterology, rheumatology and internal medicine services all in one location. “Groundbreaking” had another meaning for several of the projects this summer. The 205,000 square foot, $45 million Win Chill facility is the first company to build in Foundation Park. The USD Discovery District, an 80-acre contemporary corporate and academic research park, broke ground for the initial roads and utilities that will provide the foundation and main intersection for the innovative development district. The Copper Pass apartment complex is one of the first to meet Passive building standards, achieving a highly rigorous benchmark for energy efficiency, reducing its overall environmental footprint. And the new Gage Brothers concrete production plant, a $40 million, 260,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility, will revolutionize the way concrete building components are made in the midwest. Governor Dennis Daugaard was on hand for all of these groundbreaking ceremonies, underscoring their innovative potential for our state’s economy. Commercial businesses were well-represented on this year’s groundbreaking schedule, with ceremonies marking the new 25,000 square foot headquarters for Hegg, REALTORS—an expansion that mirrors the explosive real estate market growth in the Sioux Falls region—and a new location for Reliabank Dakota, a $6.5 million building in southwest Sioux Falls at 86th Street and Dakota Hawk Avenue, with 14,960 square feet on two stories. The Dow Rummel senior living campus broke ground in May for a $30.5 million, 81,000 square foot, two-story building with 30 memory care rooms and other added amenities. And Downtown Rotary got into the groundbreaking spirit with a ceremony held on the banks of the Big Sioux River for Rotary Centennial Plaza at the mouth of the 10th Street bridge and River Road. The 2017 groundbreaking season isn’t over yet. Still to come this year are the groundbreaking ceremonies for Siouxland Heritage Museums expansion project October 12, and the much-anticipated groundbreaking for the City of Sioux Falls’ plans to develop the downtown rail yards on November 8. Together, this year’s groundbreaking activities reflect the pattern of growth in our community and dramatically illustrate the confidence of the diverse sectors of our regional economy. Sioux Falls is actively building a better future—and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation groundbreaking ceremonies are a window into the vibrant activity underway in 2017. Dean Dziedzic is the Vice President for Economic Development at the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

42  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017


USING YOUR MEMBERSHIP

Chamber seeks new members during annual fall drive BY AMY M. FARR

Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

The Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is your partner in business and recognizes that the opportunities and benefits of membership are essential to the growth and success of the business climate in Sioux Falls. When you make the investment and join the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce you will find many tangible and intangible benefits to assist you in achieving your business goals. Whether you join to support the community, help create new jobs, secure a skilled workforce or are looking for leads and networking opportunities, the Chamber can help. Tangible benefits of membership include attending Business Sense Workshops, ChamberHood or Morning Mingle, as well as the chance to participate on committees that lead the city. Add in the opportunities for marketing and networking and the advantage of being kept informed on issues that may impact your business, you’ll find Chamber membership to be very valuable.

The Chamber will hold its annual Fall Membership Drive Oct. 25-Nov. 17. The drive is themed “Chamber Spook-Tacular!” and will focus on the value of Chamber membership for any business or organization in getting to know Sioux Falls and its business climate. More than 90 volunteers, led by the Chamber’s Ambassador Committee, will identify and contact future members to encourage Chamber membership. The Ambassador Committee volunteers are an asset to interested new members because they share their firsthand experience of being an active and involved Chamber member. With the combined efforts of the Ambassador Committee, Associate Ambassadors and the Chamber staff, new members will feel informed and enthusiastic about their decision to join the Chamber. If you know of a business or organization that could benefit from Chamber membership, please contact a member of the Ambassador Committee or Membership Sales & Retention Manager Amy M. Farr at (605) 373-2013 or afarr@siouxfalls.com.

Get your 2017-18 Mixer Pass For 35 years, Chamber members have recognized the value of attending Membership Mixers. Average attendance at the events is approximately 275 people and the sponsorship calendar is booked through 2020. Attendees create valuable business contacts and learn more about our ever-changing community. To streamline the mixer admission process, we invite you to take advantage of the reduced cost of attending Membership Mixers by purchasing a Mixer Pass. Now through Dec. 31, you can purchase a Mixer Admission Pass at a discounted price of $40 – that’s a $20 savings if you attend all 12 Membership Mixers in the next Chamber year. Here are some of the advantages of purchasing a Mixer Pass: • You’ll always be prepared for attendance at the mixer – even if you don’t have cash in your wallet. • Order your pass now and the Chamber will invoice your business so you don’t have to bother with expensing your admission cost each month. • Order several for your business and share them with your employees who will benefit from the networking environment of a mixer. You can also use them to treat customers to complimentary admission to a mixer(s).

