leahb, Author at Sioux Falls Development

Chairman’s Report: Going Beyond

Posted on October 2, 2023October 2, 2023 by leahb

By Steve Kolbeck, Sioux Falls Development Foundation Board Chair

We’ve all heard the expression “going above and beyond.” It’s always been the tradition through Forward Sioux Falls, city projects, our educational systems, and our organization’s many programs and projects to be the best and take it one step further. To go beyond.

As the Sioux Falls Development Foundation nears eight years of developments in Foundation Park; and the half-way point of the eighth Forward Sioux Falls program, our organization is embarking on a strategic planning process to evaluate what we have done over the past five years and chart a course for the next five years. Borrowing from the recent celebration of the EROS Data Centers 50^th anniversary, and their partnership with the Development Foundation for three decades, we have developed our theme for next year…GOING BEYOND.

Since those early years, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, with the help from our partners and the Forward Sioux Falls campaigns, our region has the reputation of not just getting things done but doing them well. This has only been possible because of the willingness of municipal, business, and community leaders to go above and beyond what is expected. Donating literally millions of private dollars to partner with public funds to make things “just a little bit better” and to stand above what other communities are doing.

Two recent examples include announcements of the new skate park at 10^th and Cliff and the Phase III of the River Greenway downtown. Both these projects could have been accomplished with just public dollars; but limited funds accounts for limited features. Without the addition of private dollars, these projects, and many others would be nice, but average. With the addition of private sector dollars, these attractions are now world-class and rank as some of the best in the country.

This same logic applies to the Development Foundation and Foundation Park. Without the help from the City, the State, the private sector and a general vision of what was needed to go beyond traditional parks, Sioux Falls was able to create South Dakota’s largest industrial park and only megasite. Without this, we would not have been able to create thousands of new jobs to date and nearly $600 million in new tax base for the City, the County and the school districts. Without this going beyond attitude, we would not be seeing the tremendous growth we now see downtown, the housing development, the population growth or the consistent retail and commercial growth we have experienced.

The Development Foundation is looking toward the next five years — to make sure that controlled, organized and smart growth continues. We will continue to go above and beyond, just like our EROS partners have done over the past 50 years. Just as EROS has their mission, we have ours and we will continue to look for new ways to grow our tax base, create quality jobs, and improve the quality of life for all.

Forward Sioux Falls: a look back and a look ahead

Posted on October 2, 2023October 2, 2023 by leahb

By Mike Lynch, Director of Investor Relations – Forward Sioux Falls

Those of us who have lived in Sioux Falls all our lives, or perhaps a long period of time, recognize that this community is special.

During the 1980s, business leaders saw the potential of how it could become an even greater city. There were opportunities to diversify the economy and take Sioux Falls from what was then a regional hub to a city of national prominence. To do this, however, there would need to be an ambitious marketing effort as well as recruiting both businesses and people to take us to that next level.

It was not always an easy road. Some community members felt issuing bonds to fund new projects was too risky and not fiscally responsible. Many with this perspective did not want Sioux Falls to grow. Local leaders recognized that in order to overcome this sentiment and advance our community, an organized and dedicated effort would be needed.

To have a significant impact, it was decided that a centralized focus with dedicated planning and resources would be required. As the business community had great respect for both the Chamber and Development Foundation, forming a partnership between the two and creating Forward Sioux Falls was the most appropriate way to meet these lofty goals.

The Chamber’s Evan Nolte and Development Foundation’s Roger Hainje began conversations with National Community Development Services (NCDS) Founder Howard Benson. NCDS was based in Atlanta and had facilitated successful economic development programs in both Atlanta and Denver. Creating a five-year program would allow adequate time to do the important work within each of the program initiatives.

From there, the first Forward Sioux Falls program was established and has to the present day, adhered to the following structure:

A new program is freshly imagined to ensure the business community’s most acute economic development and workforce needs are addressed.
Program initiatives are formulated.
The campaign is conducted, and funds are raised to fund the program.

Over the past three decades, there has been exceptional trust in the process. Serving as the Forward Sioux Falls governing body, the Joint Venture Management Committee (JVMC) oversees both programmatic and fiduciary elements.

Forward Sioux Falls is midway through our five-year program. We are well on our way to meeting our five-year goals, which include:

4,500 new, direct jobs at above median wage added
$500 million in new capital investments
$250 million in new property tax revenues
Over 300 acres of land sold and developed
300 existing companies assisted

The success of Forward Sioux Falls is made possible by the commitment from our investors who understand the program’s positive, collective impact and also how putting competitive differences aside results in a community-wide return on investment.

President’s Report: Focus on the Future

Posted on October 2, 2023October 2, 2023 by leahb

The mission of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation is:

To collaboratively create quality economic growth and workforce development to improve our quality of life.

We will accomplish this through our core values:

Demonstrate integrity and accountability in everything we do.
Provide relevant and creative solutions.
Pursue the “win/win” in everything we do.
Trust and respect our partners and ourselves.

