GROW South Dakota News & Events

Enterprising woman intrapreneur award Article Photo

Tuesday, June 06, 2023

More than 200 women gathered on May 23 to celebrate accomplished businesswomen at the Pivot Great & Small: Celebrating Women in Business Awards Luncheon at the Spearfish Holiday Inn Convention Center. Lori Finnesand, the co-CEO of GROW South Dakota in Sisseton, was named the Enterprising Woman Intrapreneur Award. For the last 32 years, Finnesand has served rural communities through her work at GROW South Dakota. GROW South Dakota is comprised of three separate non-profit organizations. Finnesand has been the co-CEO of GROW South Dakota for 19 years, and she oversees all Economic Development programming. Under her leadership,...

Deutsch named Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Monday, April 17, 2023

Each year, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) honors small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country for their community leadership and achievements. In conjunction with that, the SBA South Dakota District Office has selected Fallon Deutsch of Langford as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Fallon is the owner of Distinctly Drey, an online boutique that offers a variety of different clothing, tops, bottoms, outerwear, loungewear, clothing for toddlers, and so much more. Fallon stays on top of fashion trends and changes her clothing with the seasons. She frequently runs sales, and one of these sales includes the "Cyber Monday Mystery Bags"...

Duenwald named Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year

Monday, April 17, 2023

Each year, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) honors small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country for their community leadership and achievements. In conjunction with that, the SBA South Dakota District Office has selected Dan Duenwald of Clark as the Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year. Duenwald was raised in Hoven, South Dakota by Bob and Olivia Duenwald. He married Clarice Bollinger in 1974 and has four children, two girls, and two boys. Dan started driving a bus in August of 1985 with the Conde School, he drove with them for ten years. In August of 1996, Dan made the...

Poverty Simulation to be held

Monday, April 17, 2023

Could you survive a month in poverty? 107,500 South Dakotans, 34,000 of whom are children under the age of 18, live in poverty every day. Many more have incomes above the poverty line, but their incomes are still low enough to qualify for programs like Food Stamps and Medicaid. The recent economic downturn has seen unemployment rates rise and the use of emergency food pantries increase. It is difficult for those of us who have enough to truly understand the situations that families living in poverty experience every day – the decisions they have to make, and the...

A Path to a Better Future

Thursday, June 09, 2022

They say when it rains, it pours. For one GROW South Dakota client, it was a torrential downpour! First, his car broke down, so he didn’t have enough money to fix it because he had to pay his monthly bills. Then he nearly lost his job because he didn’t have transportation to get to work. The last drop in the bucket was an emergency stent surgery. It was a dire situation. “I was very concerned about the cascading crisis of potentially becoming homeless, losing my car, and possibly losing my job,” he stated. “I really didn’t have anyone to...

NeighborWorks Week

Thursday, June 09, 2022

In honor of NeighborWorks Week, staff from NeighborWorks Amercia came to visit the staff of GROW SD. They received a tour around the town of Siseton to highlight the work done by GROW SD. GROW SD staff provided sidewalk chalk and treats to area daycares and after school programs. NeighborWorks staff and GROW SD staff attended the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition convening in Flandreau, where Lori Moen was elected to the first official board of directors. https://youtu.be/_x9INlqgdjE

Women in Leadership

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Committed, inspired, dedicated, empowered. These are just a few words that describe the journey taken by the leadership within GROW South Dakota. More impressive, is the chief leadership positions are held by four women with a combined total of over 100 years of experience with GROW SD. This dedication to persevere through decades of challenges, growth, and change has allowed GROW SD to become one of the nation’s leading organizations in their industry. Marcia Erickson, Co-Chief Executive Officer, has been with GROW SD for over 32 years and Lori Finnesand, Co-Chief Executive Officer, has been with GROW SD for...

Celebrating Women’s History Month

Monday, March 15, 2021

In recognition of Women's History Month, GROW South Dakota is commemorating and celebrating the vital role of women in American history. One of the leaders we celebrate is JoAnn Schaefers, Faulkton, and previously from Polo. JoAnn Schaefers has served on the Board of Directors for GROW South Dakota for 47 years. Schaefers served on the Northeast South Dakota Community Action Program (NESDCAP also known as GROW South Dakota) Board of Directors for 10 years, including a number of terms on the State Community Action Board. Following her tenure on the NESDCAP Board she began serving on the Northeast South Dakota Economic Corporation (NESDEC also known...

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