April 2021 Chamber News

Chamber News Vol. 56, No. 6

April 2021

A PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Ready to rebound

Following tough pandemic year, the travel and tourism industry looks forward to brighter days ahead

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In this issue Feature

Ready to rebound

Following tough pandemic year, the travel and tourism industry looks forward to brighter days ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-31 Top stories Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit to be held . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 LCEDA/MCEDA is now Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 In this issue Message from the Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Event Calendars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9 Economic Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Noteworthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Faces & Places. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-24 Community Appeals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Business Advocacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 Headlines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-38 Using Your Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Business Sense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Ribbon Cuttings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Member Anniversaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46-47 New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Five Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 ON THE COVER

Falls Park is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the region.

Chamber News Publisher

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Chamber News Ad Sales

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

Chamber News Layout/Design Jill Blom

Chamber News Editor Jennie Doyen

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

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

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

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

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

chambernews.com | Chamber News 3

Message from the Chair

Message from the Chair This month the Chamber is hosting a gathering of business leaders to examine the business case for implementing diversity, equity and inclusion programming into your workplaces. The demographics in our schools are different from the current demographics in our companies; the forwardthinking business leader should be preparing today for tomorrow’s workforce. That means identifying and, where necessary, addressing issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Dan Doyle

2020-21 Chair of the Board

...the forwardthinking business leader should be preparing today for tomorrow’s workforce.

Our local economy benefits from the diversification of industries and the growth of businesses large and small. The same is true for our people. By welcoming people with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives into your workplace, you can build a stronger business and contribute to a stronger community.

At the heart of Forward Sioux Falls 2021, is a vision of improving our community for the benefit of all—and it is achieved through collaboration. We attract business, enhance job growth and improve quality of life. A substantial portion of our work is also centered around education, workforce development and retention. In addition, the steps being taken by First PREMIER Bank, PREMIER Bankcard, the State and anticipated private contributors, to fund the Freedom Scholarship (a needs-based scholarship fund) will make a tremendous difference in making high quality college education within the State available to folks from all income levels.

The past year has hit some industries much harder than others, and recovery will take longer for those industries. The travel and tourism industry is one of those that has really struggled through 2020. Unless you work directly in the hospitality industry, you might not realize how important visitors are to the economy of our region. Whether they travel here for business, to attend a sports tournament or as a stop on a vacation, the dollars spent by out-of-town guests on hotels, restaurants and shopping will circulate through our economy and indirectly impacts all of us. Led by Teri Schmidt, a tireless cheerleader for Sioux Falls, the Experience Sioux Falls team is developing and implementing strategies to support our local hospitality businesses and rebuild our visitor industry.

As we continue to get more and more folks vaccinated throughout the state and the country, it is the hope that many of the various tourism events, conventions and attractions we have hosted will return. In addition, the Experience Sioux Falls team is thinking about conventions and tourism differently for the post-COVID world. With the nature of South Dakota, and particularly Sioux Falls, there may be new and different opportunities to attract tourism business that was not available previously. By being welcoming and accommodating to these events and their visitors, we can all do our part to lift back up the tourism industry and continue to show off the beauty of our community.

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

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

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

chambernews.com | Chamber News 5

Calendars

CHAMBER

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 EVENTS

Business Sense Workshop: Return to the Office Tuesday, April 13 10:30 a.m.–Noon Zoom

DETAILS: Many companies transitioned some or all of their office workers to remote work environments in 2020. For companies navigating how to bring staff back safely, there are a lot of issues to work through. This Business Sense Workshop features a panel of professionals who will share how they safely returned or their plans for doing so in the future. There will be plenty of time for Q&A! Panelists include Dan Geiger, Midco; Natalie Eisenberg, Click Rain; and Nan Poppen, First Bank & Trust.

COST: Free RSVP: siouxfallschamber.com

A virtual networking event Tuesday, April 20

Sponsored by

4–5 p.m.

Zoom

DETAILS: Make a new connection virtually when you attend Unmuted. Participants in this online mixer will break out into small groups for conversation so unlike most of your virtual meetings, you won’t need your “mute” button.

The April Unmuted is hosted by 9 Clouds. You must register in advance to receive the details for joining the virtual event.

COST: Free

Register at siouxfallschamber.com

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit Thursday, April 15

7:30–9:30 a.m.

Sioux Falls Convention Center or virtual attendance

DETAILS: The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, together with Pathways to Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces, invites you to join us for a conversation exploring the business case for DE&I programming in your workplace. At this hybrid breakfast event, we will unveil the framework for a yearlong DE&I Activator Series, which will support businesses as they implement DE&I strategies.

COST: Free RSVP: siouxfallschamber.com—RSVP required for both in person and virtual attendance.

Business Sense Workshop: Post-Pandemic Marketing Tuesday, April 27 10:30 a.m.–Noon Zoom

DETAILS: The past year presented unique challenges for marketers, as messages and delivery channels needed to change quickly. A panel of professionals from a variety of industries will share their experiences marketing their business through the pandemic and what the future of branding looks like. Bring your questions for the Q&A portion!

Panelists include Tim Meagher, Vanguard Hospitality; Shelly Johnson, Montgomery’s; and Nikki Gronli, SDN Communications.

COST: Free RSVP: siouxfallschamber.com

Morning Mingle Thursday, May 13

7:30–9 a.m.

OsteoStrong, 5031 S. Louise Ave. DETAILS: In person networking returns with Morning Mingle in May! Join us at OsteoStrong for coffee and conversation to start your day.

COST: Free

6 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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.

A Seat at the Table with Walter Portz Tuesday, April 6

New Member Lunch Thursday, April 15

DETAILS: Get to know Walter Portz at this month’s hybrid Seat at the Table event. Walter is the founder of Helen’s Plan, the president of Sioux Falls Skatepark Association and a photographer/ artist. You can choose to attend in-person at the Chamber or join online via Zoom.

Advance registration required.

DETAILS: Are you new to YPN? Looking for your first event to attend? Join us for our New Member Lunch at the Chamber of Commerce office! This event will be a great opportunity to meet fellow members and learn more about how to get involved in YPN. The event is limited to the first 15 YPN Members to register.

COST: Free

COST: $10, includes lunch

Rapid Resume Review Wednesday, April 14

YPN 12-Year Birthday Bash

DETAILS: Could your resume use a second set of eyes on it? The typical hiring manager or recruiter only looks at a resume for about seven seconds on average. Make those seconds count! HR Professionals Garrett Wilson, Midco, and Charli Gamber, Innovative Employer Solutions, will spend about 10 minutes giving you personal tips and feedback to improve your resume. Reviews will be held online via Zoom. Spots are limited, so register soon.

DETAILS: Grab your friends and help us celebrate 12 years of YPN! Join us on the patio at PAve to reconnect. Every attendee will receive a free drink thanks to our sponsor, First PREMIER Bank!

It’s sure to be a good time complete with fun door prizes, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and good people. See you there!

Noon–1 p.m.

Hybrid: Zoom and Chamber of Commerce

11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Zoom

COST: Free

YPs Read Book Club Monday, April 12

6:30–7:30 p.m.

R Wine Bar, 322 E. 8th St. DETAILS: Our YPs Read book of the month is “Forward Sioux Falls: Advancing Our Region’s Economy Through Vision, Strategy, and Collaboration.” We’re excited to be reading this book as we are in the current campaign for Forward Sioux Falls 2026. Read the book and meet us for a discussion on April 12.

COST: Free

Noon–1 p.m.

Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 200

Thursday, April 22 4–7 p.m.

PAve, 130 S. Phillips Ave.

Find us on social media or visit siouxfallsypn.com

Action Team Meetings You can help shape key areas of YPN programming by joining an Action Team. All team meetings are held at the Chamber office and are open to any YPN member who would like to get involved.

Volunteering with an Action Team is a great way to strengthen professional connections and exercise your skills in collaboration, facilitation and project management.

For more details on the responsibilities of each team, visit siouxfallsypn.com.

Personal & Professional Development Action Team

Thursday, April 1, 4–5 p.m.

Social Action Team

Tuesday, April 6, 4–5 p.m.

COST: Free

Community Connections Tour: The Link Thursday, April 29 Noon–1 p.m.

The Link, 132 N. Dakota Ave.

DETAILS: As a community triage center, The Link will be a safe place for people experiencing a non-violent behavioral health crisis or needing care for substance abuse disorders to access immediate treatment and referral to support services. This facility is a collaboration of the City of Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, Avera Health and Sanford Health. It offers our community an innovative approach to address gaps in critical services for people living with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Advanced registration is required.

COST: Free

chambernews.com | Chamber News 7

Collaboration

you can bank on.

APRIL

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

1-4

The Passion and the Cross at Orpheum Theater

2

First Friday in downtown Sioux Falls

2-3

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Tri-City Storm

2-3

2021 Summit League Volleyball Championships

3

Chilly Cheeks Walk/Run at Riverdale Park

3

Easter Egg Hunt in downtown Sioux Falls

8

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at The District

8

McCrossan Banquet Auction featuring Bonner Bolton

9

An Evening with Leo Kottke at Orpheum Theater

9

Foreigner at the Washington Pavilion

9-11

PBR Invitational at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

Raise Expectations 15 Your 48th Annual Tribute to Women (virtual)

All events are subject to change.

17 SD Symphony Orchestra: Star Wars vs. Star Trek Please check the online events

Music Across Galaxies calendars for the most recent updates.

18 Jennifer JohnsonSioux Falls Stampede vs. Sioux City Musketeers 21-25 Vice President 23 Branch Manager

NMLS 47075823-24

(605) 444-4058 23-24 24

SECT Presents: Disney’s Beauty and The Beast Casting Crowns Drive-In Concert at W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds

2021 NSIC Women’s Tennis Championship Tournament Junkin’ Market Days at W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds

ID 405612

Sioux Falls Stampede vs. Lincoln Stars

Local decisions.

Bank on it!