This is the mission and the core values of the Foundation and the basis for our current strategic planning process. Since the inception of Foundation Park in 2015 and the subsequent success of the past years, Sioux Falls and Foundation Park have changed dramatically. With the addition of national brands including Amazon, Federal Express, Lineage Logistics and CJ Foods as well as regional brands including Nordica, Muth, Tessiers, Scherer and Dakota Carriers, Foundation Park and Sioux Falls is becoming a location of choice. Literally hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax base and thousands of good paying jobs.

All this was planned and envisioned eight years ago as the Development Foundation and community leaders discussed and implemented plans to make the vision a reality. Controlled and common-sense growth takes planning so as to create an organized process for growth.

Now in 2023, the Development Foundation is again beginning to plan for the future. We have begun the process of evaluating our strengths and weaknesses and determining a direction for our future. Our planning process includes evaluating the resources we have available to chart a course for the success of Sioux Falls and the Foundation well into the future. We’ll be reviewing our land strategy, sales strategy, prospect lists, workforce strategy, incentives and the next generation of business recruitment in the Sioux Falls region.

We know that Foundation Park was just the beginning. Sioux Falls will continue to grow and the Development Foundation will continue its focus on the future. We’ll work with all of our partners to coordinate and implement positive growth and address the challenges of the future. It’s the Sioux Falls way.

Foundation Park North welcomes Avera Health and Owens & Minor, infrastructure development underway

Posted on October 2, 2023October 2, 2023 by leahb

We’re closing out the 3rd quarter on a high note with the announcement of Avera Health and Owens & Minor as the newest tenants in Foundation Park!

The 23-acre site will be home to a shared facility for the two healthcare organizations. It will allow for greater efficiencies for Avera and closer service for other regional health care clients of Owens & Minor.

The Foundation’s long-term vision, strategy, and planning for infrastructure and improvements in Foundation Park has proved successful as this is the first tenant north of the rail line.

According to Joe McSweeney, a partner in the project’s developer, Brookwood Capital, the land is “really served with utilities, and it’s ready to go, and I would credit the Foundation with that because they anticipated the demand and had the vision to design roads and start roads and bring utilities, so when a tenant comes along, they’re ready to close on the land and have everything you need there.”

Hear more from the project’s partners here.

Below are more updates on Foundation Park’s infrastructure.

Foundation Park North – Street Construction

All the sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer and drop inlets are installed along Sechser Avenue and Memory Lane. Soukup Construction has also begun placing cement stabilization along Sechser Avenue and Memory Lane.

Next, Soukup Construction will finish placing cement stabilization west on Memory Lane towards Marion Road. When the cement treatment is finished, they will begin placing the aggregate base course.

Foundation Park North – Trunk Sanitary Sewer

Lidel Construction has placed all trunk sanitary sewer along the railroad alignment to 259th Street. Now, they are installing 15” trunk sanitary sewer north along the Interstate alignment. Currently, Lidel Construction is about 1,500’ south of 259th Street.

Xcel Power Pole Relocation

Xcel Energy has relocated all power poles along 259th Street except for the far east pole. In addition, all but three (3) of the existing power poles have been removed. Xcel plans to wrap up their work by the end of September. John Riley Construction plans to finish the remaining grading work along 259th Street by late September or early October.

Upsize Existing Trunk Sewer (south of the RR)

The design is in progress and will be completed by the end of September for submittal to the City for review/approval.

Avera leaders to detail changing strategies to meet workforce needs

Posted on September 27, 2023October 4, 2023 by leahb

Despite a workforce of more than 20,000, every team at Avera Health essentially comes together in the same way every day.

It’s called Daily Line-Up, a daily huddle with a central topic, a question to get people talking and a daily prayer to provide a moment of fellowship.

“It’s a chance to come together, communicate and be reminded of our shared mission,” said Julie Lautt, interim CEO and chief financial officer. “But even traditions like these are being reimagined by hybrid departments as they look for new ways to engage both remote and in-office employees in these conversations.”

The simple practice – and how it’s evolving – captures the spirit of workforce development today. It’s a blend of lifting up best practices while acknowledging even they often must evolve with the workplace’s changing landscape.

“Health care can be very hard work,” said Dr. Ron Place, who became CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center earlier this year. “We saw during COVID, locally and nationally, some people with long-term careers in health care chose to leave the profession. We need to think innovatively to support our workforce and harness technology to extend our workforce, especially in rural areas.”

Both Lautt and Place will share some of Avera’s strategies at the upcoming WIN in Workforce Summit, produced by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center, featuring speakers from a range of industries.

For Avera, those strategies are a long list that starts with the system’s mission.

“We hope to show just how important it is to fully walk the walk when it comes to our people being the vital piece of our organization they truly are, as well as how we strive to live and breathe our mission every day,” Place said.

Other approaches Avera plans to share include:

The streamlining of HR processes, from simplified interview scheduling to reducing barriers for job applicants.
Working with education partners on creative ways to fill critical needs.
The creation of an internal staffing organization aimed at filling jobs and improving retention, with opportunities to place both temporary workers and traveling nurses.

Avera leadership also plans to address communitywide issues impacting workforce, including affordable housing, transportation and building bridges for new American, immigrant and refugee populations to access career opportunities.

