Feb. 26, 2026

Fifty-five women have been nominated for the 46th annual Women of Excellence Awards presented by Sales and Marketing Executives Inc. of Sioux Falls.

Awards will be announced at the annual Women in Business event on March 24 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

Women of Excellence nominees were nominated by their peers and will be voted on anonymously by a committee of SME members.

The women nominated are:

Entrepreneurial Excellence 

• Kristi Adams, Skin Sanctuary
• Trisha Dohn, Well365
• Megan Peterson, Design House
• Kaylynn Slavik, Arcana Lash Co.
• Tara Stammer, Refresh by Tara Lyn
• Stacie Suedkamp, Fig Tales
• Jael Thorpe, Gameday Social Apparel Co.
• Erin Vande Lune and Sarah Roe, Flourish Wellness + Birth Co.

Excellence in Leadership

• Sarah Carnes, 9 Clouds
• Melissa Fossell, American Bank & Trust
• Dr. Mara Hermiston, Avera Medical Group
• Alexa Jerstad, Great Bear Ski Valley
• Brienne Maner, Startup Sioux Falls
• Megan Ratchford Luebke, Keller Williams Realty Sioux Falls
• Heather Schelling, Northwestern Mutual
• Melissa Tuttle, Plan to Plan Weddings/Bride to Bride Consignment
• Teisha Upward, JD’s House of Trophies

Excellence in Marketing 

• Cameron Axtmann, First Bank & Trust
• Ashley Bott, Sanford Health
• Shelby Christopherson, Poet
• Nikki Foster, Avera Health
• Codie Kuper-Ahrendt, Capital Services
• Maren Larson, Wellspent Consulting
• Hillary McQuade, CorTrust Bank
• Laura Mitchell, Lawrence & Schiller
• Emily Quinn, University of South Dakota
• Leah Simmons, Johnstone Supply
• Sara Waldner, Lawrence & Schiller

Excellence in Public Service

• Becca Conner, Sanford Health
• Ally Dawes, Sanford Health
• Diane Eide, Midwest Street Medicine
• Jan Feterl, Catholic Community Foundation for Eastern South Dakota
• Mandi Haase, B-Squad Dog Rescue
• Taneeza Islam, South Dakota Voices for Peace
• Cindi Johnson, Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort
• Kristin Larson, South Dakota Department of Education
• Jennifer Mentele, Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield of South Dakota
• Becky Rasmussen, Call to Freedom
• Chelsey Schnell, Evermore Blooms
• Sarah Siemonsma, Avera Health
• Gabby Stewart, First Interstate Bank
• Shannon Ward, Good NAtured

Excellence in Sales

• Ashley Anderson, Jane Rae Events
• Jennifer Dykstra, American Bank & Trust
• Jessica Haldeman, Canopy by Hilton Sioux Falls Downtown
• Rachel Hangman, Northwestern Mutual
• Rebecca Hungerford, Hot Springs Spas of Sioux Falls
• Sabra Shields, Sanford Health

Supporting Excellence

• Lisa Baruth, Plains Commerce Bank
• Shey Cleveland, Canopy by Hilton Sioux Falls Downtown
• Katherine Feltman, American Bank & Trust
• Lindsey Moulton, Furniture Mart USA
• Alana Snyder, 605 Magazine
• Jolene Stangeland, Great Bear Ski Valley

Young Woman of Excellence 

• Danika Fluth, Tri-Valley High School
• BreAnn Heider, West Central High School
• Rylan Kennett, Washington High School
• Khadidja Mahamed, Jefferson High School
• Learys Mercado-Castello, Jefferson High School

The Young Woman of Excellence award provides a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior that can be applied toward post-secondary education or conferences to further their learning. Students completed an application detailing their school and community involvement, plans and shared about a woman who has inspired their views on leadership.