May 26, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

The newest member of the team at Sioux Metro Growth Alliance is stepping in to help metro-area communities up their economic development game.

Ryan Solberg is a Mitchell native and 2020 Augustana University graduate who majored in government and international affairs. While in college, he interned with the the city of Sioux Falls planning and development services department as well as the office of U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota.

“The experiences gave me a solid understanding of economic development as a profession and some of the issues facing smaller, rural communities,” he said. “After graduating, I briefly worked for Builder Finance, a construction loan lender based here in Sioux Falls.”

Solberg started his new role as an economic development specialist at Sioux Metro Growth Alliance in April and already is off to a fast start. Here’s what he had to share about the new role.

What attracted you to your new role at Sioux Metro?

I think what most attracted me to SMGA was the challenge. My position is brand-new, and the organization is rebranding and seeking new opportunities to grow and better serve its member communities. It’s difficult, but it presents the opportunity to truly make the position my own and be part of something impactful. On top of that, the new role gives me the chance to work with our executive director, Jesse Fonkert. I met Jesse through an alumni mentorship program at Augie, and he’s such a fun and tremendously talented guy. I know I’m going to learn a lot from him.

What exactly does your job entail? What might a typical week look like?

For now, I work directly with the Lennox Area Development Corporation, or LADC. It’s an organization run by volunteers, so I provide support and manage some of the day-to-day activities that the members don’t have time for. This could range from working on the organization’s social media strategy to gathering data for RFIs (requests for information) from site selectors to visiting local businesses to see what barriers to growth folks are seeing. Economic development professionals wear a lot of hats, so I wouldn’t say there is such a thing as a “typical week.”

It’s early, but how’s it going so far? What have your early experiences and impressions been like? 

It’s been going well so far. Lennox is the pilot community for this new position, so these first few weeks have really been about getting a better understanding of the community and how the role should function. Everyone I’ve worked with here has been tremendously helpful and supportive, and I’m grateful that they were willing to try something different with this program. I’m impressed with the momentum that the community has built, from the expansion of Sioux Steel to the creation of the new housing development on the north side of town. The city is bursting at the seams with few commercial and residential lots available, so I’m excited to help address the challenges of growth.

What are some of your key goals for your first year on the job?

I’m aiming to double the number of followers for the LADC’s Facebook page and update our page on the city’s website. Its important that we build a narrative about the organization and the community that convinces potential residents or businesses to come put down roots here, and improving our social media presence and our web page is a good first step.

I’d also like the organization to decide on a direction moving forward. The board members feel like they’re at a crossroads where it’s unsure what their next big project will be. Luckily, the LADC along with the city and other stakeholders will undergo economic strategic planning later this year, so we can start formulating that vision of the community’s future.

Other than those two major goals, I’ll be focusing on helping the LADC improve their organization’s structure and getting out to better know the community.

Longer term, what are some of the biggest needs you see from the Sioux Metro communities, and how are you hoping to help meet them?

It seems like every community is facing the same three challenges: workforce, housing and infrastructure. There are not enough people to fill open positions, not enough affordable places for those people to live, and some of the smaller communities do not have the utility capacity to attract new businesses, or their infrastructure is outdated. SMGA will have to be creative and work closely with our member communities and partners in the public and private sectors to come up with solutions.

How would you like communities in the Sioux Metro to connect with you?

You can email me at [email protected].