“I see that new doors are opening all the time in working with our diverse populations, but that’s an area of challenge,” Place said. “At Avera, we want to be the employer of choice for diverse populations.”

At the WIN Summit, Lautt will be part of the opening session titled Talent Talk: Meet the People Changing Our Workforce Landscape.

“Leading in health care takes innovative thinking. Avera also has a unique approach because of our dedication to rural health and workforce,” she said. “We had the foresight to raise our minimum wage to $17 per hour and to improve benefits, despite national health systems shifting in the other direction. We could see this people-centered industry needed a workforce investment, and it’s that kind of thinking that has made Avera a leader for over a century.”

It also has helped with retention. Avera has more than 1,300 employees who have been part of the organization for at least 25 years, and many spend entire careers there.

“We will have critical workforce areas we are focusing on for the future,” Lautt said, adding some of the strategies being brought forward include streamlining the hiring process and partnering with university and technical schools to ensure students choose and understand areas of opportunity.

“Leaders will need to focus both on culture-building of people in the office with them and for remote employees,” she added. “This will take fresh ideas and a continual focus to keep remote employees engaged with a mission that will need to stretch beyond our facilities.”

Place will be part of a panel called New Leaders, New Rules, New Culture that will allow him to share the leadership philosophy he brought to Avera McKennan.

“I challenge my leaders to build, sustain and know their high performers and foster individual development,” he said. “It’s important to empower employees to encourage creativity. Strong leaders give credit for success, yet they take on responsibility and ensure accountability for failure.”

They also underpromise and overdeliver, he added.

“Outcomes matter. While our intentions are important, it is our actions that are critical,” Place said. “I encourage my leaders to challenge assumptions. Things don’t have to be the way they’ve always been, and, in fact, it’s impossible to keep everything the same and continue to experience success and sustainability. It’s why standardization and innovation are both key.”

About the WIN in Workforce Summit

Sessions at the WIN in Workforce Summit are eligible for nine SHRM and HRCI recertification credits. The Sioux Falls Development Foundation is recognized by SHRM to offer professional development credits for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

Space is limited for this transformative event, so register soon here to reserve your seat.

Sioux Falls, SD: 2nd best job market in America

Posted on September 27, 2023September 27, 2023 by leahb

Why work harder when you can work smarter? That’s the case for us here in Sioux Falls! Recently, SmartAsset ranked Sioux Falls as the second best job market in the U.S.

“Unemployment in Sioux Falls was only 1.8%, lowest studywide,” the article releasing the findings says. “The median income was slightly above average at $73,273, of which 16.9% generally goes to housing costs. Only 13.6% of the workforce works from home here, but the commute time for others is only 16.7 minutes. Over two years, workers saw a 20% increase in the median income, and 78% got health insurance through their employer.”

To learn more about the study and how other cities compared, click ‘read more’ below!

TenHaken on workforce: It’s time to think bigger

Posted on September 19, 2023October 4, 2023 by leahb

Here’s something Mayor Paul TenHaken thinks doesn’t gets talked about enough:

“It’s the fact that we’ve had a record number of people move here in the last two to three years, and we also are met with record low unemployment, and those two things don’t jive,” TenHaken said.

“Why is that?”

That’s among the many big questions leaders will ask and begin to help answer at the upcoming annual WIN in Workforce Summit, produced by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and will bring together thought leaders such as TenHaken to address the state of workforce development today and tomorrow.

He will help lead off the day on the panel Talent Talk: Get To Know the People Changing Our Workforce Landscape.

“It’s great that we have so many jobs available, and Sioux Falls is a great place to live and work, but we have a lot of employers struggling as a result of that. Anything we can do to shine a light I want to do it, and that includes summits like this.”

Employers should remember that many people in the record number who moved to Sioux Falls in recent years are still working for employers not based here.

“It’s created a new step that needs to happen with workforce,” TenHaken said. “It’s not just getting people to move here for a job or getting people to move here and then hopefully they work here. We have remote employees here who could become employees for Sioux Falls businesses if they took an intentional approach to connecting with them.”

But first, “we also have to realize we’re losing people to jobs all over the country that are still in Sioux Falls,” he continued.

“They’re using the trail system, they’re living here and enjoying the quality of life but working for a company out of Denver or Austin or Nashville, and that’s very much a thing. I think we can put our heads in the sand and ignore it or realize we have to look at ways to attract people who want to come live here but not necessarily work here. The end goal is let’s get them to live here, to keep working for their employer and eventually they want to switch jobs, and they’re in our market and have a good chance of filling a local job.”

TenHaken also sees workforce issues from the perspective of an employer.

“The city is absolutely not immune from this discussion, so when people ask us about what we’re doing in government to help with workforce, it’s very personal because we have the same challenge the private sector is having,” he said.

“We’ve tried to keep pace with the private sector in terms of compensation but also offer things like time off to volunteer and help get our employees active in the community.”

The city also has invested in office environments and equipment that make it more appealing for employees to be in the workplace and is beginning a marketing campaign next year to highlight itself as an employer of choice.

“We need to do a better job of telling our story and what it means to be a public servant,” TenHaken said. “We want to deepen even more what it means to be a public servant in Sioux Falls.”

