Message from the Chair

This month, we proudly celebrate “Made in Sioux Falls” — shining a light on the exceptional manufacturers, businesses, products and innovations crafted right here in our community. Their work fuels our economy, showcases local grit and ingenuity, and puts Sioux Falls on the map.

Alongside everything we make here today, there is a complementary question we must keep top of mind: How are we investing in the people who will make Sioux Falls what it becomes next?

When I stepped into the role of Chamber Chair, one primary initiative on my mind was: How do we make third-grade reading levels a community KPI?

As a product of the Sioux Falls School District, and with all three of my daughters having gone through or currently attending schools in the SFSD, I have tremendous appreciation for the educators shaping our kids. But as our city grows, so does the ask placed on our teachers.

At its core, community culture is the sum total of all of us — the average of our collective investment. With more than 24,000 students in the SFSD and more than half living below the poverty level, early academic success is not just a school district issue. It is an all-of-us challenge.

With nearly 10 Title I elementary schools across our city, uplifting these neighborhoods begins with something foundational: helping a child learn to read. Through my work with the incarcerated population, I have seen the long-term cost of this gap firsthand — approximately 70% of people in prison read at or below a fourth-grade level. That narrative should be clear to all of us.

If we want to live out the ideal that no child is left behind, we cannot ask our teachers to close this gap alone.

The SFSD Community Literacy Allies program offers a tangible way for our business community to lean in. Volunteers work with small groups of kindergarten and first-grade students, reinforcing foundational reading skills through proven literacy frameworks with guidance from district coaches.

The commitment is simple: individuals dedicate just one hour every other week, or a team of six colleagues can share the commitment across the school year.

By dedicating two hours a month, we strengthen our future workforce and expand economic vitality. More importantly, we prove that every child matters and deserves a genuine shot at success. Alongside the incredible products made here, this is how we ensure our greatest asset — our people — is truly “Made in Sioux Falls.”