Raise Your Expectations

Jennifer Johnson Vice President Branch Manager NMLS 470758

(605) 371-4477 8 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

ID 405612

25

Sioux Falls Skedaddle

22-23

Spring Parade of Homes

25

SD Symphony Orchestra: Stained Glass Concert

25-27

Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Houston Apollos

28 - May 2 SECT Presents: Disney’s Beauty and The Beast

27

Summer Porch Series kickoff at Strawbale Winery

30 - May 1

27

Night Ranger at The District

30

Sangria Sunday kickoff at Strawbale Winery

Howard Wood Dakota Relays

MAY 1

South Dakota Symphony Orchestra: Centennial Season Launch with Emanuel Ax

7

May Art & Wine Walk in downtown Sioux Falls

8

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at Falls Park West

8

The Texas Tenors at the Washington Pavilion

12-15

2021 NSIC Baseball Championship Tournament

13-15

The Good Night Theatre Collective Presents: Cabaret

15

AMA Coin Show

15

Sioux Falls Storm vs Iowa Barnstormers

15-16

Spring Parade of Homes

16

Casey Donahew at The District

18

Tech N9ne at The District

18-20

JUNE 1-3

Sioux Falls Sunfish vs. Wheat City Whiskey Jacks

4

Sioux Falls Sunfish vs. Pierre Trappers

4

Eastbank Block Party at 8th & Railroad

4-6

Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Houston Apollos

5

Spring Open House at Wilde Prairie Winery

5

Moonlight Movies begin at Fawick Park

5-6

SD Artisan Fair by Midwest Handmade

8-10

Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Cleburne Railroaders

9-10

Sioux Falls Sunfish vs. Pierre Trappers

10

Yoga & Wine at Wilde Prairie Winery

Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes

10-11

The Good Night Theatre Collective Presents: An Iconic Cabaret

20

Toby Keith at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

11-13

Sioux Falls Sunfish vs. Souris Valley Sabre Dogs

21-23

Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Kane County Cougars

12

Sioux Falls Storm vs. Spokane Shock

22

Sioux Falls Storm vs. Arizona Rattlers

13

Sunday in the Vineyard at Wilde Prairie Winery

The Coverage You Want.

The Commitment You Need.

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

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

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

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

Offices also in Mitchell, Pierre, Watertown and Rapid City

Offices also in Mitchell, Pierre, Watertown and Rapid City chambernews.com | Chamber News 9

When the markets are volatile, we’re not hiding.

We’re talking to our clients.

Our team works diligently to ensure our clients are informed and have a sense of comfort about their long-term plan.

Here are just a few ways we kept our clients in-the-know last year:

11 9 52 2 12

MARKET AND INVESTMENT UPDATE VIDEOS

EDUCATION EVENTS

MARKET UPDATE EMAILS

RECORDED PHONE MESSAGES REGARDING MARKET EVENTS

MAILINGS

Have you heard from your advisor lately?

The skilled team of financial professionals at Cornerstone provides comprehensive financial planning to help make your journey easier. In addition to regularly-scheduled review meetings and regular check-in calls, you can expect information and resources like our Quarterly Market Newsletters, Tax Planning Reports, Investment Committee Summaries, and special mailings on financial topics relevant to you, such as the CARES Act and SECURE Act in 2020.

Sioux Falls: 7408 S Bitterroot Pl | Sioux Falls, SD 57108 | P 605.357.8553 Huron: 280 Dakota Ave S | Huron, SD 57350 | P 605.352.9490 www.MyCFSgroup.com | info@MyCFSgroup.com | 877.352.9490

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Cornerstone Financial Solutions, Inc. is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

Economic Indicators

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

City of Sioux Falls Building Permit Data

Regional Unemployment Rates

February 2021

December 2020

CUMULATIVE YEAR TO DATE

554 permits

2019

605 permits

2020

BISMARCK

3.5%

687 permits

2021 0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

FARGO

3.1%

800

MINNEAPOLIS/ ST. PAUL

Source: City of Sioux Falls

4.5%

RAPID CITY

3.4%

City of Sioux Falls Total Construction Value February 2021

SIOUX FALLS

ROCHESTER

3.9%

2.8%

CEDAR RAPIDS

CUMULATIVE YEAR TO DATE

3.8%

120

OMAHA

DES MOINES

3.0%

3.4%

LINCOLN

2.9%

100

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

80

Agriculture Trends January 2021

60

12 $10.90

40

0

$10.70

10

$80.4 million $30.0 million

$10.00 $8.84

(IN MILLIONS)

20

$10.50

$111.1 million $39.6 million

Soybeans

(per bushel) U.S. South Dakota

$53.3 million $13.9 million

$8.51

8

2020

2019

Source: City of Sioux Falls

Total Construction Value

2021 New Non-Residential Construction Value

Corn

(per bushel) U.S. South Dakota

6

Sioux Falls Region Housing Overview February 2021

$3.79

4

New Listings: 348 Days on the Market Until Sale: 90 Median Sales Price: $238,000 Inventory of Homes for Sale: 765 Source: RASE (Realtor Association of the Sioux Empire)

$3.56

$3.97

$3.67

$4.24

$4.01

2

January December

2020

2020

January

2021

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

chambernews.com | Chamber News 11

GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 68TH ANNUAL SIOUX EMPIRE LIVESTOCK SHOW JAN. 26-31, 2021 More than $61,000 in premiums was paid out to exhibitors at the Mayor’s Round-up & Sale of Champions auction held Friday, Jan. 29, 2021.

Thank you to the following area businesses for their support:

$12,000 Supreme Row SPONSORED BY GRAND CHAMPION MARKET BEEF Exhibitor: Jaxon Schrag, Freeman, SD Buyers: Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort; South Dakota Corn; Dacotah Bank

RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET BEEF

Exhibitor: Kai Thomsen, Madison, SD Buyers: The First National Bank in Sioux Falls; Sioux Falls Regional Livestock; Wieman Land & Auction Co.

SUPREME CHAMPION BULL (Simmental)

Gold Sponsor

Producer: Chestnut Angus, Pipestone, MN Buyer: Twedt Family, Beresford, SD

Silver Sponsor

GRAND CHAMPION MARKET SWINE Exhibitor: Jami Hoblyn, York, NE Buyers: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center; Midwest Shows, Inc/Farm Shows USA

RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET SWINE Exhibitor: Zach Muller, Algona, IA Buyers: Sanford Health; First PREMIER/PREMIER Bankcard

SUPREME CHAMPION FEMALE (Angus)

Bronze Sponsor

Producer: Blueprint Cattle Company, Otley, IA Buyer: Jeffery Schmiesing, Parker, SD

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES WHO ALSO PAID PREMIUMS AT THE MAYOR’S ROUND-UP & SALE OF CHAMPIONS:

GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB

RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET LAMB

GRAND CHAMPION MARKET GOAT

RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET GOAT

Exhibitor: Cache Wrye, Estancia, NM Buyers: U.S. Bank; Avera Health/Avera McKennan; Lamfers & Maas, LLP

Exhibitor: Nolan Hoge, Good Hope, IL Buyers: First Crop Solutions; Woods, Fuller, Schultz & Smith P.C.

Special Thanks To:

Exhibitor: Brayden Bowers, Belmont, WI Buyers: Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort; South Dakota Corn

Exhibitor: Nolan Hoge, Good Hope, IL Buyers: Marsh & McLennan Agency; Homestead Escrow & Exchange Co.; First Dakota Title; South Dakota Corn; Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort

Amthauer Family Baete-Forseth HVAC Brandon Finck Cargill Feed & Nutrition Chuck Sutton Auctioneer & Land Brokers, LLC Cindy Christensen Cooper Newcomb CorTrust Bank Dakota Beverage Dakota Buyers Club Daren Corcoran Farm Credit Services of America First Bank & Trust First Crop Solutions First State Bank Nebraska Garry Private Wealth Resources, LLC Gary R Sims Getty Abstract & Title Company Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort Great Western Bank Hoffman Feedyard Jeff Holmes

Jeff Knapp Jennifer White Jeremy Lehrman Jo Beal & Scott Wick Laura & Zach Benson Legends Seeds Liz Stowater Matt Lautner Cattle Co. Nick Detrick Old Mill Edgewood Plains Commerce Bank Precision Plant Raven Industries, Inc. Results Radio - Townsquare Media Risty Benefits Runnings Scott Wick/ReMax Shaykett Appraisal Co. Inc. South Dakota Pork Producers Council Tiger Corporation Tony’s Catering Westra Atkins Land & Auction, LLC Xcel Energy

Mayor Paul TenHaken, Honorary Chair of the Sale of Champions; 2021 Sioux Empire Livestock Show (SELS) Chair Emily Anderson, The Event Company; Derek Little, First Dakota National Bank; SELS Vice Chair Logan Doyle, Dacotah Bank; SELS Vice Chair Rene Stolsmark, Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort; Immediate Past Chair Derek Little, First Dakota National Bank; Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Dan Doyle, Lloyd Companies; Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Division Chair Jo Beal, Beal Distributing, Inc.; The Event Company for sponsoring the Friday evening event; Sioux Empire Fair Association; Auctioneers Joel Westra & Keith and the incredible ring men; Westra Atkins Land & Auction, LLC; Cargill, Value Added Pork, New Horizon Lamb Corporation and South Dakota State University for purchasing the market animals; Beal Distributing & The First National Bank in Sioux Falls for sponsoring in-part the live online cattle auctions and show broadcasts throughout the week; and the hundreds of volunteers who devoted their time and effort to make the 2021 Sioux Empire Livestock Show a success!

Noteworthy

Forward Sioux Falls

2021-2026

Projected Impact & Return on Investment

5-Year Strategies

4,500 $500M 300 12 1,000 25,000

• Talent Attraction, Retention & Development • Business Retention, Expansion & Attraction • Innovation & Entrepreneurship • Business Advocacy & Quality of Place Enhancement • Air Services & International Trade

N EW P E R S O N A L INCOME $

Goals & Outcomes New Direct Jobs (at or above median wage) New Capital Investment Existing Companies Assisted Talent / Workforce Recruitment / Diversity Programs New Housing Units (Housing Trust Fund) New Residents

NEW BUSINESS OUTPUT $

TO TA L N EW J OB S

9,222

600,184,856

2.15 Billion

DIRECT: 4,500 INDIRECT: 2,355 INDUCED: 2,367

(ANNUALLY BY 2026)

(ANNUALLY BY 2026)

NEW ANNUAL BUSINESS OUTPUT IN MILLIONS Management of Companies Real Estate Wholesale – Appliances & Electronics Hospitals Housing Banks & Credit Unions Insurance Agencies Insurance Carriers Wholesale – Equipment

Offices of Physicians

67.8

$

44.0

$

40.0

$

39.9

10,312,883

$

$

34.6 $ 33.4 $ 33.3 $ 29.5 $ 22.4 $ 18.5

Minnehaha & Lincoln County Municipalities

$

3,062,225

$

Minnehaha & Lincoln Counties

1

13.27*

$

*Based on $12,500,000 5-year investment from private sector and 7.7% avg. profit on $2.15 billion in new annual output.

