Nov. 22, 2022

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Chesney Garnos, strategic communications manager at The Event Company.

Name: Chesney Garnos

Age: 26

Hometown: Presho

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I graduated from the University of South Dakota — Go Yotes! — and moved to Washington, D.C., to get involved in politics right out of college. After four years in one of my favorite cities, I found myself looking for an opportunity, wanting to return close to family and friends in the Midwest. With Sioux Falls being the “hub” in South Dakota and full of job opportunities and young people, I found myself landing a job at The Event Company in downtown Sioux Falls and leaped at the opportunity to move back to my home state.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls is a vibrant community filled with young, energetic people, amazing food and great coffee shops. I enjoy living close to my friends from college and family. As I am fairly new to Sioux Falls, I am looking forward to experiencing more of the opportunities Sioux Falls has to offer.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

I love working with our clients! In my role as the strategic communications manager, I get to help promote our clients’ work and, in addition, help them raise major funds that impact their mission and our communities. In September, we helped our client The 437 Project raise over $120,000 for the Helpline Center, which was the largest single donation the Helpline Center has ever received. This truly was one of the most impactful events of my life! It is experiences like these that make my job so rewarding.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I have always been one who has been a self-starter and gotten involved. This is why I initially chose to study government and get involved in politics because I saw it as an avenue to help better our communities and state. When I was looking to move back to South Dakota, I came across the work The Event Company was doing. I jumped at the opportunity to work at the company because of The Event Company’s focus on client stewardship and community giveback.

Describe The Event Company in three words.

Servant-led. Innovative. Spunky.

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

I am a sports fanatic! On a regular basis, you will catch me cheering for the Minnesota Vikings and the USD Coyotes. Coming from a huge basketball family, you will even find me cheering my small-town high school basketball team my brother plays on and my dad coaches. There is no other way I want to spend my Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

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

I do my best to shop, eat and buy locally. I also try to buy directly from farmers and producers when I can.

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

Well since I love basketball, I would LOVE to have a professional NBA team claim Sioux Falls as home!

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

I would invest $1 million to improve our mental health prevention, education and resources available to our youth across the state of South Dakota, especially in rural and underserved communities.