The city offers some work-from-home options “when it makes sense,” he added. “It is a tool in our toolbox we can use in the right situations, but there’s also just a culture of being accommodating and flexible if you have to come in at 8:30 a.m. because you can’t drop your kid off until then.”

Despite the workforce challenges, “I’d much rather be in our situation than other communities,” TenHaken continued. “We’ve made the right investments in everything from quality-of-life assets to our police force and the right infrastructure. So if people give Sioux Falls a look, they’re hooked for the most part. People fall in love with this community once they’re here and even more once they’ve left and realize what they’ve left. So one of our biggest focuses is how do we continue to make this a very attractive and viable community.”

About the WIN in Workforce Summit

Space is limited for this transformative event, so register soon here to reserve your seat.

From ChatGPT to virtual reality, advanced manufacturer to share insight on ‘the future of work’

Posted on September 15, 2023September 15, 2023 by leahb

When it comes to “the future of work,” you might say Steven Tims lives the topic daily.

“We’re rapidly changing to a more technically focused workforce,” said Tims, the chief operating officer of Viaflex, a Sioux Falls-based leading manufacturer of innovative polymer film and sheeting solutions for agricultural, construction, energy, geomembrane, industrial, telecom and installation services.

“We have a lot of industrial manufacturing shifting to automation, which leads to new jobs for automation technicians, engineers and in business intelligence. We’ve focused a lot on modernizing our business, and we’re starting to recruit talent to support it.”

Tims will share his experience on a panel called, appropriately, “The Future of Work” at the upcoming WIN in Workforce Summit produced by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and bring together cutting-edge leaders such as Tims to share actionable insight around addressing workforce opportunities and challenges.

“I’m planning to talk a lot about ChatGPT,” Tims said. “We’ve embraced it fully. We’ve educated our team about where and how to use it. I use it daily, and we now have a council around AI at Viaflex that we’re beginning to use to ensure we’re taking full advantage of the technology available.”

Viaflex also has started to use virtual reality in employee training, leveraging that technology to save thousands in training and de-risk at the same time.

“You can virtually start up a machine very safely and simulate things,” he explained. “We can even use it to do a virtual plant tour, which is a great thing to have at a recruitment booth.”

With 450 employees and six locations across the U.S., the business that began as part of the former Raven Industries still has “a lot of startup energy,” Tims added. “We’re just trying to break through, and it takes awhile to change culture.”

He plans to discuss that at the WIN in Workforce Summit too.

After trying traditional advertising for job openings, Viaflex doubled down on referrals – tripling its referral bonus for employees, “and it’s going really well,” he said. “It’s really where our best talent is coming from.”

The company isn’t shy about its drive to recruit and retrain top talent either.

“We don’t do reductions in force; we do performance management,” Tims said.

“We do ‘A’ player salaries, but you have to perform, and we don’t care if we’re known as a company where every year the bottom 10 percent drop. We want it to be hard to get in here. We do great things for our team, we’re kindhearted people, but by dealing with people who aren’t pulling their weight, everybody else’s game goes up a little bit. So it’s this great recipe for success.”

Viaflex is a perfect example of the sort of business sharing its experience at the WIN Summit, said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development at the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

“This company truly blends a focus on people with a commitment to leveraging technology, and that’s why they’ve seen impressive growth and will continue to do so,” she said. “When you come to the WIN Summit, you’re going to experience an entire day of hearing from leaders like Steven who will challenge you to think differently, invest in new ways and see workforce gains follow.”

About the WIN in Workforce Summit

Space is limited for this transformative event, so register soon here to reserve your seat.

Workforce development leader takes stock of progress, weighs in on future needs

Posted on September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 by leahb

Dave Rozenboom views workforce development through multiple lenses.

As the president of First PREMIER Bank, he recognizes there are some areas of workforce that have to be addressed at a company level.

“There are certain things you have to own as an employer – compensation, benefits, culture – but then there are things that go beyond a company level and have to be addressed at a community level,” said Rozenboom, who also has served as a leader within Forward Sioux Falls.

“There also are things we need to work together on, and in many ways, I think we’ve done a really good job on that front as a community and now are in a position where we can look at what needs to be done next.”

The annual WIN in Workforce Summit, produced by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, is an opportunity to do just that. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and will bring together thought leaders such as Rozenboom to address the state of workforce development today and tomorrow.

He will help lead off the day on the panel Talent Talk: Get To Know the People Changing Our Workforce Landscape.

We sat down with Rozenboom for a look back and ahead at workforce development – and a preview of what to expect at the WIN Summit.

Looking back on the time you’ve focused on workforce development as a community leader, what kind of progress have you seen the Sioux Falls area make?

Even looking back about six years ago, it’s amazing how things have progressed. At that time, I remember an effort between the business community and higher education to align around our shared needs for a prepared workforce, and today there have been a number of game-changing initiatives. Some clear examples certainly are the Build Dakota Scholarship program, an incredible success story that changed the conversation in our community to reflect that a two-year degree can be a great career path. The full-ride Build Dakota Scholarships supported by seed money from Denny Sanford and the state of South Dakota have been completely embraced by industry partners and have really created an unbelievable program. And then more recently, the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship created the state’s first need-based scholarship that fills a critical gap. Between those two programs, we have really helped create pathways to provide greater access to education.