PUBLIC SECTOR

P R I VAT E SECTOR

PROJECTED RETURN ON INVESTMENT $

A N N U A L TA X REVENUE INCREASES

1

$

9.28**

$

*Based on $2,500,000 5-year investment from public sector and new annual tax revenues of $23,196,441.

9,821,333

$

Special Tax Districts

31,829,801

$

State of South Dakota

Analysis Source: Economic Strategy Center IMPLAN Input / Output model for Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties

chambernews.com | Chamber News 13

Faces & Places

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

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

Mark Luke

Mark Luke Companies

Karlie Solum Sanford Health

Kim Haiar

Dino DePerno

Gita Hendricks

Lucas Fiegen

Kristin HoefertRedlinger

Kayla Huizing

LifeScape

Fiegen Construction Co.

KW Realty Sioux Falls

Northwestern Mutual

Cornerstone Financial Solutions, Inc.

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

Cindi Johnson Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort

Holly Rader

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

Recognition of Chamber Volunteers & Staff The Ambassador Committee promotes the Chamber and assists in bringing new members into the organization. The Diplomat Committee works to maintain membership strength in the Chamber and provide outstanding customer service to members.

Their volunteer service helps to keep the Chamber strong.

Featured ambassadors and diplomats this month are: Mark Luke, Mark Luke Companies, 13 years as an ambassador; Kim Haiar, LifeScape, one year as an ambassador; Dino DePerno, KW Realty Sioux Falls,

two years as a diplomat; Gita Hendricks, Cornerstone Financial Solutions, Inc., 13 years as a diplomat; Cindi Johnson, Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort, six years as a diplomat; and Karlie Solum, Sanford Health, first year as a diplomat.

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

Lucas Fiegen, Fiegen Construction Co., received the January ACE Award. The February ACE Award was given to Kristin HoefertRedlinger, Northwestern Mutual.

Kayla Huizing, Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, received the Excellence in Marketing Award from Sales & Marketing Executives of Sioux Falls. Huizing leads the Young Professionals Network and the Leadership Sioux Falls program for the Chamber.

Mayor Paul TenHaken presented Holly Rader, Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, with a challenge coin from the City of Sioux Falls. Challenge coins are given to individuals who embody the values of One Sioux Falls.

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

14 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

Honors & Awards Lynda Billars, The Lynda B. Advantage Corp.–Lynda Billars KW, received the SIOUXPERHERO Citizen Recognition Award from the City of Sioux Falls. The program recognizes positive stories, people and developments in our community.

Bender Midwest Properties; Property Maintenance, Market Property: Ethan Jones, Samuelson Development; and Property of Excellence: The Village of Three Fountains managed by Real Property Management Express.

Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. recognized three individuals and organizations with its annual awards. Steve Metli Visionary Award was given to Jeff Scherschligt and the Railyard Flats building. This award recognizes forwardthinkers and innovators who have made an impact on downtown. The Carole Pagones Vitality Award was given to Jim Clark, SculptureWalk. This award recognizes an individual or small business that has reenergized and engaged the downtown community. The Spirit of Downtown Award was given to John Swedeen, board chair of the Sioux Falls State Theatre Co.

A&B Business was designated as part of the 2021 Ricoh Family Group Circle of Excellence.

The program recognizes dealers who provide service and responsiveness that is above average, delivering excellence in keeping with Ricoh’s high standards and guidelines. Factors such as organization size, reliability, reach of client base, customer satisfaction, and service organization structure are all considered to merit the honor of this prestigious designation.

In addition to the company designation and award, A&B Business corporate trainer Dennis Dunn achieved the high honor of Prestige Certification.

The Sioux Falls Business Resource Network recognized Williquors; Breadsmith- West; Augustana Dining Services by Sodexo; Avera McKennan Fitness Center; Firehouse Subs Greenway Mall; and Sanford Wellness Center with Disability Friendly Recognition Program awards.

Greg Schuler, a lead water operator with the Water Purification Division for the City of Sioux Falls, was named the Municipal Water System Operations Specialist of the Year by the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems. Schuler has 32 years of experience in the industry and has worked for the City since 1996. He holds a Class IV Water Treatment certificate and is known for his attention to detail and his patience and dedication in training new team members.

The South Dakota Multi Housing Association showcased its star performers recently during their annual Merit Awards event. Chamber members recognized include: Property Manager, Affordable Property: Allison McPhail, Costello Companies; Property Maintenance, Affordable Property: Adam Kroupa, Costello Companies; Property Manager, Market Property: Lori Marsh,

Angela Lammers, Cetera Services LLC, has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE®) designation from The American Society of Association Executives. The CAE is the highest professional credential in the association

industry. To receive the CAE, an applicant must have experience in nonprofit organization management, complete a minimum of 100 hours of specialized professional development, pass a stringent examination in association management and pledge to uphold a code of ethics. The exam covers the critical areas of governance, executive leadership, organizational strategy, financial management and operations, business development, member engagement and advocacy.

TSP design technician Evan Caldwell is now a CDT-certified specialist, which means he has completed advanced training and testing in Construction Documents Technology.

The comprehensive program encompasses topics such as writing, interpreting, enforcing and managing construction documents. The curriculum is designed and administered by the Construction Specifications Institute, and takes learners on a full tour through a project’s life cycle.

Ron Staebell, Principal Financial Group, has earned membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table for 2021. Staebell is a 38-year qualifier of the MDRT and is a lifetime member. MDRT membership is attained by life insurance advisors professionals who meet the organization’s annual production requirement and are members of their local life underwriters’ association. Round Table membership is an exclusive honor that is achieved only by a small percentage of all life insurance and financial services advisors worldwide.

Good Deeds The first annual Barks and Brews, hosted by the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, raised over $10,000 in donations and food for the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society. The event was created by the staff at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center as part of the Sioux Falls Alive initiative. The event was free to the public and with a single donation, dog lovers were given a free drink ticket.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire raised $194,554 during the third annual Sioux Falls Winter Carnival held February 6–14 with the help of dedicated volunteers. Two committees make up the planning efforts and fundraising support during Winter Carnival.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 15

Faces & Places

New Faces & Promotions Raven Industries, Inc. announced the appointment of Taimur Sharih as Chief Financial Officer, effective March 1. Sharih most recently served as Senior Vice President and CFO of A&R Logistics, a $400 million chemical supply chain services company where he was responsible for implementing a strategic value creation plan and realigning the finance organization to better serve the needs of the business units. Prior to that, he was the CFO for Acetyl Intermediates, a division of Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE). Additionally, Sharih spent 14 years at Praxair (NYSE:PX) in various financial roles, including Vice President of Finance for the U.S. Industrial and Asia markets and Chief of Staff. Sharih succeeds Steven Brazones, who transitioned earlier this year into leading the company’s Applied Technology Division.

Houston Engineering, Inc. named Gregg Thielman as the company’s next president and CEO. Thielman joined the company in 1997 and has held many positions of responsibility, including chairman of the board, vice president and business sector leader. Thielman succeeds Jeff LeDoux, who stepped down from the position but will remain with the company as a senior advisor.

Business and leadership consultant Kerri Tietgen has been named the new CEO of EmBe. Tietgen has more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership roles and most recently was the founder and operator of KT Consulting. Her experience includes leader and organizational development, creating a strong culture to drive positive results and matching strategy with mission and execution.

Workers’ compensation insurance provider, RAS announced the following promotions, new hires and certifications: Kristi Holm joined RAS as Special Counsel. Holm was previously a partner with Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith. Joanna Miller and Leah Stenulson were both promoted to Claims

16 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

Representative IV; Susan Montgomery was promoted to Underwriting Assistant; Rocky Long was named IT Manager; and Troy Buehner was named IT Director. Kathy Pramov earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History hired a new full-time veterinarian, Dr. Louden Wright, to oversee the Veterinary Care department.

A native of Tennessee, Wright received his bachelor’s degree in animal science with minors in biology and chemistry from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He earned his DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee. Wright completed a residency program through the University of California-Davis where he worked at a number of institutions, including the Sacramento Zoo, Marine Mammal Center, SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

Katie Johnson has joined the Sioux Falls commercial banking team of Bank Midwest and will lead the business development efforts for the bank in South Dakota. Johnson studied management at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota and has over 21 years of experience in the financial industry. She recently became an EOS Implementer®.

Caliber Creative has added two new team members to the agency. Sarah Madsen joined as account coordinator. Her responsibilities include client interactions, scheduling and supporting the creative staff. Lindsey Morris joined as administrative assistant. She is the first person that clients and staff will see at the front door. In addition, Caliber has promoted Kristi Kooima to senior account executive. Kooima has been with Caliber for three years and will now help oversee the account service team.

The First National Bank in Sioux Falls has hired Mark Wallace as a personal banker

at the downtown branch. Wallace is a graduate of Texas A&M and moved to Sioux Falls in April 2020. The bank has also promoted several employees. Bob Baker, director of corporate affairs was promoted to senior vice president; Todd Van Den Bosch, ag banker, was promoted to vice president; Jason Long, ag banker, was promoted to vice president; Levi Parker, personal trust officer, was promoted to assistant vice president; Derek Simonsen, business banker, was promoted to assistant vice president; Chris Spielmann, systems manager, was promoted to assistant vice president; Sarah Gaul, project manager, was promoted to officer; and Erik Ustad, investment analyst, was promoted to officer.

Showplace Cabinetry has promoted three experienced leaders to supervisor positions.

Joel Gutierrez is the new sub-assembly and assembly production supervisor in the ShowplaceEVO manufacturing plant. He began at Showplace in 2013 and most recently was group leader of cutting and setup for ShowplaceEVO. Kyle Vanden Brink is the new supervisor in the sanding and finish production department. Vanden Brink has been with the company since 2016. Ryan Meins is the supervisor of the newly-created sanding and specials department. He started with Showplace in 2011 and was most recently group leader for framed cabinetry.

Security National Bank of South Dakota has promoted two employees. Shaniah Ellis was named branch manager of the West 26th Street location near Lake Lorraine. Ellis has worked at Security National Bank for five years and most recently served as assistant branch manager at the 74th and Louise Avenue office.

