Jan. 30, 2024

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Keith Miller, a senior business banking officer at First Premier Bank.

Name: Keith Miller

 Age: 35

Hometown: Yankton

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

When my wife completed her master’s degree in special education, she accepted a position with the Sioux Falls School District. That same day, I accepted a promotion at a bank in Madison, South Dakota. With that in mind, we made our home in Hartford, which was the midpoint between our employers. In 2020, I accepted a position at First Premier Bank in Sioux Falls, where I currently serve as a senior business banking officer.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls has so many opportunities for entertainment, dining, employment and more. Our family continues to live in Hartford, which allows us to have the best of both worlds. We have all the benefits of small-town living while having quick and easy access to all of the amazing amenities in Sioux Falls.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

The people. There is nothing I enjoy more than having the opportunity to visit family businesses and see what they have built through generations of blood, sweat and tears. Most people don’t get to step foot in all the wonderful businesses that Sioux Falls has to offer, which is a huge benefit of my position at First Premier Bank.

How did you get connected to your industry?

After graduating from the University of South Dakota’s Beacom School of Business in 2011, I submitted more than 50 job applications and was offered one banking-related interview. The job market much different back then.

Describe your workplace in three words.

Collaborative. Engaging. Fun.

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

I have a twin brother, who to this day remains my best friend. For the first 23 years of my life, we shared an identity. It’s strange to think most of the people in my everyday life have never met my other half — not my better half, that is my wife — as he lives in Omaha. We still visit on the phone almost every day!

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

My favorite volunteer activity is coaching youth sports, specifically basketball. I have learned a lot through the years working with kids. I’ve become a better person while forming some special relationships and great memories.

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

Raising Cane’s.

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

Sioux Falls: Raising Cane’s. Hartford: Community Center — basketball/pickleball courts, batting cages, turf for indoor soccer/football, cardio/weight training, indoor track, etc.