This week’s Up & Comer is Terra Zahn, marketing director for Vern Eide Management Group.

Name: Terra Zahn

Age: 29

Hometown: Mitchell

Job title: Marketing director

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I moved to Sioux Falls in 2009 for opportunities within my career, which I eventually found many times over.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

The same opportunities that brought me to Sioux Falls in 2009 continue to keep me here. Layer that on top of a community of genuine kindness and outstanding values, you have the perfect blend of a place to call home.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

The automotive industry moves faster than anything I have ever been a part of. I was once told, “Once you ‘go auto’ anything else seems boring.” I can really see how that is true. I would bet any other industry feels like a snail’s pace when you compare it to the fast-paced, ever-changing world of automotive.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I read a lot of industry magazines, blog posts or articles. I also travel to a few industry events each year, which give me a chance to stay current in my knowledge as well as associate myself with others in the industry and share successes and failures. The camaraderie in this industry is unlike any I have experienced.

Describe working at Vern Eide in three words.

Family. Passion. Achievement.

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

A few months ago, I would have said HomeGoods, but now that that wish has been granted, I will rally for a Trader Joe’s. We go out of our way to stop there anytime we visit an area with one.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see my feet planted firmly in my current position for some time. That being said, this industry is evolving so much I would bet five years from now my job will likely need to pivot a few more times by then. I know for certain I’d like to continue to be adding my value, knowledge and strategy to all of the different points of the Vern Eide family.