I also think there’s much greater awareness in the community about the increasing diversity of Sioux Falls, and Forward Sioux Falls, through Sioux Falls Development Foundation programming, has done a lot to help employers connect with this future workforce. The Career Connections program for high schoolers is a very concentrated effort to bring students into workplaces and allow employers to tell their story.

First PREMIER Bank has been a strong supporter of Career Connections and other workforce development efforts. How are this and other best practices helping you as an organization?

We have definitely seen results from Career Connections. It’s new enough that the students who participated are still in high school or college, but we’ve had students from the program go on to take part-time jobs with us and gain valuable exposure to the banking industry. Within First PREMIER, we also find a lot of value in connecting our executive leadership with our first-generation workforce. We’ll organize a lunch and invite several first-generation team members and have them share their stories with our executive team. It’s a chance to learn about the challenges they have overcome and hear what they have to tell us about their experience as employees, as well as being a chance for us to reinforce their importance to our organization. I’d encourage any organization to do something similar. A lot of this is about education – whether you’re a student, an employee or in management.

Workforce development also is about retention. What are some examples of what you have done at PREMIER to keep top talent?

I think it started very early on with our founder, Denny Sanford, and continued through our CEOs, Miles Beacom and Dana Dykhouse. Denny said very early on that culturally we want to be a company that people want to be a part of. We’ve focused on our people being our most important competitive advantage, and I think that shows.

What gaps do you think still exist in the Sioux Falls area when it comes to addressing workforce needs?

I think we need to start connecting more dots – dots from the student to school counselors, parents and employers to the opportunities that are now present. We now have all the building blocks in place. We’ve removed a lot of financial barriers, the tools are now in place, and we need to help all involved learn what’s available and how to take advantage of it.

As a community, I think Sioux Falls really is in a position to go from being a place that benefited from rural-to-urban migration to one that benefits from urban-to-urban migration. We have a diversified economy with an array of jobs, an excellent education system, low crime compared to the national average, low taxation and an amenity-filled community for our size. For a long time, people were going from the Midwest to the coasts, and now I think people are coming from the coasts to the Midwest, so I think we have a tailwind in Sioux Falls.

About the WIN in Workforce Summit

Space is limited for this transformative event, so register soon here to reserve your seat.

Nancy Kerrigan to headline innovation-focused WIN in Workforce Summit

Posted on September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 by leahb

U.S. Olympic figure skater and author Nancy Kerrigan will headline a day dedicated to unlocking the secrets of talent and workforce development in Sioux Falls.

The annual WIN in Workforce Summit, produced by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

“The message here is that we all must be prepared to change,” said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development.

“The whole nature of a summit is to take a big-picture look at who we want to be as a workforce community in five years, in 10 years. What industries and occupations are growing? What skills do they need, and how we are equipping them? What benefits do we need to look at that will truly move the needle for workers?”

Kerrigan brings an inspiring story of perseverance and adaptability that will set the tone for the day, Guzzetta said.

“This event draws hundreds in person and virtually each year, and our attendees have told us they want to hear from a female athlete,” she said.

“We thought Nancy Kerrigan was the perfect choice to deliver a message about overcoming the odds and being open and willing to change within your own career.”

The theme of day will focus on innovation and technology, Guzzetta said.

“Even one year ago, we were not talking about artificial intelligence to the extent we are today. That’s how fast the business landscape can change,” she said.

“This is a day to explore the groundbreaking types of strategies that can revolutionize your approach to building a dynamic workforce.”

The summit is broken into three tracks:

Talent attraction.
Talent retention.
Today’s issues.

Topics include The Future of Work; Global, Diversified and Distributed Workforce; New Leaders, New Rules, New Culture; The Real Cost of Recruiting; CEO Talent Talks; and Today’s Economic Issues: Childcare, Inflation and Unemployment.

Throughout the day, you’ll get a chance to:

Engage and hear from leaders transforming our region and workforce landscapes.
Find out how technology is transforming the way and how people work.
Learn the new playbook for employee retention in the global and diverse workplace.
Hear from CEOs and seasoned business leaders about where and how they are investing in the workforce to develop and strengthen their organizations.
Understand why today’s biggest economic issues involving child care and inflation are different and how to navigate change in these unprecedented times.

There also will be networking opportunities throughout the day, including a lunch where attendees can talk one-on-one with members of Generation Z, the youngest generation in today’s workforce.

“You’ll be surrounded by like-minded professionals who are passionate about shaping the future of workforce,” Guzzetta said. “Expect engaging storytelling and thought-provoking discussions that you can immediately take back and begin implementing in your workplace.”

Space is limited for this transformative event, so register soon here to reserve your seat.

Former Californian now helps build Sioux Falls skyline thanks to opportune move

Posted on September 6, 2023September 6, 2023 by leahb

There were four states on the list of possible moves: South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida — and South Dakota?

“It’s kind of funny,” California native Brock Williams acknowledges. “We’d never thought about South Dakota.”