She holds an associate degree in business administration, insurance and financial services from Southeast Technical College. Nolan Clarke will replace Ellis as assistant branch

manager at the 74th and Louise location.

Clarke has been a personal banker at SNB for nearly three years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business economics, along with a minor in accounting from South Dakota State University.

Mike Knudson joined Van Buskirk Companies as commercial broker associate.

Sioux Falls Fit Body Boot Camp promoted three employees. Vicky Geiman was promoted to head coach. She will lead the team of coaches as Fit Body Boot Camp continues to grow. Renee Larson was promoted to community engagement specialist. Jenson Amdahl was promoted to product and programming specialist.

EAPC Architects Engineers has added Justin Johnson, AIA to the Sioux Falls architectural team. Johnson is a South Dakota native who earned his Master of Architecture degree from North Dakota State University.

He has diverse project experience in healthcare, hospitality, municipal, retail and workplace, with a special focus on healthcare projects.

Aaron Jones has been hired by LongView Tax Solutions, LLC as a staff accountant. His professional experience includes 12 years of tax preparation, bookkeeping and other general accounting tasks and procedures.

First Dakota National Bank welcomes two new wealth and trust advisors. Lisa RichmondKirby joins as vice president and wealth

and trust officer in the Sioux Falls market.

Richmond-Kirby has over three decades of wealth and estate planning experience. Her current professional community involvements include the Sioux Falls Estate Planning Council and Women in Law. She holds a bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctorate from the University of South Dakota School of Law. She is a graduate of the Cannon Financial Institute Trust School, as well as the ABA National Trust School, Northwestern University. Jason Spicer joins as wealth and trust officer in the Mitchell market. Spicer specializes in trust administration, investment management and retirement planning. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Dakota Wesleyan University.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 17

Faces & Places

Mergers & Acquisitions Journey Group Companies has acquired Wegher Construction Company. Wegher does business as MBW Construction, LLC and Brown Wegher Residential, LLC. The two business units are located in North Sioux City, SD. They have a similar long-standing history, strong customer base and values-oriented culture as Journey. Journey Group Companies will set up two new subsidiary companies, keeping the Wegher names. MBW Construction provides commercial construction expertise at the local and national level, offering solutions for food processing, industrial manufacturing, cold storage, and warehousing. Brown Wegher Residential is a residential building contractor that specializes in high-end, custom-built homes and has also designed and created some substantial developments in the Sioux City area. Journey has not yet ventured into residential construction, but the strength and approach of Brown Wegher allows for a future opportunity in the Sioux Falls market.

18 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

Goosmann Law Firm, has merged with Sackett Law Firm, a Northwest Iowa-based firm and former Goosmann Affiliate. Now recognized as Sackett | A Goosmann Law Firm, the Spirit Lake and Spencer, Iowa offices are the fourth Goosmann office in addition to Sioux City, Sioux Falls and Omaha. The merger welcomes three attorneys and four non-attorney staff to the Goosmann team.

Barry Shaw Sackett, the owner of Sackett Law Firm has joined Goosmann as partner alongside partners Joel Carney, Andrew Simpson and CEO Jeana Goosmann. Sackett’s business focus and 28 years of legal experience stems from time as a business owner, chief financial officer, in-house counsel and assistant county attorney.

His practice areas include business transactions, entity formation, real estate, tax, estate planning, probate, and work as a certified mediator.

Sackett is licensed in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and California.

Leadership Business Resource Network elected board officers for the year: Chair Bonnie Duffy, Duffy Appraisals; Vice Chair Vicki Nelson, Division of Rehabilitation Services; and Secretary/Treasurer Pat Herman, USD Center for Disabilities. Newly elected board members include Peter Klein, Wells Fargo, and Valerie Loudenback, Grand Prairie Foods. Other board members include: Dawn Ingalls, Raven Industries; Heather Springer, Woods Fuller Shultz & Smith, P.C.; Kellie Hauglid, Division of Service to the Blind and Visually Impaired; Joel Sylvester, Five Star Call Centers; Sara Garbe, SD Department of Labor and Regulation; Katie Medema, Sanford Health; and Kory Allen, First PREMIER Bank.

Be Seen

1

1-3 Community leaders gathered for the public

campaign launch of the next campaign for Forward Sioux Falls. Campaign co-chairs Dave Flicek, Avera Health; Dave Rozenboom, First PREMIER Bank; Paul Hanson, Sanford Health; and honorary co-chair Mayor Paul TenHaken outlined the initiatives and projected outcomes of five-year economic development program. Volunteers aim to raise $15 million in pledges by June 30, 2021.

2

3 chambernews.com | Chamber News 19

Faces & Places

Be Seen 4-6 Sioux Falls Day at the Legislature was

4

a virtual event this year. Attendees heard remarks from Governor Kristi Noem and several local legislators on various issues in the 2021 legislative session. They were also able to learn about the lobbying process and its role in the crafting legislation. 7 The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual series of Legislatives Coffees in February. Lawmakers from Sioux Falls area districts answered questions submitted by the public about activity happening in Pierre and their positions on specific bills. The forums were moderated by volunteers from the Sioux Falls League of Women Voters.

5

6

7 20 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

8 Jeff Lautt, POET, speaks to members of Leadership Sioux Falls class 35 during a day focused on business and industry.

8

chambernews.com | Chamber News 21

Faces & Places

Be Seen

10

11

10-12 More than 100 Chamber members participated in the most recent Unmuted virtual networking event. Security National Bank hosted the hour long social, which featured a March Madness theme, trivia, prizes, and a complimentary snack box.

22 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

12

13 13 Laurie Karlson, owner of Laurie Belle’s Boutique, was the featured guest at a recent A Seat at the Table event, hosted by YPN. The popular event allows young professionals the chance to ask questions and learn from experienced business and community leaders.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 23

Faces & Places

Be Seen

14

16

15 24 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

14-16 The St. Patrick’s Day Extravaganza Committee, which is supported by the

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, hosted the traditional painting of the shamrock on Phillips Avenue on March 17. Bill Baker, the 2020 Grand Marshal, had a second chance to preside over festivities. There was no parade this year, but planning is already underway for a return in 2022.

Community Appeals

GREATER SIOUX FALLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Retirement

Pete!

Thank you for your courage, dedication and leadership to Cornerstone Bank.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 25

Cover Story

Ready to rebound Following tough pandemic year, the travel and tourism industry looks forward to brighter days ahead

By Dirk Lammers For the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

26 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

The tourism industry took an unprecedented economic hit in 2020, but area attractions, hotels and retailers are expressing optimism about an anticipated jump in leisure travel as Sioux Falls enters its peak visitor season.

But some recent studies show that a majority of Americans are ready to resume traveling.

Teri Schmidt, executive director of Experience Sioux Falls, said the convention and meeting market is not yet picking up and likely won’t for at least another year, but folks hitting the road for a little fun and relaxation are providing a brighter outlook heading into the spring and summer.

Destination Analysts, a San Francisco-based travel and tourism market research firm, found that nearly 64 percent of Americans are in a travel readiness state-of-mind, the highest percentage since the start of the pandemic, and nearly 37 percent of American travelers have made travel plans specifically in anticipation of more widespread vaccination. The data is based on surveys of more than 1,200 American travelers collected Feb. 26-28 about their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors surrounding travel in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I really think things are starting to Teri Schmidt Experience Sioux Falls turn the corner,” Schmidt said. “Maybe it’s a little bit of the weather. Maybe it’s the sunshine, the melting snow. Maybe it’s the fact that people are getting vaccinated and there’s more hope.”

More than 54 percent of American travelers say they will be taking at least one leisure trip in the next three months, according to Destination Analysts, and more than 84 percent already have tentative trip plans for the remainder of 2021, with June through October as the peak months for trips.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic zapped the U.S. economy last March, and no industry was impacted more than travel and tourism. Travel-generated tax revenue declined by 36 percent since the beginning of March 2020, and the nearly $500 billion loss in travel spending resulted in $64 billion of missed federal, state and local tax revenue, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

Weekend occupancy has been picking up at the Hampton Inn near the Empire Mall and the Hampton Inn & Suites near the south I-29 and I-229 interchange, thanks in part to sports teams taking part in tournaments displaced from other states, said Tracy Kolb, Hampton by Hilton general manager.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 27

Cover Story

Leisure travel also started picking up in July and August of last year as travelers realized that South Dakota was open to visitors.

“That means this summer is going to be bigger with that kind of travel, just because more people are going to be confident to be out and about,” Kolb said.

South Dakota fared better than most states in 2020, with 12.6 million visitors spending $3.4 billion, but visitation declined by 13 percent and visitor spending dropped 18 percent due to the Tracy Kolb Hampton by Hilton pandemic, according to the South Dakota Department of Tourism. In Sioux Falls, collections from the $2 per-room, per-night hotel BID tax dropped 25 percent in 2020 from $1.97 million to $1.47 million, according to Experience Sioux Falls’ annual report.

“It’s been a rough year for the industry – extremely rough,” Schmidt said. “We’ve seen people struggle at levels of hurt that we’ve never seen before.”

WoodGrain Brewing Company co-owner and head brewer Steve Hartman surmised that downtown Sioux Falls might be in for a rocky 2020 the moment organizers canceled the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. At that time, the microbrewery and taphouse at Phillips Avenue and 9th Street boasted a loyal customer base for onsite drinking and offsite sales but offered no online store, Hartman said. The moment COVID19 minimized many residents’ interactions with each other, Woodgrain’s crew launched an online store to boost take-home sales of its 32-ounce Crowler cans.

“That means this summer is going to be bigger with that kind of travel, just because more people are going to be confident to be out and about.”

Tracy Kolb Hampton by Hilton

28 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

“We scrambled to get that set up, get pictures, get everything put on there the day that everything kind of went down,” Hartman said. “We were filling cans right and left. We’d have people come in and buy nine Crowlers at a time. I couldn’t believe it.”

The shift to takeout combined with the support of customers buoyed WoodGrain through early May, when the microbrewery was able to reopen on a limited basis with half its tables and bar stools removed. Once summer arrived, patrons were able to take advantage of WoodGrain’s expansive corner patio to distance from others and sip on ales, lagers, stouts and sours.

“Our patio really saved us during the summer,” Hartman said. “It turned the summer into a good summer, actually. We were up three months in a row.”

