Dec. 11, 2018

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Melanie Raap, electrical engineer and president of MAP Inc.

Name: Melanie Raap

Age: 43

Hometown: Montrose

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

The opportunities for an engineering career in Sioux Falls brought me here. It’s also nice that family is still close.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

The longer I’ve had my engineering practice in Sioux Falls, the more relationships I’ve built. There’s so much opportunity here if you invest in those relationships.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

Driving by a building that I’ve worked on and knowing that I’ve helped that client make one of their dreams a reality. A project like The Lodge at Deadwood gives me a real sense of accomplishment.

How did you get connected to your industry?

My first job out of SDSU was at TSP — Spitznagel back then. It was the only electrical engineering job I could find in Sioux Falls at the time. I had several offers from out-of-state companies, but I wanted to stay close to my family. Shout-out to Mike Jamison, who taught me what consulting engineering is and began the long process of training me to be one.

Describe MAP Inc. in three words.

Skilled, technical, reliable.

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

Financial literacy is important to me. I like to see people learn how to help themselves succeed. I teach Junior Achievement and coordinate Financial Peace University classes.

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

I was in Los Angeles recently and noticed the surfboard shops. I don’t have a specific business to name, but I’d love to see even more small businesses that embrace the local culture of Sioux Falls and encourage adventure.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I will be a part of the Lake Lorraine development, I want to have hit my 100th project by then, and I hope to have taught at least 50 more people how to live debt-free.