This week’s Up & Comer is Ryan Patrick, vice president at Great Plains Sponsorship and pitcher for the Sioux Falls Canaries.

Name: Ryan Patrick

Age: 27

Hometown: Mckinleyville, CA

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

Matt Guiliano who was the University of Sioux Falls baseball coach in 2015. He recruited me from College of the Redwoods junior college in Northern California to play for the cougars. Go Coo!

What keeps you in Sioux Falls? 

Sioux Falls is one of the top cities for young professionals and has the 7th highest concentration of entertainment establishments. There is always something fresh and new popping up. It’s a great central hub in respect to the distance of other major expanding cities — West Des Moines, Omaha, St Paul, etc.

What’s your favorite thing about your job? 

The process of helping connect a corporate partner with a public or private development which results in helping save taxpayer dollars. The location makes my job that much more rewarding. It’s humbling to live where there is no shortage of ever-present stewards in the community who participate in these funding efforts for reasons that go beyond just doing business.

How did you get connected to your industry?

It was after my first year of professional baseball in 2017 and I was substitute teaching in Sioux Falls. The wife of GPS President Ryan Querry, where I was subbing, offered to make an introduction after school. We got to talking about my work with a 501c3 start up (Humboldt B52s Baseball) in California and realized that I could maybe be a fit for the sponsorship world. After some additional exploration with potential projects, my role, and garlic knots at the Barrel House, I was in! 

Describe Great Plains Sponsorships in three words.

Made To Measure

You also had an especially interesting summer. Tell us about being called up by the Canaries.

The Canaries had a role to fill with the departure of a few guys that went to go play in the Olympics, and I had been staying ready and in the area. I picked up my first American Association win in the middle of our 13-game road trip in extra innings when we went 14 innings in Kane County, Ill. I’m excited to see where my future goes with them and beyond. Management gave me an opportunity and I plan to stick with it while handling Great Plains Sponsorships.

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

 My first job in high school was a porta-potty truck driver for a company in California called B&B Portable Toilets. We would be responsible for moving 200-300 toilets during fire season up and down the coast.  (Try and picture a 5’8, 150-pound kid with no real prior work experience putting an ADA accessible porta-potty on the top of a truck and making sure it doesn’t fly off when you turn a corner)

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

I was introduced to Katrina and Dane Yde, who are in charge of the JY6 foundation, in 2018. Although I didn’t grow up here, I love helping them honor the legacy of their youngest brother through attending their JY6 dinner event. I also try and stay active with baseball as I am the 13u assistant coach for the Brandon Valley Baseball Association.

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

 A USL/League One Professional Soccer Club.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

As of right now, right here in Sioux Falls helping the city and surrounding region bring all their ventures to fruition for the community to enjoy. I look forward to creating some longevity for GPS.