Sioux Falls’ Hampton Inns were doing well in early March 2020 when the pandemic dealt its blow by the middle of the month. The hotel hung on through the end of the month, mostly due to snowbirds en route to homes in Minnesota and Canada, but visitors dried up by the beginning of April, Kolb said.

Steve Hartman WoodGrain Brewing Company

Hotel management had to lay off 49 employees and operate for six weeks staffed only by Kolb, one desk person per shift and one housekeeper. The two properties climbed to 50-percent occupancy by the summer months, but another dip awaited in the fall.

“It was rough,” Kolb said.

The entertainment industry has also suffered from the drop in travelers.

Levitt at the Falls, an outdoor music venue on Phillips Avenue just south of Falls Park, had 50 acts booked for the summer of 2020 when COVID-19 shut down live music, said Executive Director Nancy Halverson.

“So at that point, we said, well, let’s find a way to continue to live our mission,” Halverson said. “That was the important thing.”

The organization launched Levitt in Your Living Room, an online program featuring artists that had been scheduled to perform in 2020. The Facebook Live shows offered backstage talks intermixed with previously recorded concert footage and brief stripped-down live performances to provide viewers a way to get to know acts that might return for the 2021 season. The shows drew more than 248,000 online views, Halverson said.

Levitt at the Falls also launched Levitt in Your Neighborhood, working with local artists to stage 20 small pop-up concerts for community partners. Beautiful Kingdom played a July show in the backyard of St. Francis House, and members of the band Condor spent a Friday afternoon in September entertaining residents attending the Faith Temple Food Giveaway at the W. H. Lyon Fairgrounds.

“We brought out three musicians, and they strolled the line as they were waiting in their cars for the food pickup,” Halverson said. “It was really cool.”

“Everything we did this year was on our long-range plan, and it just got moved up. These are all things that we’ll continue to do.

It just gave us a chance to learn how to do them.”

Nancy Halverson Levitt at the Falls A week after the food giveaway show, Mogen’s Heroes set up in the parking lot of the Good Samaritan Center to entertain residents longing to hear some live music.

“Everything we did this year was on our long-range plan, and it just got moved up,” Halverson said. “These are all things that we’ll continue to do. It just gave us a chance to learn how to do them.”

Another organization that used the pandemic to boost its virtual programming is the Butterfly House & Aquarium, said Chief Executive Officer Audrey Otto. The organization learned what it was capable of and developed 360-degree-view virtual field trips to offer to schools.

“We had always wanted to have more of an online presence so that we could reach a broader audience,” Otto said. “And being closed for almost three months really forced us into that realm.”

COVID shut down the Butterfly House on March 13. When it reopened on June 1, the attraction limited its maximum number of visitors and encouraged people to make reservations. Those moves were somewhat unnecessary at the time, as most people were avoiding crowds. chambernews.com | Chamber News 29

“It actually worked out really well for us because as the community was getting more comfortable being out and about, we were able to slowly ramp up operations and figure out what this new normal was going to be for us.”

Audrey Otto Butterfly House & Aquarium

“It actually worked out really well for us because as the community was getting more comfortable being out and about, we were able to slowly ramp up operations and figure out what this new normal was going to be for us,” Otto said.

The facility had to close its stingray touch pool and its tide pool, as the heavy use of hand sanitizer could affect the water and make the creatures sick. It also instituted and continues to maintain a strict face-mask policy to protect its guests, staff and volunteers, many of whom are retirees.

“We have a lot of guests calling and asking, “Do you require masks of everyone?” Otto said. “And because we do, they feel comfortable coming in.”

Experience Sioux Falls has had to continually adjust its target audience and marketing strategy throughout the pandemic, said Director of Marketing Krista Orsack.

The organization typically aims 95 percent of its marketing at people outside of Sioux Falls, but the COVID era has necessitated a shift to a 75 percent local, 25 percent out-of-market split. And Experience Sioux Falls has exercised caution with the messages it shares, simply communicating to travelers, “When you’re ready, we’re ready.”

Audrey Otto Butterfly House & Aquarium

A recent tracking study from Longwoods International found that 81 percent of American travelers plan to travel in the next six months, up 16 percent from mid-January. That’s the highest level since the pandemic hit the U.S. last March.

“The arrival of multiple coronavirus vaccines has reignited travel planning in the U.S.,” said Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International. “The travel industry

30 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

recovery appears poised to track in synch with the success of the mass vaccination program now underway across America.”

“When it comes to messaging, that’s been the most tricky because you don’t want to offend anybody,” Orsack said.

“You want to be very sensitive to people’s feelings, so we have tweaked messaging for ‘When the time is right for you,’ whether that’s now, or in a month, or in two months or in six months.”

The right time appears to be now for many travelers, and the bump in leisure travel is reassuring as the corporate and convention/conference market is lagging, Schmidt said.

“I think that’s what’s going to carry us through the spring and the summer,” Schmidt said. “The convention and meeting market is not picking up really at all, and I don’t really think it’s going to, at least for another year.”

Cover Story

Schmidt said she anticipates an eventual change in organizations and meeting planners, as virtual conventions won’t be able to satisfy groups forever.

“It’s going take the corporate culture a bit longer, until they realize that people need people and that one-on-one contact for relationship building and relationship withstanding is going to be a critical part,” she said. “We’re a social culture.

We’re a social being here, and I think they’re going to find that necessary.”

Halverson said the outlook for 2021 is encouraging. As Levitt continues expanding its digital efforts through a partnership with South Dakota Public Broadcasting, it will stage 43 live concerts this year as part of a season launching on June 11 and ending on September 11.

“People have been starved for this,” Halverson said. “Music is just who we are as a community. We’re just so hungry for it.”

June will feature shows on Friday and Saturday nights, and Levitt will expand to Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights during July and August. September will step back to just Friday- and Saturday-night concerts, and the series will sprinkle in a handful of Friday morning family shows throughout the summer.

To keep concertgoers safe, Levitt is working with Sanford Health, the season’s sponsor, to establish safe protocols. Details are still being worked out and the protocols will be based on the latest information, but the most stringent scenario being discussed would mark the lawn with 8-foot-by-8-foot squares, each accommodating up to eight attendees. That setup would allow attendance of 1,000 people, about one-fifth of its capacity, Halverson said.

“I think as long as we can all do our part to keep each other safe — and maybe that means wearing masks, maybe it means social distancing — we have to do that as a collective effort so

that we can do these things and come back together safely,” she said.

Some of the guest safety measures instituted by Hilton Worldwide will likely stay in place post-pandemic. The hotel company partnered with Lysol to add sanitizer and wipe dispensers in public areas, Kolb said, and housekeepers servicing guest rooms now spray down every light switch, door handle and TV remote, “all of things you would touch if you were in a guest room.”

Kolb said she’s optimistic about this year, though she acknowledges that a full recovery will take a while.

“I think things will only improve from here,” Kolb said. “We have a long road ahead. I think that most of the projections show that we won’t be back to our average daily rate until the year ’23.”

The improving weather is allowing WoodGrain to reopen its patio, and the brewery plans to offer live music and food trucks for its summer visitors as it launches popular flavors such as a Carnaval sour and a blue raspberry sour, Hartman said.

“I think people are feeling good about this year, generally,” he said.

Otto said she’s excited about 2021 and thinks it is full of opportunities for the Butterfly House. The attraction will continue to operate at 50-percent capacity for the near-term, but she’ll keep an eye on the numbers and see what the city recommends as residents continue getting vaccinated. Otto says she’s noticed that business is picking up, and the facility in early February had to start requiring Saturday reservations to keep up with demand.

“Saturdays since January have gotten really busy, which is a good problem to have,” she said. “Everyone’s just getting more comfortable being out and about.”

chambernews.com | Chamber News 31

Business Advocacy

Overview of the legislative session South Dakota’s 96th legislative session has come to a close. As with every session there were winners and losers. This year, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce advocated on nearly 40 bills of the 477 bills that were introduced.

The Chamber will publish our Annual Legislative Report in mid-April, which will include a detailed analysis of the session and the Chamber Legislative Scorecard. For now, I want to share with you key votes and outcomes from the 96th legislative session.

Debra Owen

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

...the Chamber advocated on nearly 40 bills of the 477 bills that were introduced

32 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

It is no secret that SB 171 was the highest priority for the Chamber and a game-changer for our state. SB 171 passed and was signed by Governor Noem on March 18. It appropriates $50 million from the general fund to help create a needs-based scholarship endowment for students from South Dakota. The $50 million is the state government’s share to a proposed $200 million scholarship fund that will help South Dakota students with financial needs attend any institution of education beyond the high school level within the state. The scholarship was announced in January of this year after First PREMIER Bank, PREMIER Bankcard and T. Denny Sanford made a historic gift of $100 million to establish the scholarship in South Dakota. First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard has also begun raising an additional $50 million from other investors. It is estimated the $200 million Freedom Scholarship fund will generate about $8 million every year to be distributed to public universities, private colleges and tribal colleges.

Other key bills the Chamber supported and were passed include: • SB 162 – The airport flight restoration and recruitment bill appropriates $1.9 million each for the Rapid City and Sioux Falls airports and $200,000 for each of South Dakota’s Essential Air Service (EAS) airports of Pierre, Aberdeen and Watertown. COVID-19 negatively affected the aviation and airline industry. The Sioux Falls airport seeks to use the funds to help restore lost flights and to recruit direct flights to Washington D.C. and New York.

• SB 186 – The Link bill. The Link is a community triage center in Sioux Falls that will provide immediate access to sobering and detox services along with triaging support for mental illness urgent care. The Link is a private non-profit organization formed through the partnership of the City of Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, Avera and Sanford Health. These entities have committed significant resources, along with receiving several grants, to the tune of $6.2 million dollars. The Link plans to open in May of this year.

• SB 180 – The State Veteran’s Cemetery Road Improvements bill. Slip Up Creek Road needs significant improvements to sustain two-way traffic to the State’s Veteran Cemetery that will open later this year. The bill appropriates $1.5 million to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs for road improvements.

• HB 1256 – The Big Sioux Clean Up bill. This bill appropriates $3 million dollars to the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources for the purposes of the cleanup and restoration of the Big Sioux River and watershed.

