Nov. 23, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Central Bank.

It’s easy to become caught up in day-to-day business and forget to reflect on the bigger picture.

But this Thanksgiving, the team at Central Bank did just that, and the gratitude started flowing in a big way.

“We feel so blessed to be in this community,” market president Kathy Thorson said. “This community has everything going for it.”

Before long, there was a list. And it grew. While it could have been much longer than this, we thought you’d enjoy sharing in these top 10 reasons to be thankful in Sioux Falls this year.

We’re record-setters when it comes to growth

A billion-dollar building year helps tell the story of growth in Sioux Falls, but it’s about more than that. We’re a place where people want to move, start businesses and grow their families.

“When we look at business lending, we see how robust this community really is,” Thorson said. “We’re thankful to be part of the Sioux Falls banking community and to be surrounded by all the amazing things going on here.”

We opened two brand-new schools

This fall brought two outstanding additions to the Sioux Falls School District: Jefferson High School and Ben Reifel Middle School.

These schools are designed to educate for the future and already are building strong communities inside and outside their walls.

Forward Sioux Falls exceeded expectations

Our long-standing business community investment campaign Forward Sioux Falls surpassed its ambitious goal of raising $15 million over five years to support the wide variety of economic and workforce development needs of our community.

“Forward Sioux Falls helps position our business community to better connect students with careers, target key industries and support housing-related initiatives,” Thorson said.

We work with amazing people

We bet your workplace could say the same as Central Bank. “Our team members make it rewarding to work together,” Thorson said.

“Sioux Falls workplaces offer positive, passionate and creative environments where new and experienced talent can thrive!”

And we’re led by incredible people

A community relies on many people for strength – including those in leadership.

We’re thankful for hardworking, open-minded and collaborative leaders, from our largest employers to our startup businesses. And we’re grateful to those who lead in public service, on community boards and at the helm of critical nonprofit organizations.

We have an unbelievable parks system

Sioux Falls loves its parks, and they’re about to get even better. We’re excited for improvements to downtown parks, from the Jacobson Family Plaza to the enhanced River Greenway and future Falls Park master plan.

And we’re just as fortunate that public-private partnerships are enhancing important neighborhood parks such as Hayward, which is about to get a significant upgrade.

Sioux Falls is about to get a new hockey arena

Who saw that coming? Our hockey-loving town is about to get even better thanks to Augustana University’s move to add Division I men’s hockey and a new arena on campus to support it.

We can always use more entertainment during the winter, so we’re especially excited for this one.

We honor our senior citizens

It’s important that a community offer something for everyone, and that includes senior citizens. In addition to excellent medical care, increased housing options and lots of programming, Active Generations is getting ready to add a second location.

The new east-side center will further support the needs of our aging population and be one more reason Sioux Falls is an outstanding place to retire.

Central Bank employees volunteer at Active Generations.

“At Central Bank, we felt it was especially important to support Active Generations during COVID because they were hit in such a multifaceted way, and we’re looking forward to watching their new location take shape,” senior vice president Keith Portner said.

Our community gives back in a big way

You won’t find bigger givers than you do in Sioux Falls. From impactful commitments to the Sioux Empire United Way to how individuals and businesses step up for nonprofits of all kinds, we value helping others.

“Central Bank is supportive of numerous organizations our bank and employees value,” Portner said. “We enjoy giving through partnerships like Sharing Christmas to give gift cards to Sioux Falls teenagers in foster care during the holiday season.”

And that includes our time

Those who call Sioux Falls home are excellent volunteers! Of course, we all could always use more time. Many businesses, including Central, encourage their team to help others on company time.

“Our bankers volunteer their time and talents chairing boards, mentoring youth groups, teaching classes, organizing events and much more” Portner said. “When the opportunity to serve presents itself, we answer the call.”