Siouxland Magazine - Volume 3 Issue 5

STARTING CONVERSATIONS 

20 

21 Announcing the Winners 

The Arts in Siouxland 

Sioux City Symphony Orchestra 

Sioux City International Film Festival 

What is Intersectionality Mapping? 

Find out & try it! 

Volume 3, Issue 5

ALWAYS MOVING. 

Always improving. 

We wake up every day to serve in the towns and places you call home. We’ve 

expanded our innovative care, expertise and access to always keep you moving. 

Because forward is the only direction we know. 

CNOS.NET | 605-217-2667

Welcome to Siouxland Magazine 

It’s in these pages we educate and inspire. Even more importantly, we 

create a community that thrives on connecting with one another. At our 

core, we all want to connect. When we seek to understand, by listening 

more intently, we find that our relationships deepen and our community 

strengthens as a result. With appreciation for the power of connection 

through meaningful conversations, it only made sense to name the 

b u s i n e s s Empowering Conversations. 

Siouxland Magazine | 10 Under 40 / 3 

Stacie Anderson, Owner 

It all starts with a conversation; with a desire to learn; 

to see things from another perspective; to seek 

truth. The truth is, we have more in common than we have 

differences. Well, maybe it would be more accurate to say, what 

brings us together is stronger than anything that divides us. 

We would never want to marginalize our differences. We love the words of Audre Lorde, 

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate 

those differences.” We are unique in vast and complicated ways. It’s our hope that we can 

come together with our unique strengths, perspectives, and ideas to build a community with 

a powerful narrative of us. 

Through this humble publication, we will start having conversations. This is an ambitious and 

beautifully optimistic attempt to shine light on all the things that make our community strong, 

but also discuss, in a productive and compassionate manner, the challenges we face. 

We are doing our small part in building a cohesive community by creating conversations 

that refocus our attention on our similarities. We are bringing people together; replacing 

judgment with understanding. Perspective is powerful. 

We want to hear from you. At Siouxland Magazine, we feel it is imperative to understand what 

the community wants and needs. Share your vision and dreams for Siouxland. 

We want you to lean into the conversation and participate in the discussion. 

connect@empowering-conversations.com 

Facebook @siouxlandmag 

E m p o w e r i n g 

Conversations, LLC 

siouxlandmagazine.com

Converse22 

10 Under 40 Winners.............................................................................................................8 

Carving An Extraordinary Path.......................................................................18 

Inclusive Peek................................................................................................................................20 

Intersectionality Mapping.......................................................................................21 

Dear Dweeby 18-Year-Old..........................................................................22 

Sioux City Scoop.....................................................................................................23 

Grow 

Balance 

Hardline Coffee Co............................................................................................................30 

Become A Downtown VIP!.................................................................................32 

Siouxland Chamber Annual Dinner........................................................33 

Forty...................................................................................................................................................................35 

Sioux City Growth Organization.................................................................37 

Resources To Help!................................................................................................................39 

Olympic Level Team Performance – “Going For 

The Gold”...............................................................................................................................................41 

Life Has You Down, Dog: 

Thank The Earth For The Support To Rise High....................42 

Ask The Therapist.......................................................................................................................44 

Emerging From The Pandemic 101...............................................................4 7 

Heal Through Synchronicity In Soundwaves..........................48 

The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves. 

– Ray Kroc

“Young people aren’t the leaders of tomorrow. They are the leaders of today and tomorrow.” 

- Kathy Calvin 

Inspire 

Connecting Students With The Community............................24 

Wayne State College Offering A Four-Year 

Film Degree..........................................................................................................................................26 

Making Something From Nothing...............................................................28 

explore 

Skincare & Age: Top 10 Questions.........................................................50 

10 Things To Do In The Garden This Fall........................................52 

The Power In Our Children......................................................................................54 

Sioux City International Film Festival Celebrates 

16th Year....................................................................................................................................................56 

Panasonic North America Case Study: 

Sioux City Symphony Orchestrates Exception Virtual 

Experience..............................................................................................................................................60 

Market Experience................................................................................................................62 

At our core, we all want to connect. When we 

seek to understand by listening more intently, we find 

that our relationships deepen and our community 

strengthens as a result. That’s what our Siouxland 

Magazine is all about! We can’t wait to talk to you 

and truly connect with you and your audience. If 

you are interested in learning more about how to 

advertise with us, download the media kit on our 

website at siouxlandmagazine.com. Always feel free 

to reach out to us via phone, email, or Facebook. 

