The following profile was first published by Sioux Falls.Business

Age: 38

Hometown: Sioux Falls

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I was born in Pipestone, Minnesota, but grew up in Sioux Falls. After graduating high school, I pursued a degree in architecture at North Dakota State University – Go Bison! After earning my degree in architecture, I moved to Minnesota and lived and worked in Mankato and Minneapolis. I decided to move back to Sioux Falls in 2020 after realizing that it has always felt like home.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

Many things! I found my best friend and wife after moving back to Sioux Falls. I enjoy being closer to family. Also, the strong sense of community and quality of life are top tier for a Midwestern city of our size.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

The opportunity to learn about other people’s professions – specifically in health care, which I’ve specialized more in the last seven or eight years. Health care design is unique in the sense that it has a lot of project types in one. Learning about the processes of different departments within health care keeps me engaged, challenged, and fulfilled.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I graduated coming out of the 2008-2009 recession, and it was difficult to find opportunities within the design and construction industry. I owe a lot to my mom, who helped instill confidence and kept me motivated when the opportunities weren’t there. Through my education, networking with faculty was useful, but also being adaptive and flexible helped land my first job in the profession. Through the years, I’ve made a lot of wonderful connections in the design field, and my mentors and colleagues have driven a lot of that success.

Describe your workplace in three words.

Adaptive. Community. Legacy.

What is something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

I played alto saxophone in high school, and in 2000 I marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Lincoln High School.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

With the Sioux Falls community, it is through volunteering such as The Banquet, Feeding South Dakota, or other volunteer opportunities. I also value mentoring through the professional community and being able to share knowledge with the upcoming generation of young designers.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

Typical millennial answer: Trader Joe’s. Raising Cane’s and Blaze Pizza are a close second and third.

If you had $1 million to start a business, what kind of business would it be?

Selfishly, a travel blog focused on architecture and design.