Dec. 15, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by South Dakota Biotech.

When Shannon Van Buskirk discovered a career opportunity that blended her communications, business development and pharmaceutical backgrounds, she knew she’d found a potential fit.

So did Joni Ekstrum, executive director of South Dakota Biotech.

“Shannon has the skill set we are looking for in our first member relations specialist,” said Ekstrum, who leads South Dakota Biotech, the state affiliate of the international BIO organization.

“She’s off and running and already making an impact on our industry and our organization.”

Van Buskirk began her career in broadcast journalism at KELO-TV and then went into sales before spending a decade at Pfizer as a health care and pharmaceutical consultant.

After leaving the workplace to raise her two sons, she returns with a role that blends her multifaceted experience.

We sat down with her to learn more about the role and how she hopes to support the growing biotech industry.

What attracted you to this role at South Dakota Biotech?

I had been staying home for quite some time and was ready to leap into the business world again. When I learned about the opportunity at South Dakota Biotech, I was thrilled because my previous world was in the pharmaceutical industry. I really do think that this was the best fit for me at this time in my life. I still have a 16-year-old at home, so this allows me to be there when he gets home from school, and I like the idea that I’m doing something that interests both my boys. They both love science. Our oldest, who is 18 and is studying at University of California San Diego to become a marine biologist, actually very much thinks that what I share with him about my job is interesting.

What will your new role entail?

I am responsible for bringing new members into our association as well as supporting existing ones in any way we can. I’ll be assisting Joni Ekstrum in organizing mixers, member meetings, learning opportunities and other ways to get the word out about South Dakota Biotech. We’re excited to make the community more aware of who we are and what we can do to support the industry. Joni has been doing the work of many people by herself, so when the board recognized the association has grown to the point it needed more support, I was the lucky one who got to help provide it.

What are some of your first priorities? What are you most looking forward to about the role?  

The first responsibility I have is getting to know our members, so I am beginning to set up appointments with them and will continue to do so. I very much look forward to an upcoming meeting when I’ll get to meet all the board members because they have amazing stories to tell. I have already heard that I could be getting a new member after my first week on the job, so I was happy to have made the contact. It is a very rewarding experience and is exactly what I was looking for, especially since I love business development. Joni couldn’t be a more amazing person to work for, and I have already been to many appointments with her that have made me so interested in this field of work and learned about so many exciting projects that need to be shared. From the GEAR Center and SAB Biotherapeutics to what’s happening at DSU, exciting startups like Inanovate and the whole ecosystem around Startup Sioux Falls and Elevate Rapid City, there’s so much to tell the entire state.

Has there been anything about your initial experience with the biotech industry that has been surprising or eye-opening?

I’ve been surprised how many biotech companies there are who aren’t yet connected to South Dakota Biotech and could really benefit from becoming members. I also had never been to the GEAR Center and thought what’s taking place there is fascinating. It’s a great facility for biomedical engineers and other innovators.

If people would like to connect with you and South Dakota Biotech, what’s the best way to do that? 

Email, which is [email protected], or 605-351-5748.