Sept. 15, 2023

Seventy-two women, men and businesses have been nominated for EmBe’s Tribute to Women awards, which marks its 50th anniversary this year.

“Thank you to our nominators for recognizing the outstanding women, men and businesses that are making an impact within our community,” said Susanne Gale, EmBe chief development officer.

“This year is extra special as we celebrate 50 years of Tribute to Women awards that has allowed us to mark time for thousands of nominees over the years. At this year’s awards show, we will honor all the remarkable individuals, past and present, that are an extension of EmBe’s mission to empower women and families in our community.”

The honorees were nominated in one of the following categories: Banking and Finance, Business Achievement, Community Service, EmBeliever Award, Government and Law, Healthcare and STEM, Humanities and Education, Sylvia Henkin Mentoring Award and Young Woman of Achievement. The awards will be presented at the 2023 Tribute to Women event Oct. 19 at the Washington Pavilion.

Here are the nominees and their employers:

Banking and Finance

Joy Feige, Eide Bailly LLP
Maggie Fitzgibbons, Edward Jones
Arin Gonseth, MarketBeat
Richelle Hofer, Impact Wealth Management
Kristi Metzger, First Interstate Bank
April Meyerink, American Bank & Trust

Business Achievement

Karla Brown, Results/Townsquare Media
Becky Davis, Soccer Sprouts
Lisa Leuning, Avera Health
Sara Lum, StartUp Sioux Falls
Kristi Murfield, Marv’s Body Shop
Maddie Peschong, Maddie Peschong Photography – White Space Studio
Sabra Shields, Sanford Health
Tara Stubbe, Worthing Insurance Inc.
Sarah Waltner, Raven Industries

Community Service

Alix Johnson, Let’s Skate
Brenda Kibbe
Susan Kroger, Camini Consulting
Maureen Ohm, MarketBeat
Stacey Tieszen, Sioux Falls Area CASA Program
Susan Williams, The Transformation Project
Harriet Yocum, Madison Investments
Selene Zamorano-Ochoa, South Dakota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

EmBeliever (open to women, men and organizations)

Krissy Dykhouse, Rise Skin Studio
Janet Eining and Pam Isaackson-Greene, entrepreneurs
Natalie Eisenberg, Click Rain Inc.
Sheri Fischer, Sanford USD Medical Center and Sanford Health
Christine Hallenbeck-Ask, Sanford Health/Good Samaritan Society
Lloyd Cos.
Brienne Maner, StartUp Sioux Falls
Kameron Nelson, LifeScape Foundation
Kate Patrick, The Collective Realty Group-605 Real Estate
Matt Paulson, MarketBeat
Sammons Financial Group
Stephanie Wilde, Say Anything Jewelry

Healthcare and STEM

Dr. Elizabeth Atchison, Ophthalmology Limited
Jen Canton, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center
Pilar de la Puente, Sanford Research
Joni Ekstrum, South Dakota Biotech
Emily Griese, Sanford Health Plan
Sarah Kappel, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center
Stacy Reck, Avera Health
Dr. Jennifer Schriever, Sanford Health

Government and Law

Jennifer Disburg, Sioux Falls Police Department
Linda Kirchhevel, Sanford Health
Victoria Reker, Minnehaha County Public Advocate’s Office
Dr. Erica Schipper, Sanford Health
Kadyn Wittman, Sioux Falls Family YMCA

Humanities and Education

DenYelle Baete-Kenyon, University of South Dakota
Willette Capers, Augustana University
Nancy Halverson, Levitt at the Falls
Bridget Hanson, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire
Candace McNamara, Sanford Medical Center
Faith Minnich-Kjesbo, Avera Health
Kari Papke, Washington High School
Nicole Plesec, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
Laura Smith-Hill, Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota, Center for New Americans

Sylvia Henkin Mentoring Award

Jeni Brooks, Brooks Construction Services Inc.
Dawn Marie Johnson, South Dakota After School Network, Sioux Falls School District
Dr. Jennifer Reecy, The First National Bank in Sioux Falls
Julie Ward, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center

Young Woman of Achievement

Casey Boerger, Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce
Carly Goodhart, Sanford Children’s Hospital
Katlin Johnson, Cornerstone Caregiving
Megan Kjose, Feeding South Dakota
Laycee Kluin, MarketBeat
Ellen Krogh, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center
Angelica Mercado-Ford, Sioux Falls School District
Marcela Salas, Salas Salsas
Sadie Swier, SD CEO East Women’s Business Center
Ngoc Thach, Mix Maker, HelloGM

Attend the 50th Annual Tribute to Women Awards

Tickets are $50 for general admission and available for purchase here. Hors d’oeuvres and a social hour are included in the general admission cost and will start at 5:30 p.m. The awards ceremony starts at 7 p.m.

Rewarding reflection: Meet the women behind the area’s longest-standing awards ceremony