People You Should Know

JUNE 26, 2018

People You Should Know features new hires, promotions and awards involving top executives and organizations. For consideration, email [email protected]. Guaranteed placement is provided only to partners of SiouxFalls.Business.

Dakota Business Finance & South Eastern Development Foundation

Dakota Business Finance and the South Eastern Development Foundation have promoted two staff members.

Trisha Viss

Jessica Evans

Jessica Evans from senior loan officer to associate director. Evans started working for the organizations in 2007. She will continue to work with the foundation’s regional revolving loan fund and the SBA 504 program while becoming more involved in management.

Trisha Viss from loan officer to senior loan officer. She has eight years of experience in lending and for the past six years has worked exclusively with the foundation’s regional revolving loan fund and the SBA 504 program. In addition to overseeing the junior lending staff, she will be in. charge of business development and marketing.

Dakota State University

Dakota State University made a leadership change in its office of institutional advancement and hired two staff members.

Wade Merry

Wendy McDonnel

Jona Schmidt

Jona Schmidt has been named director of major and planned gifts, effective July 1. She previously served as the alumni director.

Wendy McDonnel and Wade Merry have been hired as development officers. McDonnel most recently served as director of operations with the Sioux Falls Youth Hockey Association. She also was director of development at Killian Community College and the Sioux Empire Red Cross. Merry, a DSU alumnus and member of the DSU Hall of Fame, will begin his duties Aug. 1. He is leaving his position as the executive director of the South Dakota Golf Association. Merry worked on the newsroom staff at the Argus Leader from 1992-2005.

Karlyn Knieriem

Great Western Bancorp

Karlyn Knieriem has been promoted to chief risk officer and executive vice president of Great Western Bancorp. She joined the parent company of Great Western Bank in 2016 and most recently served as the head of enterprise risk management. Knieriem has 20 years of banking experience.

Hegg Realtors

Hegg Realtors has added three broker associates.

Heath Fitzsimmons

Brady Daly

Angel Wallman

Angel Wallman, who joined the Tony Erickson group, has experience as an event planner and public speaker and was the children’s ministry director of a large church.

Brady Daly has a background in data analytics and sales in the banking world.

Heath Fitzsimmons has 27 years of business experience in the Sioux Falls area.

Lawrence & Schiller

Lawrence & Schiller received five honors for television commercials at the 39th annual Telly Awards. Pieces for Deadwood and the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety earned silver awards. Two advertisements for South Dakota Lottery and one for Midco received bronze awards.

Shelby Maznio

Locals Love Us

Shelby Maznio has joined the graphic design team of Locals Love Us, a national franchise that encourages locals to vote for their favorite businesses and publishes the results. Maznio graduated in May from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and art with an emphasis in graphic design.

Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation

The board of directors of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation has elected officers: Chair, Scott Christensen, senior manager/senior vice president of Citibank Financial Control; vice chair, Susie Patrick, owner of Breadsmith; secretary, Todd Ernst, president of Ernst Capital Group; and treasurer, Jeff Strand, partner and director of risk management at EideBailly.  

The board also elected two members: Amange Aware, vice president and business banking manager at Wells Fargo Bank, and Sarah Madison, vice president and portfolio manager at The First National Bank in Sioux Falls. 

Weisser Distributing

Dalton Homeier

Tony Byington

Tony Byington has been hired as the manager of operations for Weisser Distributing in Tea. He worked at Hy-Vee Inc. for 31 years, most recently serving as vice president of bakery operations.

Weisser Distributing has promoted Dalton Homeier to purchasing lead.

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