The Mixer Pass can be used for admittance to each monthly Mixer from October 2017-September 2018. The pass must be presented at registration at each event (or you can save a photo of it on your cell phone so you’ll always have it with you at the mixers). To purchase your Mixer Pass, contact Valerie Willson at (605) 373-2010 or vwillson@siouxfalls.com. You can also order your pass at an upcoming mixer.

• If you can’t attend one of the monthly mixers, you can let a co-worker or friend use your pass for that month.

chambernews.com | Chamber News  43


RIBBON CUTTINGS

Ribbon Cuttings

The Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce holds ribbon cutting ceremonies for members to celebrate joining the Chamber, milestone anniversaries, grand openings, expansions or remodelings. Ribbon cutting ceremonies are organized free of charge for members and are held Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. 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.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention South Dakota Chapter

NEW MEMBER

afsp.org American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – South Dakota Chapter is a volunteer organization helping to raise awareness of suicide prevention in our community and the programs they offer for research, education, prevention and advocacy. L to R: April Meyerink, Nathan Stallinga, Anna Eidem, Angela Drake (board member), Dan Doyle and Stefanie Engebretson.

Avera on Louise

GROUNDBREAKING

69TH STREET AND LOUISE AVENUE avera.org Avera on Louise Health Campus – an easy to access campus designed to meet the changing needs of their patients. L to R: Dr. Dave Kapaska, Sister Joan Reichelt, Jon Porter, David Flicek (Avera McKennan President/CEO, Avera Medical Group Chief Administrative Officer), Bishop Paul Swain, Steve Statz, Daren Ketchum, Jim Wiederrich and Sister Mary Thomas.

BungoBox of Sioux Falls

3612 W. TEEM DR. bungobox.com BungoBox of Sioux Falls rents awesome moving boxes to replace cardboard for residential and commercial moves. L to R: Bridget Pederson, Gabie Rabanales, Gary Gaspar, Angie Wahl, Bill Pederson (co-owner), Megan Pederson (coowner), Lynda Billars, Nathan Stallinga, Clair Meyerink and Lucy Pederson. NEW MEMBER

Costello Property Management Chasing Willows II Apartments

EXPANSION

44  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

4940 E. 54TH ST. costelloco.com Chasing Willows II Apartments is a smokefree facility and offers 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments at affordable prices. L to R: Joan Franken, Curt Zaske, Mark Lauseng, Tom Costello (general partner), Mayor Mike Huether, Alex Ramirez, Nathan Stallinga and Randy Reese.


RIBBON CUTTINGS ELO Prof LLC

4804 S. MINNESOTA AVE., SUITE 101 elocpa.com ELO is a CPA firm with offices in Mitchell, Chamberlain, Huron, Miller and now in Sioux Falls. L to R: Larry Ayres, Jay Tolsma (managing partner), Daren Anderson, Pam Olinger (partner), April Meyerink, Sharon Haselhoff and Megan Oeltjebruns. NEW MEMBER

Escape 605

NEW MEMBER

3718 S. WESTPORT AVE. escape605.com Escape 605, South Dakota’s largest live action puzzle adventure business, provides the Sioux Falls community with a unique experience that is truly unforgettable. L to R: Nash Hoffman, Dustin Hoffman (co-owner), Lynda Billars, Cindi Johnson, Legend Stockberger, Cory Weeden, Amy Stockberger (co-owner), Nathan Stallinga, Stacy Hoffman (co-owner), Leo Hoffman, Tim Sturdevant and Adam Stockberger (co-owner).

Giving Hope, Inc. dba Burnside Game Place

NEW OWNER

1605 W. BURNSIDE AVE. burnsidegameplace.com Giving Hope, Inc. is a new non-profit that gives back to youth organizations in the area. They are celebrating new ownership and a newly remodeled location. L to R: Eric Anderson, Brad Nelson, Neil Hlebichuk (president), Robin Sutherland, Nathan Stallinga, Amber Barnes and Mike Hauck.