We’re creating a magazine you won’t want to put 

down. We promise not to disappoint 

Want to be included in our 

November issue? 

Contact us soon! 

Deadline to reserve space is 

September 27th! 

Media Kit at siouxlandmagazine.com 

JOIN US! 

You won’t want to miss... 

Siouxland Magazine’s Facebook 

Spotlights @siouxlandmag 

Monday @ 7:30 pm, 

Small Business Spotlight 

Wednesday @ 7:30 pm, 

Nonprofit Spotlight 

ON THE COVER 

Photography by Britton Hacke Photography 

10 Under 40 Winners (listed left to right) Kodi Benson, 

Cynthia Nelson, Emily Vondrak, Sandra Granger, 

Corey Larkin, Peggy La, TaRae Gardner, Michael 

Harman, Maria Guzman, and Sheenah Tonga.

Siouxland Magazine writers 

CONVERSE 

Jetske Wauran, 

People of 

Siouxland - 

Portraits of the 

Extraordinary. 

Semehar 

Ghebrekidan, 

Community 

Inclusion Liasion 

INSPIRE 

Dr. Cyndi Hanson, 

Executive Director for 

Northeast Community 

College’s Extended 

Campus. 

Michelle Lessmann, 

Fully Licensed Office 

Professional in Keith 

Bales Office of Thrivent. 

GROW 

Todd Rausch, 

SBDC Regional 

Director at 

WITCC. 

Grace Nordquist, 

Business 

Development 

Coordinator for 

Downtown Partners. 

Tony Michaels, 

KSUX Morning 

Show Host with 

Candice Nash. 

BALANCE 

Dr. Meghan Nelson, 

Licensed Physical Therapist, 

Professional Yoga Therapist & 

Co-owner of Lumin Therapy. 

Emily Vondrak, 

President for 

Sioux City Growth 

Organization. 

EXPLORE 

Alex Watters, 

Sioux City Council. 

Erika Hansen, 

Lifelong 

Siouxland 

Resident & 

Model. 

Gladys Smith, 

Licensed Independent 

Social Worker & 

Co-founder of Soul 

Creek Nature Therapy. 

Dr. Nesrin Abu Ata, 

Family Medicine 

Physician, Integrative 

Psychiatrist & Yoga 

Instructor. 

Peggy Smith, 

Executive Director 

for Leadership 

Siouxland. 

Amy Buster, 

Writer & Editor. 

Up From the 

Earth Leadership 

Team. 

Emily Larson, 

Licensed Massage 

Therapist & Private 

Yoga Instructor. 

Kari Nelson, 

Graphic Designer. 

University of 

Nebraska – Lincoln 

Nebraska Extension 

Educators.

Editors Note 

Siouxland Magazine | 10 Under 40 / 7 

I’m proud to announce the new Top 10 Under 40 Winners! The sheer number of deserving nominees made the selection 

process challenging for the judges, as always. I can truly say Siouxland is fortunate to have so many talented young professionals 

that care so much for their community. 

Now to introduce our winners… 

Kodi Benson TaRae Gardner Sandra Granger Maria Guzman 

Michael Harman Peggy La Corey Larkin 

Cynthia Nelson 

Sheenah Tonga 

Emily Vondrak 

Beyond sharing their stories, it is important to help them get as much traction as possible with the wonderful work that they 

are doing in Siouxland. In the following pages, you’ll find out how you can support their efforts and get involved. I encourage 

you to reach out to them. Share your thoughts and ideas. Maybe there is an introduction you can make or resources you can 

provide. Every little bit helps. Also, consider sharing their Facebook posts that will pop up over the next few weeks to help 

them, and the work they are doing, get even more exposure. Together, as a community, we can go further. 

I couldn’t be more grateful to have so many outstanding young people in our community that are dedicated to making this 

world a better place to live in. 

Congratulations to this year’s winners! 