But that changed in 2020, when he and his wife, Sabrina, started looking to move outside of his home state.

“She’s originally from the North Carolina-Virginia area, and my family is spread out,” he said. “We were already thinking about moving away from California, then 2020 happened. Once we went through that, we thought, what’s really holding us back?”

Brock and Sabrina Williams

And, because of the national attention South Dakota received during the pandemic, the couple’s interest in the state grew.

“We started researching, and once you do, it opens up this path to the Midwest,” Williams said. “We started learning more about the Midwest and realized if we were going to make the move, Sioux Falls was the place to be.”

With two decades of experience in the construction industry, both residential and commercial, he began seeking a new role to fit with his project management background.

“I got an offer in South Carolina, an offer in Florida, and they just didn’t feel right,” he said. “The companies didn’t feel right, the area didn’t feel right, and then I got a call back from Journey Construction.”

After his first interview with Journey, it felt right.

“Journey, in a sense, grew up with Sioux Falls, and I appreciated the history they had and felt a good connection,” he said. “But still, when they gave me the offer, I was a little nervous because I wasn’t sure how the area was going to grow.”

Brock Williams

But that nervousness didn’t last long. He soon learned Journey would oversee the large expansion of Cherapa Place in downtown Sioux Falls, which includes a 10-story office and condominium tower, two buildings of retail and apartments, a parking ramp and central courtyard.

He joined the team as a project manager in late 2021.

“Being from California, I was part of some larger projects, and I’ve never backed down from one, so I wanted to be on Cherapa, and that’s what happened,” he said.

“The project has been going great. The other two project managers on the Cherapa project, Joe Niewohner and Jesse Davey, have both been on the project since the beginning with me and have been a huge help in familiarizing me with the new-construction market and learning about South Dakota. The entire Cherapa team has been very welcoming and accepting of me.”

Brock Williams views Cherapa Place project in Sioux Falls South Dakota

His employer also has fulfilled the promise he saw in that initial interview.

“Journey really does stand by their values and ethics,” Williams said. “Where I come from in California, it’s a real cutthroat environment, but because of how we do business here, I’ve built stronger business relationships in the last two years than I did in 15 years in California. It’s pretty crazy – yet refreshing.”

Sabrina Williams has found a job she enjoys too, putting her health care background to work at Delta Dental.

“It allows her to work from home, and she absolutely loves it,” Williams said. “It’s a great company, and she loves working for them. We’ve gotten really lucky with the work environment and finding great employers here.”

It’s more than luck, said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

“Brock and Sabrina’s experience is exactly what so many others discover as they explore their career options in Sioux Falls,” she said.

“This community is filled with employers who reflect your values and respect your needs and the role you play in contributing to our shared success. Construction and health care are two fields in particular where we have so many opportunities as a growing community to welcome newcomers ready to grow their careers.”

Brock Williams working for Journey Construction in Sioux Falls South Dakota

The family has happily moved into an east-side home near Harmodon Park, where despite Williams working in downtown Sioux Falls, his commute is 10 minutes.

“I still have friends from California, and when I tell them I get off work at 5:30 and am home by 5:40, they’re like, ‘You’re kidding me,” he said. “Back home, I commuted an hour and a half to two hours each way. After doing the math, I realized how much of my life I was spending in my car.”

With their newfound free time, the couple enjoys taking their Labrador retriever out for walks on the vast Sioux Falls trail system and hiking at state parks.

dog

“We’re really big on fishing, we like to kayak, and then, in the winter, we try to go snowshoeing while we can, so we’re embracing it full force,” Williams said. “Before moving, I’d never really gotten into hunting. But the state has a program for people who are new, which one of my co-workers introduced me to, so I’m hooked on pheasant and deer hunting now.”

Brock Williams pheasant hunting in South Dakota

Looking back, “I’m really glad we left,” he said. “We go back and visit, but once you live in a place like this and then revisit the hustle and craziness in the bigger city, it’s very noticeable, but coming back always gives you a chance to decompress.”

Brock and Sabrina Williams

In the coming months, Cherapa Place will begin moving in its new office tenants. Early next year, the building Williams is overseeing will move in its first residents. For someone new to the community, helping immediately impact its skyline has left a big impression.

“I think Sioux Falls is just a great place to live, and these projects are going to turn Sioux Falls into an even better place,” Williams said. “I think it’s moving in a great direction, the leadership this city has is phenomenal, and I think we have a bright future in Sioux Falls.”

Are you ready to continue your career journey in Sioux Falls? Email deniseg@siouxfalls.com to get connected, or visit siouxfalls.com to learn more.

Sioux Falls ranked 3rd in economic strength

Posted on August 30, 2023August 30, 2023 by leahb

Sioux Falls: 3rd in economic strength

With new development occurring in every direction in Sioux Falls, it’s easy to wonder: is every city like this?

Sioux Falls’ economy has repeatedly shown its strength through the uncertainty of the last few years. Now, we have another accolade to show for it: Sioux Falls has been ranked 3rd in economic strength by POLICOM.