A bill the Chamber opposed was HB 1217. Proponents of the bill seek to prohibit transgender females from participating in women’s sports for K-12 sports, universities and colleges under the control of the Board of Regents and in South Dakota’s technical colleges. The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, in coordination with the Sioux Falls Sports Authority, has opposed bills such as HB 1217 because of the economic harm these bills will inflict on the state should they become law. HB 1217 would not only devastate South Dakota sports and sporting opportunities, but also will negatively impact business and workforce recruitment. HB 1217 was passed by the legislature. As of press time, the Governor had not yet signed it into law.

As the voice of business, our efforts in Pierre are guided through the leadership of the Issues Management Council, the Legislative Issues Council and the Board of Directors. We thank them for their involvement.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 33

Headlines

Members of the Young Professionals Network have opportunities to participate in networking events, personal and professional development opportunities and celebrations like the annual YPN Birthday Bash.

Businesses back the YPN The Young Professionals Network (YPN), a program of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, is celebrating its twelveyear anniversary this spring. The program launched in 2009 and quickly received a stamp of approval from many businesses in the community.

attraction and retention for its firm. Schenkel said, “The connections, relationships, civic engagement and development opportunities are a few of the reasons we encourage employees to get involved.”

YPN’s goal is to develop and connect young leaders. Its impact can be seen throughout the community, and for many businesses, offering their employees a YPN membership is a smart business decision.

In addition to many full-time employees involved in YPN, Northwestern Mutual also has a large student intern population that takes advantage of the free 1-year membership offered to full-time students. “YPN is a fun way to make an impact and meet new people. It is an easy organization to encourage our YPs to join,” added Schenkel.

Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP has been a supporter of YPN since it launched. As new professionals join the firm, YPN is one of the first organizations they are encouraged to plug in with.

Employment lawyer Jean Bender believes YPN is beneficial to their firm in many ways. “YPN provides a great opportunity for employees who are new to the community to make lifelong friends and grow deeper roots into the Sioux Falls area,” said Bender.

Northwestern Mutual is another business that has put a stamp of approval on employees participating in the YPN program. Managing partner Chris Schenkel believes that YPN membership aids in talent

34 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

Chris Schenkel Northwestern Mutual

While most YPN events are held before or after work hours, flexibility from employers during traditional working hours is always helpful. Bender said that as long as client needs are met, their firm offers flexibility to their employees. “Davenport Law strongly encourages its team to be involved in community programs that benefit the greater Sioux Falls area.”

Young professionals agree with the impact and value of YPN. Clarissa Roemen, G.A. Johnson Construction, said that YPN has impacted her both personally and professionally. “I have made friends, but I have also seen places and met people I wouldn’t normally be able to meet” said Roemen. “Every single person I have met in YPN is amazing. They each have offered an open hand to information about not only their company, but themselves.

It has ultimately been the biggest influence on my career.”

Celebrate with the YPN YPN Birthday Bash

PAve, 130 S. Phillips Ave. Thursday, April 22 4-7 p.m.

Clarissa Roeman

G.A. Johnson Construction

Many young professionals have used YPN as a springboard to further involvement in the Chamber and the broader community.

Shortly after joining YPN, Karlie Solum took the next step and became a diplomat for the Chamber. “YPN is just the tip of the iceberg into the Chamber. After exploring more, I found that the Chamber is much more than ribbon cuttings and socials. The staff at the Chamber is truly working behind the scenes at all times for members, ranging from advocacy, education and networking opportunities,” said Solum. “The deeper you get involved with the Chamber, the more you understand the full benefits it provides to our community. The Sioux Falls area is truly better and more vibrant because of the work the Chamber does.”

The Young Professionals Network invites you to celebrate twelve years of impact in the Greater Sioux Falls area. Grab your friends and join us on the patio at PAve as we reconnect again. Every attendee will receive a free drink thanks to our sponsor, First PREMIER Bank. It’s sure to be a good time complete with fun door prizes, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and good people.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 35

Headlines

Recipients of the 2019 Hey Sioux Falls awards pose for a group photo. Winners are presented with a bronze flashlight, which recognizes their role in shining a light on entrepreneurship.

Hey Sioux Falls seeks nominations for entrepreneurship awards An award show and celebration of entrepreneurship in our community is returning this spring. The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship and 1 Million Cups are once again partnering to plan and host Hey Sioux Falls, which will be held Thursday, May 20 at the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Sioux Falls.

Six local individuals and businesses will receive awards for building great businesses or pushing the Sioux Falls entrepreneurial community forward. Award nominations are requested in the following categories: Best Pivot, New Startup, Startup Champion, Small Business, Corporate Innovator and Social Impact. A description of each award category and a nomination form can be found at heysiouxfalls.com.

The nomination period will close April 16.

Anyone that has a vested interest in the Sioux Falls startup community, from established business leaders to early-stage entrepreneurs, is invited to attend Hey Sioux Falls.

Tickets are $10 for in-person attendance; virtual participation is free. Visit heysiouxfalls.com to reserve tickets or nominate an entrepreneur.

36 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

The 2021 Hey Sioux Falls Awards Nominate a business or individual at heysiouxfalls.com by April 16.

Best Pivot New Startup Startup Champion Small Business Corporate Innovator Social Impact

LCEDA/MCEDA is now Sioux Metro Growth Alliance The Lincoln County Economic Development Association and the Minnehaha County Economic Development Association combined in March to form Sioux Metro Growth Alliance, an economic development association that will serve the region.

Executive director Jesse Fonkert said, “Our name change and combined organization will help us better serve our communities but also better communicate what we’re all about.

Many people thought we worked for the counties, when we are independent, and we support regional economic development.”

Fonkert has served as executive director of LCEDA/MCEDA – now SMGA – since April of 2020. He said the timing for both consolidation and expansion is right.

“We’re one of the fastest growing metros in the country and we need to talk about that more, because all our communities play a role in that growth and they’re positioned to help drive it even more.”

The foundation for the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance began in 1991, when mayors of Minnehaha County communities got together with support from business leaders in Sioux Falls and formed the Minnehaha County Economic Development Association.

“It just really was building off the success of Sioux Falls and understanding that a regional partnership would give everyone more visibility and more success than trying to go it alone,” said Jeff Eckhoff, who became the association’s executive director a few years later. The Lincoln County Economic Development Association was formed in 1996.

Early successes included facilitating a public-private partnership to develop the Corson Industrial Park. The associations also helped support new and expanding employers in the respective communities from Sioux Steel to Terex and Adams Thermal. It even helped bring a grocery store and bank to Humboldt.

used to be that on the first visit (a company) rarely even talked about workforce or it was way down on the list. Now it’s one of the first things you talk about.”

The “people” aspect of the Sioux Falls region has become a point of pride, said Nick Fosheim, who led LCEDA/MCEDA for seven years beginning in 2012.

“If you look around the region, there are more people whose job is focused on economic development in their community, and that didn’t exist 10 years ago, even five years ago,” he said. “So I think that’s a sign that we see opportunity and that we know we have to approach it as a team … and we’re putting the strategy behind what we’re doing as an organization.”

The Sioux Metro Growth Alliance is a key piece of that, he added.

“You get these communities talking to each other about their successes, their challenges, some of the questions they have, and they can learn from each other and they can celebrate with each other.”

The new Sioux Metro Growth Alliance is positioned to reach out to communities in the true metropolitan statistical area, or MSA, which include McCook and Turner counties. Fonkert said he will look for ways to include those municipalities and county governments in the future. “We’re just looking for ways to serve, and that’s our job.

Economic development is about service.”

A nine-person executive board will help guide the combined organization.

“You’re going to see more of our organization, telling the story of our communities. They’re great places to live, work and invest your time and resources and dreams, and we’re going to do our best to support them and build a strong alliance.”

“In the early days it was all about land, buildings, availability, location, and those things still matter,” Eckhoff said. “But the thing that was really changing as I left is the importance of workforce. It

chambernews.com | Chamber News 37

Headlines

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit to be held Community leaders, executives and business owners have the opportunity to explore the case for diversity, equity and inclusion programming in their businesses at the upcoming Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Summit. The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Pathways for Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces to host the event, which will take place on Thursday, April 15 from 7:30-9:30 a.m.

The DE&I Summit features keynote speaker Dr. Abdul M. Omari, the founder of AMO Enterprise, which focuses on leadership development and the inseparable ties to equity, inclusion and diversity.

Following his keynote, Dr. Omari will be joined by Kira Kimball, Pathways to Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces, to moderate a CEO Panel. The CEO Panel includes Joe Bunkers, Gage Brothers; Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin, Augustana University; Michelle LaVallee, Children’s Home Society; Joel Sylvester, Five Star Call Centers; and Steve Vlk, Marsh & McLennan Agency. Panelists will answer questions and share their experiences with DE&I programming in their businesses.

A key feature of the DE&I Summit will be the introduction of the DE&I Activator Series. This yearlong curriculum will support businesses seeking to implement DE&I programming in their workplaces.

The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit is free to attend, but tickets are required. Participants can choose to attend in-person at the Sioux Falls Convention Center, or online via livestream. More information and tickets are available at siouxfallschamber.com

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit A conversation for executive leaders and business owners.

Thursday, April 15 7:30-9:30 a.m.

Sioux Falls Convention Center or virtual participation

Keynote Speaker Dr. Abdul M. Omari Dr. Abdul M. Omari holds a B.A. in global studies, a master’s of public policy, and a PhD in comparative and international development education from the University of Minnesota.

For several years, he has taught university-level leadership courses. Abdul is in the business of human connection. He is the founder of AMO Enterprise, which focuses on leadership development and the inseparable ties to equity, inclusion, and diversity.

Abdul is devoted to civic and public service. He served six years as an elected member of the Board of Regents at the University of Minnesota and currently serves on the University of Minnesota Foundation Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors for AchieveMpls, and Civic Eagle.

Abdul has been featured in Minnesota Business Magazine’s “Young Entrepreneurs”. In 2019, he was selected as one of 140 people nationwide to participate in the Young American Leaders Program at Harvard Business School. Abdul has also been recognized as one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 40 Under 40 and was named one of Minnesota’s Top 100 People to Know in 2021 by Twin Cities Business. Omari is a proud native of Minneapolis, Minnesota with immigrant parents from Kenya and Jordan and is a sucker for a good TV show and an avid sports fan.

38 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

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chambernews.com | Chamber News 39

PREMIUM SPONSORED CONTENT

Avera builds new behavioral health wing Now under construction is a new four-story wing at the Avera Behavioral Health Center in Sioux Falls to add much-needed services including more capacity for children and adolescents, residential addiction care for youth, 24/7 psychiatric urgent care and partial hospitalization space.

