Message from the Chair

Greetings to members of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. I was so fortunate to be born and raised in Sioux Falls. Ben Marcello, President of PREMIER Bankcard, moved to Sioux Falls almost two years ago from the Portland, Oregon area. He has continued to state that “Sioux Falls is the most amenitized city its size” he has ever seen. Whenever I tell people from other parts of the country about our great city, they find it hard to believe what this city in the middle of the country has to offer. Our city has seen significant growth over the years, and we continue to be recognized as one of the best places to live. I find it amazing that we have not fallen into a comfort zone, and that is due to the collaboration of the Chamber and the community. We all can be proud of the community that has been built and it is our responsibility to continue to make Sioux Falls an even better place to live and work.

As I begin my year as Chair of the Board, I want to thank outgoing Chair Scott Lawrence and all the past chairs for their efforts; you have set a high bar for achievement. I also want to take the time to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are now and where we want to go as a city. I invite you to join me in doing this by attending the 118th Annual Meeting on October 15 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. We’ll celebrate our wins and lay out our vision for how we’ll “Keep Pushin’ On” in the year to come. We’ll conclude the evening with a special performance by REO Speedwagon. You don’t want to miss this!

When I was younger, I learned best by observing and listening. I soaked up as much as possible by watching great leaders and mentors like my father and Coach Rich Greeno. They taught me that consistency is key to reaching your goals. You have to always be watching and learning and ready to make the necessary and sometimes difficult changes. The same is true with our great city. We must keep watching what is happening around us, learning all we can and adapting to keep pushing our city forward.

I’m proud to call Sioux Falls my home and I’m honored to have the opportunity to be a part of its growth and development as the Chair of the Board of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. I appreciate your continued support and contributions to our city’s progress.