Great ATM Services

greatatmservices.com Great ATM Services is a trusted, dependable and efficient full service ATM placement company and national ATM distributor. L to R: Megan Myers, Kris Setterholm, April Meyerink, Dede Dorn (ATM accounts manager), Dean Karsky, Keith Myrmoe, Pam Myrmoe, Joey Setterholm and Michael Huber. NEW MEMBER

Heyer Engineering

NEW MEMBER

6340 S. WESTERN AVE., SUITE 110 heyerengineering.com Heyer Engineering, PC provides structural engineering services throughout the United States. Established in 1983, their firm is widely respected throughout the upper Midwest for its expertise and services. L to R: Ryan Ollerich, Dave Bruns, Laurie Knutson, Robynn Steffen (SD office manager), Nathan Stallinga, Jim Heyer (president), Larry Ayres, Sheila Hoff and Mike Schulte. chambernews.com | Chamber News  45


RIBBON CUTTINGS Ignite Sioux Falls

ignitesiouxfalls.com Ignite Sioux Falls is an alliance of business experts supporting growth for their members through referrals and knowledge sharing. L to R: Aaron Kvistero, April Meyerink, Jason Shanks, Amy Stockberger (founder), Lucas Fiegen, Brian Rehnke, Alex Ramirez, Kristin Cooke, Mark Luke and Ryan Dokken. NEW MEMBER

Keller Williams Realty Sioux Falls – Shawn Giedd 5915 S. REMINGTON PL. kwfastagent.com

NEW MEMBER

46  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

Shawn Giedd is a realtor serving Sioux Falls and the surrounding communities, buying or selling residential to acreages. L to R: Josh Osborne, Jered Schock, Shawna Kleinwolterink, Brad Nelson, Shawn Giedd (realtor/independent agent), Patrick Showers, Sharon Haselhoff and Nathan Stallinga.


RIBBON CUTTINGS Last Chance Auction Company

NEW MEMBER

46885 265TH ST. lastchancesd.com The mission of Last Chance Auction Company is “preserving history and becoming legendary.” They are a full-service auction company specializing in estate, gun, toy, automotive and machinery. L to R: Brandon Schoeder, Mark Luke, Daschle Larsen, Rich Larson (co-owner), Laura Larson (co-owner), Tim Sturdevant, Kristin Cooke, Nathan Stallinga and Geno Arce.

Phone N Fix

3800 W. 41ST ST. phonenfix.com At Phone N Fix, they buy, sell and fix cellular phones and tablets. They also offer accessories at an affordable price. L to R: Kailee Schwartz, Cindi Johnson, Jill Solberg, (owner), Riley Vandersnick, Ryan Gaddis (manager), Dr. Dave Kapaska, April Meyerink, Nathan Stallinga and Justin Kirkvold. NEW MEMBER

Rotary Club of Sioux Falls – Mini Park 2ND AVENUE (RIVER ROAD) AND 10TH STREET The Rotary Centennial Plaza at the mouth of the 10th Street bridge and River Road will be a permanent place of peaceful congregation. L to R: Bob Thimjon, Sandy Frentz, Mike Cooper, Tony Burke, Amy Kusmak, District Governor Steve Harrington, Mayor Mike Huether, Joel Dykstra, Ron Nelson, Dave Pfeiffer, Jessie Schmidt and Dr. Dave Kapaska. GROUNDBREAKING

Smith Development Company, LLC

NEW MEMBER

6209 SILVER MAPLE CIR., SUITE 102 smithdevelopmentco.com Smith Development Company is a family-owned, custom homebuilder and real estate developer. SDC recently added a new development that they’re excited to announce and start building on – The Reserve at Dawley Farm. L to R: Brent Smith, Darci Hustrulid, Nathan Stallinga, Ashley Smith, Brady Smith (owner), Dr. Dave Kapaska, Jay Soukup and Tom Smith.

Toppers Pizza

2400 S. MARION RD., SUITE 160 toppers.com Toppers Pizza is a pizzeria chain making pies with unusual toppings and a never settle attitude. L to R: Troy Klongerbo, Kelly Grovijahn, Mark Luke, Shane Quail (operations director), Steve Van Buskirk, Chad Hatch, Nathan Stallinga and Jered Schock. NEW MEMBER chambernews.com | Chamber News  47


MEMBERSHIP

New Members

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 Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. An online Membership Directory can be found at siouxfallschamber.com or by using the Chamber’s App, available in the iTunes and Google Play stores. Want to become a member? Call (605) 336-1620.