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is substantially boosting the project with $13 million in grant funding that includes an $8 million gift and a $5 million matching portion; an additional $5 million in funds is being raised by the Avera Foundation.

“The need for psychiatric care for at-risk youth is great, and the needs are complex. Anger, acting out, anxiety, depression and chemical dependency are being seen in children and adolescents at younger ages, and the numbers are growing,” said Walter Panzirer, a trustee with the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “This expansion will help care for all of the needs that Avera is presented with. Avera Behavioral Health is the only provider of many of these services in a 250-mile radius.

We want to help provide resources so that youth and their families can experience the life-changing intervention offered by expert and dedicated professionals.”

Avera’s most recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) identified top needs as gaps in services for behavioral health and chemical dependency. Because of the pandemic, need for behavioral health services for conditions such as anxiety and depression are expected to increase in children and youth, due to effects of social isolation, disconnectedness, uncertainty, change, fear and other factors, as well as delayed treatment in some cases.

The $28 million project includes space for the following: Fourth floor: A 14-bed child unit and youth residential addiction care.

The new child unit adds to 40 beds in two specialized units already available for patients under age 18. This will make space in the existing hospital to group teen-agers and “tweeners” closer together while giving younger children the specialized care they need.

The fourth floor will also provide eight beds for youth residential addiction care – a service that is new to Avera and otherwise no longer exists in South Dakota. “Addiction care often goes hand in hand with other behavioral health disorders, such as depression, as youth try to mask their pain. This new wing will allow us to provide this needed level of care,” said Thomas Otten, Assistant Vice President, Avera Behavioral Health Center.

Third floor: Senior behavioral health unit. Several years ago, this program was moved to the Avera Prince of Peace campus to free up space at the Avera Behavioral Health Center. Moving this unit to the

40 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

new wing will make room to expand the transitional care unit at the Avera Prince of Peace campus for hard-to-place patients with specialized medical needs.

Second floor: Adult beds. This will provide space for a possible future adult unit and four additional adult beds right away, as well as a walkway between the new wing and the existing building.

Ground floor: 24-hour psychiatric urgent care and partial hospitalization. Currently, hospital emergency rooms are the only option in Sioux Falls for families or law enforcement when someone is having a psychiatric crisis, for example, suicidal thoughts, intent or plan.

“Medical emergency rooms are not specially designed for psychiatric care. We will have expert staff ready to help people with psychiatric needs at any time of the day or night. This will be a great option for individuals and families in crisis as well as our first responders,” Otten said.

The ground floor will also provide space for partial hospitalization – for up to 30 adults and 10 youth. Partial hospitalization involves therapy and treatment during the day while the patient goes home at night.

This is the first time Avera will be able to offer partial hospitalization to youth, allowing them to spend part of their day in school and part of their day making progress on their behavioral health condition that may be impeding their success in school and life.

A robust telehealth component will provide for chemical dependency evaluations or mental health assessments for students in schools across the region.

“We are grateful for this opportunity provided by the generous Helmsley grant to look at the full continuum of care and identify where we could enhance and add services in order to better serve our community. This addition will change thousands of lives,” Otten said.

Using Your Membership

Enhance your directory listing with images If a picture tells a thousand words, then you don’t want to miss the opportunity to show the many faces of your business within your member directory listing on the Chamber’s website at siouxfallschamber.com. Several chamber members have already taken advantage of this promotional opportunity to help brand their business listing.

Primary and Associate members are invited to add your business logo, plus up to five photos to your directory listing. There is no extra cost, and you’ll gain added visibility for your listing.

Jami Gates

Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

Before you start, we recommend that you select the images you want to add and save them in a .jpg or .gif format with maximum dimensions of 200px width; 150px height. This is the ideal specifications for Chamber directory listing photos.

To add your images, first login to the Members Only section of siouxfallschamber.com. This link can be found in the top right corner of the website. Be sure you log in to your business record, not your personal record.

Next, you can click on any of the remaining “upload photo” links to upload photos of your business. This could be exterior or interior photos of your physical location, recently completed projects, or perhaps your leadership team. It’s up to you, whatever best depicts your business or organization, this is the place to share visual images of your success.

After you’ve finished uploading your photos, click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to add them to your public listing.

Finally, to check that your photos are displaying correctly, click on the Membership Directory link at siouxfallschamber.com. You can find your listing by entering your business name in the Search bar or by using the drop-down menu and choosing the industry category for your business. Once displayed, you should see your logo on the landing page of the search, and your additional photos should display when you click on the arrow at top of your listing.

Once logged in, select the Media Update link on the left side of the screen. The first entry offered is for a business logo. Your logo will display with your listing both in the search results, as well as your expanded listing.

If you would like more information about this feature and others found in Members Only, or if you need login credentials, please contact the Chamber at (605) 336-1620 or bgriebel@siouxfalls.com.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 41

Business Sense

IT security gaps you may be overlooking While IT asset management can seem relatively straightforward, there are many areas in which a system can break down, potentially exposing your company to a data breach and significant liability. To avoid overlooking preventable security threats, keep the following considerations in mind.

IT inventory control

For full control of your IT equipment, it’s Levi Hentges critical to know where each device is located SEAM and who it’s assigned to. While this seems simple enough, maintaining full inventory control requires constant vigilance. You can start by creating a log of equipment by type, manufacturer, model and serial number. Include all devices that contain data such as desktops, laptops, printers, flash drives, mobile devices and more. This inventory list should be updated each time a new asset is introduced, moved or disposed of, with regular audits to verify device location and identify anything that has become obsolete or is ready for replacement. This practice will not only keep you in control of your assets, but also prevent data exposure from the prolonged use of outdated hardware or software.

On-site device storage

To minimize risk of theft and loss, you should arrange for secure, monitored, on-site storage when devices are temporarily out of commission (awaiting reassignment or repair) or slated for disposal. Limit access to only necessary personnel and implement a schedule to ensure devices do not sit for too long, which will prevent them from “walking away.” Locked security carts can also be used to collect smaller devices and hard drives in monitored areas around the facility prior to destruction.

Remote workforce

With more employees working remotely than ever before, it’s important to account for the laptops, tablets, cell phones, and other devices being used outside of your office or facility. Along with having adequate endpoint security for anything that accesses your system, you should also enforce strict equipment disposal policies to prevent employees from trying to sell or recycle devices on their own. Without proper data destruction, private information could easily fall into the wrong hands. Box-programs that allow remote employees to mail in their devices to approved service providers are a good option to ensure secure destruction and maintain chain of custody tracking.

42 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

Hidden data

As devices become more and more intelligent, they collect increasingly vast stores of data, much of which remains hidden from the user.

This data often presents a tempting target for hackers, especially when it is available from decommissioned devices. Finding hidden data isn’t easy. The data may be stored somewhere other than the hard drive. In some cases, the hard drive itself can be difficult to find. Depending on the type of system, it may even have multiple hard drives or onboard storage built into the motherboard. If you’re handling the destruction of confidential data in-house, be sure you have the tools and knowledge to find all data at rest. Often, it’s best to leave this task to professionals who are trained in performing these kinds of services.

Equipment disposal

The disposal phase is typically one of the most overlooked areas when it comes to data security. However, data breaches can occur long after a device has outlived its usefulness. Even if your employees erase data from their devices before discarding them, it’s highly likely it can be recovered. Whether you decommission IT assets yourself or through a third party, the information stored on those devices remains your responsibility. To establish a full chain of custody, your inventory counts will come in handy to reconcile items during the disposal phase and ensure everything is accounted for. This helps you maintain compliance with privacy laws and legislative requirements. If using a third party to resell or recycle your equipment, be sure to ask the right questions. Verify they are properly certified and that they have the capability and experience to find, wipe, and/or shred hard drives and other media that may contain data. They should also be able to provide you with a verifiable Certificate of Destruction and Recycling for your records, backed by industry certifications such as R2 and/or e-Stewards.

Security is an ongoing process that requires a commitment from every employee. The right attitude toward security practices and controls can make a huge difference in your vulnerability to breaches.

To help uncover security gaps in your asset management program, you can take a free assessment quiz at seamservices.com/findthegap.

As Director of Business Development at SEAM (Secure Enterprise Asset Management, Inc.), Levi Hentges helps clients build and manage their IT Asset Disposition programs to comply with legal, corporate and environmental requirements surrounding their technology devices; including asset recovery and resale, data destruction and secure electronics recycling.

chambernews.com | Chamber News 43

Thank you.

Being in business is never easy. But it seems even more difficult these days.

Thank you for doing business in our community. It matters.

SNBSD.com

9057_SNB_ThankYou_7.25x9.875_SF Chmbr_Color_SNBSD.indd 1

Ribbon Cuttings

Ribbon Cuttings

The Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce offers a ribbon cutting ceremony or member spotlight video for members to celebrate joining the Chamber, milestone anniversaries, expansions or remodelings. The public and all Chamber members are invited to share in the celebration.

Call (605) 336-1620 for more information or to schedule your event.

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

LifeScape Continuum Home

4001 S. Hawthorne Ave. lifescapesd.org LifeScape provides creative solutions for people with varied needs and complex care across their life span. The addition of the Continuum Home is empowering people to live their best life in a residential environment. L to R: Cindi Johnson, Ben Jacobs, Steve Watkins (CEO) and Kim Haiar.

NEW LOCATION

Soo Sports

7700 S. Minnesota Ave. soosports.com Soo Sports has been selling and servicing boats and motors in the Sioux Falls area since 1969. They celebrated new ownership of the company, which was recently purchased by Brian Tordsen. L to R: David Johnson, Brian Tordsen (owner) and Nathan Stallinga.

NEW OWNER

chambernews.com | Chamber News 45

Membership

Member Anniversaries Founding Members L.G. Everist, Inc.

Concrete lgeverist.com Member since 1920

Wells Fargo Bank Banks wellsfargo.com Member since 1907

35 Years

Children’s Home Society of South Dakota Associate Member chssd.org

G & R Controls

Technology Services grcontrolsinc.com

Kaschmitter Appraisals, Inc. Real Estate Appraisers kaschmitterappraisals.com

30 Years

605 Real Estate - Reed C. Johnson Affiliate-Real Estate realestate605.com

AMERI/STAR Real Estate, Inc. Real Estate-Residential ameri-star.com

Avery Outdoor

Marketing/Advertising Agencies averybrothers.com

Friessen Construction Co., Inc. Contractors friessenconstruction.com

Kempf Construction, Inc. Utilities kempfconstructioninc.com

KFC/A&W Restaurants

Royal River Casino, Hotel Gaming royalrivercasino.com

25 Years

Better Business Bureau, Inc.