“The economic strength rankings are created so POLICOM can study the characteristics of strong and weak economies,” the publication of the findings says. “The highest ranked areas have had rapid, consistent growth in both size and quality for an extended period. The lowest ranked areas have been in decline for an extended period.”

To see how the rankings were compiled and how other cities compared, view the full study at the link below!

Learn more

Intern-focused events help connect college students with full Sioux Falls experience

Posted on August 23, 2023August 23, 2023 by leahb

The best internship experiences don’t start and end with the workday.

“It’s key that businesses offer real-world, applicable and immersive internship opportunities, and many Sioux Falls organizations do,” said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

“But it’s just as important that these young professionals are meeting one another, beyond their own workplace, and becoming connected with the broader Sioux Falls area and everything that makes it a wonderful place to start your adult life as well as your career.”

This year, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation reached out to interns and workplaces citywide with a summer filled with programming.

It started with a “get to know Sioux Falls” luncheon, continued with a scavenger hunt downtown midsummer and ended with the chance to give back to those in need within the Sioux Falls community by making hygiene bags for residents at the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House.

In between, interns began socializing on their own.

“Meeting new people here in Sioux Falls absolutely helped improve my internship experience here in Sioux Falls,” said Sawyer Lee, an intern at Dacotah Bank.

“They recommended different activities that go on around town, as well as different places to go eat. I was able to connect with some people from college, and we would get together during the week, whether it be for a drink or to watch bands playing at the Levitt.”

Universal banking intern Leah Barber enjoyed a comprehensive introduction to the city through her work with First Bank & Trust.

She was able to tour The Steel District construction site with developer Craig Lloyd, meet with clients and attend events such as the South Dakota Bankers Association Convention, SME Sioux Falls Leadership Summit and SDBA Ag Credit Conference.

“Sioux Falls has the most supportive and exciting community to experience the professional world as it continues to expand and attract exceptional talent,” she said. “I am wildly grateful to everyone that has played a part in making my internship a success.”

First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard intern Josh Jackson, a Lincoln High School graduate and Purdue University sophomore, received a Spirit of Sioux Falls scholarship from the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and participated in its Lunch & Learn programs.

“It was a great experience getting to meet other interns and professionals in the Sioux Falls area and learning about some of the community’s opportunities,” he said. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that the scholarship has afforded me in my academic journey.”

For Henry Rollins, who originally is from Honduras, an internship at Northwestern Mutual introduced him to the financial services industry. The programming he attended through the Sioux Falls Development Foundation helped the Augustana University student connect further to the community.

“The events were informational, interactive and one of the best opportunities out there to network,” he said.

“I was able to better understand the phrase ‘your network is your net worth’ as the Development Foundation focuses on helping professionals reach their next best opportunity by exposing them to an extensive network of contacts in every industry.”

As an employer, Northwestern Mutual also sees significant value in how the Development Foundation’s programming complements its own, said Regan Dennis, director of campus recruitment and development.

“A vital part of being successful as an intern in our program is caring about people and connecting with others in the community to provide the most impact,” she said.

“It is important to us to introduce amazing opportunities like the Sioux Falls Development Foundation to our interns because it gives them the opportunity to participate in networking events, help grow their soft skills, learn more about the community and meet other successful individuals in the Sioux Falls area. You never know where a connection could lead you or help you in your future career path.”

Northwestern hosted 19 interns this summer and sees the Development Foundation programming as “a phenomenal tool” to showcase the benefits of starting a career in Sioux Falls, Dennis added.

“Our interns have nothing but good things to say about the Sioux Falls Development Foundation program,” she said.

“They are eager to meet new people across the community and learn more about how they can become more involved. Most of our college students don’t have much experience within this space when joining our internship program, and this gives them the opportunity to step out of the comfort zone and grow as young professionals. When attending new events, they have mentioned it puts them a lot more at ease when we encourage our interns to go as a group or with a friend.”

Rollins plans to continue an internship during the school year with a financial adviser’s personal team.

“This internship has helped me shape my future by giving me a better picture of the magnitude of impact I want to create in other people’s lives with skills I possess,” he said.

Jackson will be back at Premier too.

“I’ve learned a ton about how a call center operates and how efficiency is maintained regarding staffing levels. I’ve also met a lot of really great people here who have been extremely impactful on my experience,” he said. “My Premier internship has helped me realize that I can perform well in a leadership position. I want to take on a more influential role in whatever company I land at.”

Based on the success of INTERN Sioux Falls this summer, Guzzetta anticipates opportunities for it to grow.

“We’re continually seeing more employers and more interns attracted by the programming we offer, so we absolutely see this as a key way going forward to make sure we’re helping interns build the connections and have the experiences that will keep them coming back to Sioux Falls when it’s time to take that next career step,” she said.

Is your organization ready to get connected with all the workforce opportunities offered by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation? Email deniseg@siouxfalls.com to learn more.

South Dakota ranked the most affordable state to earn a college degree

Posted on August 21, 2023August 21, 2023 by leahb

When it comes to seeking a college degree, the choices of what to study or which school to attend can seem endless. One thing at the top of mind for many students, though, is affordability.

Luckily, there’s a new listing of most affordable places to earn a college degree, compiled by Forbes. Even more exciting, that ranking lists South Dakota as the most affordable state to earn a college degree.

