From college sweethearts to college professionals, couple moves across Midwest for new S.D. roles

They met in college, worked together at a college and now are building a new life in Sioux Falls after landing roles at different colleges.

Matthew Flaten and Laura Dean made the move west to South Dakota from Illinois over the summer and have both started the new school year in new roles: Matthew at Dakota State University as a strategic communications coordinator and Laura at Augustana University as an associate professor of government and international affairs.

“It was kind of a perfect fit,” said Flaten, who met Dean while the two were students at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.

They married in 2011 and both held roles at Millikin University in Illinois prior to taking on their latest positions.

“We met in the Student Senate, so I always tell my students you should enter student government,” Dean laughed. “That and it’s good experience debating.”

A study abroad experience in college led her to an interest in Eastern Europe and graduate school at the University of Washington — the only university that teaches the Latvian language in the United States. A Fulbright research fellowship led her to an anti-trafficking shelter in Latvia and a passion for researching human trafficking, which she did through fieldwork in Ukraine, Latvia, and Russia.

She’s now director of the Human Trafficking Research Lab at Augustana.

“It’s amazing at Augustana,” she said. “It’s a great job at a great university. As soon as I saw this opportunity, I said it seems like the place to be.”

When she accepted her offer, Flaten began looking for opportunities in the Sioux Falls area — and quickly connected with DSU.

He’s a political science major who earned his master of healthcare administration at the University of Washington before becoming a sports journalist and then moving into public relations at Millikin. His new role involves telling stories from DSU’s campus in Madison as well as its recently opened Applied Research Lab in Sioux Falls.

“When we made a transition to Sioux Falls, I didn’t anticipate finding a job this smoothly,” he said. “I’ve now been learning the intricate details of cybersecurity and government relations, so it’s been a good couple months.”

They moved from what they called “the cheapest real estate market in the country” in Decatur, Illinois, “so we knew we might be a little shocked by home prices and it could have really not gone great,” Dean said. “But we came in and found a house we liked and put in an offer and we were able to close on it a month later.”

While both had passed through Sioux Falls as kids — she’s from Minnesota and he’s from Wisconsin — they weren’t overly familiar with their new home.

“My parents owned a small business and we would come here for conventions when I was a kid, and compared to what I remember the changes downtown are amazing,” Dean said. “The historical renovations and the small businesses show they’ve really done a great job. I’ve had family come down and in Minnesota there can be a little stigma about South Dakota, but every single person who has come has said, ‘Wow, this is nice.’”

She’s become a big fan of local coffee shops and had a memorable time when her sister visited.

“My sister has a child with a disability and we spent a great afternoon at Jacobson Plaza at the accessible playground for kids,” she said.

“Then we went to Sertoma Park and when we were at the park we met the disability community through an event organized by Wheelchair Adventures. A mom connected with my sister and said to let her know if she ever needs anything when she comes to town. Everyone was so welcoming and willing to lend a hand.”

For Flaten, “Sioux Falls was a pit stop on the way back to the Black Hills and I never spent much time here,” he said. “I don’t think I had ever seen the Falls, and it’s really nice, as is all the community stuff we’re finding — farmers markets and local art.”

They’re both looking forward to hockey season, including watching Augustana games at the Midco Arena and supporting the Latvian players on the Sioux Falls Stampede.

“Plus we’re both close to family now,” Flaten added. “Everything we used to do was eight or nine hours to see anyone, and now we can be back and forth in less than four hours which is amazing.”

After leaving Minnesota and Wisconsin 20 years ago, “honestly coming to Sioux Falls and South Dakota feels very much like home,” Dean said. “I’ve never had anyone ask me about my accent here! They just assume I’m from here which is amazing. That doesn’t happen other places. It feels like home already, and I’ve only been here a month.”

To learn more about the opportunities that await with a move to Sioux Falls, start here.