46West Apartments

J. Wahl Home Inspection

Onsharp

Board and Brush Sioux Falls

KLJ

Pancheros Mexican Grill

Bravo Youth Sports

Minuteman Press

Regency Hotel Management

NSN Revenue Resources, LLC

SD Salutes

Apartments Brandi Jorgensen, (605) 215-0781 2301 W. 46th St., 57105 jandmrealestate.com

Art Entertainment Vonda Shaeffer, (605) 271-4066 1813 S. Marion Rd., Suite 101, 57106 boardandbrush.com/siouxfalls

Digital Billboard Manufacturer Scott A. Perkins, (605) 370-7967 bravoyouthsports.com

Dynamic Business Solutions

Computer Software & Services Jennifer Assam-Peterson, (605) 361-1300 4600 E. Arrowhead Parkway, 57110 dynbus.com

Fresh Start Organizing, LLC

Home Inspection Angie Wahl, (605) 368-4650 PO Box 87945, 57109 jwahlhomeinspection.com

Engineers-Consultants Emily Johnson, (605) 271-4414 4800 E. 57th St., Suite B, 57108 kljeng.com

Printing Jessica Hauck, (605) 271-7515 125 S. Main Ave., 57104 mmpsiouxfalls.com

Financial Services Rebecca Geise, (813) 309-3970 27153 SD 115, Suite 102, Harrisburg, SD, 57032 nsnrevenue.com

Organizing Services Cheryl L. Salmen, (605) 354-3133 802 E. El Dorado Cir., 57108 sdorganizer.com

Technology Taylor Gibson, (605) 520-0078 PO Box 1585, Fargo, ND, 58107 onsharp.com

Restaurants P.J. Miller, (605) 271-3141 1503 W. 41st St., 57105 pancheros.com

Hotel/Motel Management Tom Biegler, (605) 334-2371 3211 W. Sencore Dr., 57107 regency-mgmt.com

Associate Member Tony Bour sdsalutes.org

Sioux Falls Cryo, LLC

Therapy Susan Meier, (605) 366-8106 2400 S. Marion Rd., Suite 120., 57106 siouxfallscryo.com

The Sioux Falls Hope Coalition Associate Member Randell Beck, (605) 941-0272 sfhopecoalition.org

True Care Family Pharmacy

Pharmacies Lindsey Osterkamp, (605) 679-6826 1120 E. 10th St., 57103 mytruecarerx.com

Join us for lunch and a chance to hear about upcoming projects and activities planned in the heart of the city.

Wednesday, Oct. 18

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. PAve, 130 S. Phillips Ave. Cost: $20 includes lunch RSVP: vwillson@siouxfalls.com 48  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017

Well365

Health Care Trisha Dohn, (605) 941-1607 corewell365.com


MEMBERSHIP

Member Anniversaries

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 Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about Chamber membership, contact (605) 336-1620 or sfacc@siouxfalls.com. Find a complete Membership Directory online at siouxfallschamber.com or on your smartphone using the Chamber’s app — search “Sioux Falls Chamber” in the Google Play or iTunes stores.

FOUNDING MEMBERS

20 YEARS

Bonds-Surety & Fidelity cnasurety.com Member Since 1907

Beauty Salon-Day Spa dimensionshair.com

CNA Surety

The First National Bank in Sioux Falls Banks fnbsf.com Member Since 1907

Farm Credit Services of America

Mortgages/Lending-Residential & Commercial fcsamerica.com Member Since 1922

U.S. Bank

Banks usbank.com Member Since 1926

40 YEARS

Landscape Garden Centers Landscaping landscapegardencenters.com

Sammons Financial Group/ Midland National Life Insurance Company Insurance mnlife.com

35 YEARS

Dimensions Hair, Tanning & Spa Harr & Lemme Real Estate Real Estate harr-lemme.com

Wollman Insurance Group Insurance wollman-insurance.com

10 YEARS

Expense Reduction Services Consultants-Financial expensereductionservices.com

Sioux Falls Lutheran School Associate Member siouxfallslutheran.com

Tastefully Simple

Food & Gifts tastefullysimple.com/web/plund

Advertising-Cable viamediatv.com/market_Sioux%20Falls_SD.htm

Hannah’s Hallmark Shop Hebron Brick Supply

Insurance mutualmedbenefits.com

Masonry Products-Brick-Stone mybrickstore.com

30 YEARS

Infrastructure Design Group, Inc.