“To determine the most affordable states to earn a college degree, Forbes Advisor analyzed data falling under two broad categories: The actual costs of in-state tuition, fees, room, and board at public four-year universities in each state, and the cost-of-living and overall economic climate for recent graduates,” the article releasing the findings says. “We then took each of these individual metrics, weighted them, and ranked the states accordingly, with the most affordable states at the top of the ranking.”

To see why South Dakota made the top of the list, click the link below!

Collaborative effort brings STEM students, education, businesses together

Posted on August 3, 2023August 3, 2023 by leahb

Arthur Tao is weeks away from starting his senior year at Lincoln High School, but he already has spent the summer learning about neurodevelopment and doing research around a protein causing a rare disease.

Kiara Schilling and Jaritza Cruz are entering their sophomore year at South Dakota State University and shared a lab this summer while working on projects synthesizing compounds involving prostate cancer and myeloma cells, respectively.

They’re just three of the dozens of students who came together this week for a symposium organized by South Dakota EPSCoR, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, which held the event for students to present their work and receive feedback from professionals in their field.

“I learned a lot – a lot you don’t learn for labs in classes,” said Schilling, a Minnesota native majoring in chemistry and biotechnology.

As part of their visit to Sioux Falls, the students had a chance to connect with one another, graduate schools, graduate students and the Sioux Falls business community as part of a networking event sponsored by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation in partnership with Sanford Research, South Dakota Biotech and EPSCoR.

“We wanted to open these students’ eyes to the incredible opportunities to continue their education and their careers here,” said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development at the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

“With them as primarily undergraduates, we start with the advantage that they’ve already chosen South Dakota for their education. Now, it’s up to us to help them realize their next steps can be here too.”

The students also had a chance to tour Sanford Research.

“This was such a great opportunity for us to show all the available careers at Sanford,” said Kara McCormick, who oversees outreach and communications at Sanford Research and serves on the board of South Dakota Biotech.

“During the tour, they saw research labs and learned about the different types of equipment and bench research that happens at Sanford. We’ve also worked with many undergraduates participating in the symposium on their research and have for a number of years. We’ve found there are quite a few students who come back multiple summers, and many end up going to graduate school in South Dakota or even working here when they graduate.”

Tao didn’t exactly need the tour – the high school student actually did his research work at Sanford this summer.

“This opportunity is fantastic. A lot of larger regions don’t have something so immersive,” he said. “It’s the culture of learning that’s surprised me the most. People have been really helpful, and there have been boot camps and seminars to teach me the basics, so the learning curve has become easier.”

He also took full advantage of the networking offered.

“That’s been invaluable,” Tao said. “I’ve been able to ask others in the field what advice they would give to me as a high schooler. Getting that broad perspective of people in the field with different backgrounds from mine has been really helpful. Going into the internship, I was thinking of doing my undergrad and med school, but this has made me consider a Ph.D. route or an MD-Ph.D.”

For the current undergrads, the exposure to Sanford Research and the networking that occurred there were equally valuable.

“It was really exciting to come here,” said Cruz, who came to the U.S. from Mexico to major in biochemistry. “I’m looking into medical school in South Dakota, and it was really cool to meet other students here.”

Schilling was inspired by the work at Sanford Research too.

“I thought it was really cool seeing the facilities,” she said. “It kind of makes me want to come here.”

The networking between grad students and undergrads can be just as beneficial as introducing them to businesses, said Mel Ustad, the principal investigator at South Dakota EPSCoR.

“They’re not only interacting with future employers but getting to meet students who are pursuing paths similar to themselves,” he said. “It’s a great, all-around learning experience as an undergraduate and a valuable opportunity to conduct hands-on research at the same time.”

The event and the symposium the following day drew seven businesses looking to connect with workers in STEM fields, said Joni Ekstrum, executive director of South Dakota Biotech.

“We hear regularly from biotech businesses searching for talent to help support their work, and the good news is South Dakota is full of that talent in our universities. The key is making those connections,” she said.

“That’s why events like this that combine professional development with education and networking are so valuable.”

That was the goal behind the Development Foundation supporting the event, Guzzetta said.

“It’s all about making those connections, building those relationships and exposing our talented students to worlds and people they never knew existed,” she said. “We know conversations that begin at events like these can lead to long and rewarding careers.”

Foundation Park North – Street Construction

Foundation Park North – Trunk Sanitary Sewer

Xcel Power Pole Relocation

Upsize Existing Trunk Sewer (south of the RR)

About the WIN in Workforce Summit

About the WIN in Workforce Summit

About the WIN in Workforce Summit

Looking back on the time you’ve focused on workforce development as a community leader, what kind of progress have you seen the Sioux Falls area make?

First PREMIER Bank has been a strong supporter of Career Connections and other workforce development efforts. How are this and other best practices helping you as an organization?

Workforce development also is about retention. What are some examples of what you have done at PREMIER to keep top talent?

What gaps do you think still exist in the Sioux Falls area when it comes to addressing workforce needs?

About the WIN in Workforce Summit

Sioux Falls: 3rd in economic strength

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