Oct. 24, 2023

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Rachel Ehlers, marketing communications coordinator at The Bancorp.

Name: Rachel Ehlers

Age: 24

Hometown: Newcastle, Wyoming

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I originally moved to South Dakota to attend the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. After graduating with my bachelor’s and master’s degree, I knew I wanted to stay in the region to start my career since my now fiance farms in the Davis area. Sioux Falls was the natural first place to look for jobs, and that’s where I found my current role at The Bancorp.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

I love that Sioux Falls gives me the unique opportunity to have all the benefits and opportunities of working in a metropolitan area while still being able to enjoy living in rural South Dakota. I also love that Sioux Falls feels like a big small town. It is easy to make connections and foster relationships across the many different industries that are located here.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

My job duties include spearheading all Sioux Falls-area sponsorships as well as managing internal communications campaigns enterprisewide. My favorite part of my job is having the ability to interact with the public so frequently. The nature of most of The Bancorp’s business does not include directly working with consumers, so I love being able to attend various events and really engage with the people of Sioux Falls and the surrounding areas. I always get to meet interesting people, and it has been great seeing how The Bancorp has become a more recognizable brand over the last couple years.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I found my love for marketing and strategic communications throughout college. Being hired into the financial banking world was unexpected but a challenge that I have become increasingly thankful for. The great thing about working in marketing/communications is that it can lead you into industries that you would have never thought of joining otherwise.

Describe your workplace in three words.

Innovative, inclusive, engaging.

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

The results of my graduate studies thesis exploring crisis communication strategies and artificial intelligence was presented at the 2023 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference and has been accepted for publication in the Iowa Journal of Communication.

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

Volunteering is a passion of mine. I am a part of The Bancorp’s Employees Who Serve Employee Resource Group, where we organize various volunteering and community service events for employees throughout the year. My two favorite organizations to spend my time at are Lunch Is Served and Dress for Success.

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

I would love an In-N-Out Burger in Sioux Falls!

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

If I had $1 million to open a business, I think I would love to own a bulk fresh flower shop where people could come in and create their own bouquets/arrangements to buy. That way you never have to visit multiple shops or preorder to get the perfect arrangement for your house again.