Heating/Air Conditioning/Ventilation johnsoncontrols.com

25 YEARS

Perkins Restaurant Restaurants

Dakota Vision Center

Orthotic Shoes fitmyfeet.biz

The Guiding Hand Foundation Associate Member guidinghandsd.org

Riviera Events & Catering Caterers/Banquet rivierasiouxfalls.com

Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits of South Dakota, LLC Liquor-Wholesale southernglazers.com

Stensland Family Farms Ice Cream & Country Store Grocers-Retail stenslandfamilyfarms.com

Gift Shops

Mutual Med Benefits

Johnson Controls, Inc.

Apparel-Retail dakotajackets.com

Fit My Feet Orthotics & Shoes

5 YEARS

Computers connectingpoint.biz

Dakota Jackets Etcetera

Government Offices lincolncountysd.org

Iseman Homes, Inc.

Connecting Point Computer Center

Property Management bendermidwestproperties.com

Optometrists, O.D. dakotavisioncenter.com

Lincoln County

Viamedia

Manufactured Home Dealer isemanhomes.com

Bender Midwest Properties

15 YEARS

Handy Man Home Remodeling Center Plumbing Fixtures & Supplies-New-Retail handymanhome.com

FIRST-YEAR MEMBERS WHO REINVESTED IN THEIR AUGUST ANNIVERSARY MONTH

Engineering/Surveying infrastructuredg.com

Jefferson Bus Lines Buses, Charter/Tours jeffersonlines.com

Presentation Sisters Associate Member presentationsisters.org

TD2

Engineers-Structural td2co.com

chambernews.com | Chamber News  49


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 Holly Behrens Holly Behrens is the new Agri-Business Division Manager for the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. Born and raised on a small cattle farm in South Texas, Holly earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University, where she was a member of the 2013 National Champion Livestock Judging team. She went on to earn a Master of Agriculture degree from Oklahoma State University and most recently worked as Auctions Coordinator in the Agricultural Competitions & Exhibits Division of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Holly and her fiancé Evan Rader are new residents of Tea, SD and look forward to building their life together in the area.

You’ve only lived here a few short months… what is your favorite thing about the Sioux Falls area so far? I have heard the term “South Dakota nice” a few times since I have been here, and I believe they are such fitting words. Everyone is so kind and welcoming. Being a proud Texan, I thought I might find it difficult to adapt to the area. Although my fiancé and I have only been here just shy of two months, we know we are home. We look forward to many decades in this great state!

HOLLY BEHRENS

Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

What three words would your friends and family use to describe you? Optimistic; passionate; happy.

What is a skill that you’d like to learn and why? This is a difficult question for me because there is so much I would love to learn! I would like to be fluent in Spanish. Not only would learning the language be beneficial in the work place, but after learning Spanish, I have been told that it is easier to learn other languages. I love to travel, so knowing other languages would assist in my learning of other cultures.

How did you choose your profession? Growing up, I always dreamed of being a large animal veterinarian. After getting through too many pre-vet courses at Texas A&M, I realized I actually enjoyed the communications and advocacy side of the agriculture industry more, so I switched my major to Animal Science with a production and industry focus. I continued my education at Oklahoma State University, where I received my degree in International Agriculture with an emphasis in Agricultural Communications. I fell in love with the coursework and research and knew this is what I wanted to do forever – advocate for the agriculture industry!

What is one of the biggest challenges facing the ag industry today? The biggest challenge continues to be the communication barriers that hinder a large percentage of the population in understanding the importance of agriculture. If you eat meals or wear clothes, agriculture is important to you. I am very passionate about agricultural education, in general, but with youth especially. In my new role, I would love to find ways to better capitalize on the Agri-Business Division’s strengths to emphasize the importance of agriculture in the area. We need sustainable agriculture, and I will continue to work towards successful solutions and aim for a barrier breakdown.

50  Chamber News | OCTOBER 2017



Embracing possibility, every day. ............................................. When you believe in possibility, big things happen. First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard, along with our ownership, senior leadership and associates, have given over $1.2 billion to South Dakota organizations and causes over the past 30 years. Last year, PREMIER associates logged 32,000 hours of community service. We’re always looking for new ways to support our customers, employees, friends and neighbors. Because giving back moves everyone forward – and believing in possibility is what we do best.

PERSONAL | BUSINESS | CREDIT | INVESTMENTS

firstpremier.com


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