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

Matheson-Linweld, Inc.

Lincoln County Title Company

ONE AMERICAN BANK

Paul J. Strawhecker, Inc.

20 Years

5 Years

Education-Post Secondary dsu.edu

Marketing & Design Services 9clouds.com

Industrial Equipment & Supply linweld.com

Banks oneamericanbank.com

Dakota State University

Title Companies titleservicesincsd.com

Associate Member pjstraw.com

9 Clouds

Famous Daves BBQ

Clients First Group

Homewood Suites by Hilton Sioux Falls

Dakota Credit Union Association

South Dakota Advertising Federation

Dean Buckneberg

Super 8 East 10th St. Sioux Falls

Estate Planning Solutions Law Firm, Prof. LLC

Restaurants famousdaves.com

Hotels & Motels siouxfalls.homewoodsuites.com

Associate Member sdaf.org

Hotels & Motels super8siouxfalls.com

Workplace IT Management IT Consulting workplace-it.com

Real Estate-Residential clientsfirstgroupkw.com

Associations cuad.coop

Associate Member

Attorneys epslawfirm.com

Fareway Stores, Inc. (Sycamore Ave.) Grocery Stores farewaystores.com

15 Years

FoxPrint Printing & Graphics

Catering chefdomscatering.com

Frontier Precision Inc.

Chef Dominique’s Catering & Banquet Facility Eagle Lawn and Landscape, Inc. Lawn & Snow eaglelawnandlandscape.com

Goodin Company

Print Shops foxprintsd.com

Specialty Retail aerialhorizons.com

Ground Works/South Dakota Ag in the Classroom Associate Member groundworks-midwest.com

Associate Member southdakota.bbb.org

Plumbing goodinco.com

Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, Inc.

10 Years

Specialty Retail hobbytown.com

Specialty Retail siouxfallswine.com

LeafGuard Gutters

Associate Member lcrws.org

Luxury Auto Mall of Sioux Falls Auto Sales luxuryautomallofsiouxfalls.com

MacDoctors

Computer Sales & Service macsalesandservice.com

46 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

JJ’s Wine, Spirits & Cigars Keller Williams Realty Sioux Falls Tony Bachman Affiliate-Real Estate kw.com

Hobby Town

Exterior & Roofing leafguardsouthdakota.com

PAve, LLC

Bars & Breweries pavebar.com

Popplers Music, Inc. Specialty Retail popplersmusic.com

Raeco Builders, LLC Contractors raecobuilders.com

Sabers Insurance, LLC

Insurance & Benefits facebook.com/sabersinsurance

Stockyards Plaza Inc. Stockyards Ag Experience Associate Member stockyardsagexperience.org

Sunrise Banks N.A. Banks sunrisebanks.com

Visiting Angels

Home Health Care visitingangels.com/siouxfalls

First Year Reinvestors Aflac - Jeff Young Affiliate-Insurance aflac.com

Betfred USA Sports

Martin & Associates, LLC

CASH-WA DISTRIBUTING

Max Muscle Nutritrion

Clean Ride Auto Spa/The Clean Bean

Origin Health - Chiropractic & Wellness

Falls Fintech

Sioux Falls Storm (Storm Nation LLC)

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

Swenson Wealth Management

Jackrabbit Sports Properties

The Resort by SDK/The Splash Bark

Jersey Mike’s Subs

Women Lead Change

Gaming betfredcorporate.com

Food Production/Distribution cashwa.com/fargo

Auto Wash & Detailing cleanrideautospa.com

Financial Services fallsfintech.com

Associate Member gloriadei-sd.org

Associate Member learfield.com/partner/south-dakota-state-jackrabbits/

Restaurants jerseymikes.com

Insurance & Benefits martinassociatesagency.com

Nutrition & Supplements maxmusclesd.com

Chiropractor originhealthsf.com

Professional Sports siouxfallsstorm.com

Insurance & Benefits swensonwealth.com

Pet Boarding resortbysdk.com

Associate Member wlcglobal.org

Josiah’s Coffeehouse & Cafe Restaurants josiahscoffee.com

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 Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. An online Membership Directory can be found at siouxfallschamber.com. Want to become a member? Call (605) 336-1620.

Bella Rosa Flower Market

GS Labs

OECS

Dakota Surrogacy, LLC

Healing Touch Massage

OG Greens

Massage Therapy Paul Thronson, (605) 370-1894 3615 W. 57th St., 57108 healingtouchmassageclinic.com

Restaurants Brandon Manning (605) 271-2953 421 N. Phillips Ave., 57104 oggreens.co

Dugan Sales & Service

Movement Restoration

Papa’s Deliveries

Rehabilitation & Physical Therapy Dr. Eric Brown, (605) 501-6685 3240 E. Bison Trail, Suite 100, 57108 mvmtrestoration.com

Business Support Services Michael Denning, (605) 261-9403 6605 W. 52nd St., 57106 papasdeliveries.com

Fargo Glass & Paint Company

Mutual of America

ReBath

Global Electrical Inspectors Consultants, LLC DBA Global

Northwestern Mutual

Sanford Underground Research Facility

Nu Digital Marketing Agency

Sioux Falls Skatepark Association

Florists Ann Summa & Leigh McCoy (605) 271-2637 421 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 123, 57104 bellarosamarket.com

Family Services Emilee Gehling, (605) 937-8920 101 S. Reid St., Suite 307, 57103 dakotasurrogacy.com/

Specialty Retail Jeremy McBurney, (605) 274-1944 1116 W. 41st St., 57105 dugansalesandservice.com

Wholesale Dan Martinson, (605) 336-9484 400 E. 54th St. N, 57104 fargoglass.com

Electricians & Electrical Contractors George Posey, (763) 325-7084 2301 Research Park Way, Brookings, 57006 globalsynergypowers.com

Gordon Flesch Company

IT Consulting Grant Westemeier, (605) 221-0102 2600 W. 49th St., 57105 gflesch.com

Grover Gaming

Gaming A.J. Tiefenthaler, (605) 215-2595 1404 N. C Ave., 57104 grovergaming.com

48 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

Medical Services & Supplies Zoe Rivet, (605) 419-2225 3801 W. 34th St., Suite 105, 57106 gslabstesting.com/covid-rapid-testing-siouxfalls/

Insurance & Benefits Matthew Taub, (402) 378-7281 2111 S. 67th St., Suite 300, Omaha, NE 68106 mutualofamerica.com

Affiliate–Insurance Jarod Morken, (605) 361-9788 2307 W. 57th St., 57108 jarodmorken.nm.com

Business Support Services Michael Peterson, (605) 540-0334 101 S. Reid St., Suite 307, 57103 nudigitalmarketingagency.com

OdeCo LLC

Contractors Paul Ode, (605) 521-3770 1804 W. Frontier St., Unit A-3, Brandon, 57005 odeco-sd.com

Business Support Services Ari Cook, (952) 412-6427 1740 S. Katie Ave., Suite #310, 57106 oecscomply.com

Building & Remodeling Rod Moeller, (605) 273-5199 1110 W. 41st St., 57105 rebath.com/location/siouxfalls/

Associate Member Staci Miller, (605) 722-8650 630 E. Summit St., Lead 57754 www.sanfordlab.org

Recreation & Amusement Walter Portz, (763) 656-9100 2329 N. Career Ave., Suite #107, 57107 lets-skate.com

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) 373-2013 or chambernews@siouxfalls.com.

37th Annual

SIOUX Day at the FALLS LEGISLATURE Wednesday, Feb. 17

Thank you to our sponsors CHAMPION SPONSORS

ADVOCATE SPONSORS

SUPPORTER SPONSORS

Citi ®

Sioux Valley Energy

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 Stephanie Foy Stephanie Foy is the owner and president of The Dance Line Inc., which she started 16 years ago. It is the only dance store in South Dakota that is not owned by a studio and also the only one that has three professionally trained pointe shoe fitters. The Dance Line sells dance, cheer, skate, gymnastics, theater and show choir products. Stephanie and her husband have two daughters, and she loves being involved in the Sioux Falls community.

What is your favorite thing about Sioux Falls?

I love that Sioux Falls still has a small-town feel, but the benefits of having a variety of choices of businesses of a larger city.

What is the best and worst part about owning your own business?

The best part of owning your own business is you get to set your own hours, hire your own employees and choose what you will sell. I would not say there is any part of owning a business that is a negative. However, being the owner, you are responsible for everything in running the business. My store is open 6 days a week, so I work 6 days a week. If the bathrooms need cleaning, I do it. Owning a business makes you humble.

Do you have a favorite style of dance?

Stephanie Foy The Dance Line Inc.

My favorite form of dance is modern. I love the classics like ballet and pointe, but the movement in modern is very unique. I have a new appreciation for this form of dance.

What is one community or non-profit organization that you support? Tell us about it and why it is important to you.

Five Questions Retail & Restaurant Series

Chamber News has decided to shine a spotlight on a couple industries that have been hard hit by the pandemic – the retail and restaurant industries.

In the next several issues, our Five Questions segment will feature the owner of a local restaurant or retail store. With each personal profile, you’ll also find information about their business and products. Plus each Five Questions subject will be asked to ‘share the love’ by telling us about their favorite small businesses to support.

50 Chamber News | APRIL 2021

I was a schoolteacher, so I am very concerned with child hunger. Both personally and professionally, we donate to several local organizations that work very hard to keep food available to everyone.

What is the best piece of advice you have received?

The best advice I have ever received is to never say anything in a bathroom that you would not say in a public place. You never know who is sitting in the stalls!

Five Questions Retail & Restaurant Series Besides your own, what are some of your favorite locally owned shops or restaurants?

My family loves to eat out at Granite City Food and Brewery. We also really enjoy a sweet treat from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

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YOU DON’T NEED AN ILLNESS TO NEED A DOCTOR. Regular wellness visits with a primary care physician or provider at Sanford Health can lead to better overall health. Better health care starts with a provider who’s a familiar face. Someone who actually knows you and understands your concerns and your goals.

We’re here before you need us. We’re here when you need us. We’re here after you need us. sanfordhealth.org

019024-01171 11/20