Dec. 6, 2022

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Kaylee King, the marketing specialist at the Great Plains Zoo.

Name: Kaylee King

Age: 26

Hometown: Sioux Falls

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

My family!

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

My friends, family and Great Plains Zoo, of course!

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

Growing up as an animal lover, the easy answer would be the 500-plus animals that live here, but it is the people that I get to collaborate and work with that have become my favorite part. There’s also the constant change and excitement; it makes for a great place to work and learn.

How did you get connected to your industry?

After almost a year of job searching, I lucked into an interview with Great Plains Zoo in February 2020. I was hired on as a part-time marketing specialist and went full time in July 2020! Talk about perfect timing.

Describe the Great Plains Zoo in three words.

Purpose-driven, evolving, lively.

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

I don’t like chocolate!

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

I love supporting local businesses! Sioux Falls has a wide variety of local businesses, and it’s great fun to go explore what they have to offer!

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

While I love supporting local businesses, I can’t deny my love for Raising Cane’s. That’s one I’d love to have here.

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

That’s a tough one. I would either start a sweatshirt company — my life’s goal is to be comfortable at all times — or a production company that works on conservation documentaries.