Stacie Anderson 

Owner of Empowering Conversations LLC & Siouxland Magazine 

Certified John Maxwell Speaker, Trainer & Coach 

Passionate about Leadership & Communication 

Siouxland Magazine is owned and published by Empowering Conversations, LLC. All materials contained in this magazine (including text, content, and photographs) 

are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published, broadcast or modified in any 

way without the prior written consent of Empowering Conversations, LLC or in the case of third party materials, the owner of that content. You may not alter or 

remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of this content.

expand 

collaborate 

invest 

Kodi Benson 

Customer Service Department Manager, PREMIER Bankcard 

City. We are working on some items that will help benefit 

low-income affordable housing that will create a win for our 

citizens, our businesses and our community. 

How can people help you make that happen? 

We need to look for new inventive ways to bring more 

developers to our communities to create low incoming 

housing. If your city has the opportunity to take advantage of 

a program, point it out and bring it to their attention. If you 

notice grants that can be applied for, send them to your city 

administration and/or economic development. If you have a 

job you are hiring for don’t just limit your business to your local 

community but expand it to the tri-state area. 

What are you working on now? 

With North Sioux City Council, we have numerous projects 

that we are working on from putting in a new water tower, to 

expanding a trail system from North Sioux City into Dakota 

Dunes and then eventually into Sioux City. We continue to try to 

recruit new businesses in North Sioux City from an economical 

development standpoint to create job opportunities and 

bring more individuals to our local communities. We make 

decisions on a daily basis and do our best to enhance the lives 

of our citizens and our overall community. 

What is your vision for the future? / What would you 

like to see happen in Siouxland? 

I would like to see our tri-state areas continue to partner 

together to grow our communities both financially and 

economically. We need to find ways to benefit all of Siouxland 

from a company standpoint as well as a citizen standpoint. 

This includes but isn’t limited to getting our community 

members to work, to developing our rural sanitary sewer 

system, to recruiting athletic events to participate in all areas 

of our tri-state area. We have seen great strides in these efforts 

through our United Sports Academy in North Sioux City, the 

Siouxland Expo Center, and the Arena Sports Academy in 

Sioux City. These have not only direct jobs but many indirect 

jobs as well due to the number of travelers coming to our 

local communities. 

What are you doing to make that happen? 

We are always looking for new growth in North Sioux City 

from an economical development standpoint and are always 

looking for new ways to recruit people to live in North Sioux 

What is the most important key to success? 

Only two words, team work. Together we will succeed, 

individually we fail. There is no one person that can accomplish 

and change the world by themselves; but with buy-in from our 

community, and all of our local leaders and dedication from 

everyone, we can achieve anything. 

What is one challenging life experience that taught 

you something you’ve been able to use to your 

benefit or to the benefit of others? 

Don’t settle for anything in your life: your career, your 

relationships, or in your personal goals. Once you accomplish 

your goals, set a new one. Without goals, life and work is 

boring, you always need something to strive for in order to 

better yourself and get to the next level. I have had many 

challenges in my life from having forced career changes, to 

relationships that didn’t work out, to other issues, but I have 

learned to not let those challenges define me. I have learned 

to overcome, push-forward, and learn from them. With every 

experience comes a learning opportunity. You can’t succeed 

without failure; it’s just like Thomas Edison who invented the 

light bulb. He didn’t do it on the first try, but he learned more 

than 900 ways how not to invent a light bulb, furthermore he 

didn’t do it alone. 

Volunteer Organizations 

Vice President of City Council for the City of North Sioux City 

Board of Directors North Sioux City Fire Department 

SIMPCO Board 

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world; 

We can’t change the world in a day but we can 

change the world one interaction at a time!”

succeed 

contribute 

develop 

TaRae Gardner 

Educator with Sioux City Community Schools 

(Unity Elementary) 

Owner, Paris Gardner Trucking, LLC 

Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant 


Currently, I am a teacher in the Sioux City Community 

Schools and actively involved on my schools Balance 

Leadership Team, Teacher Leadership and Compensation 

steering committee for Sioux City Schools, Intermediate 

Director for Sioux City Education Association, Siouxland 

Unit UniServe (SUU) President, and Iowa State Education 

Association (ISEA) multicultural committee representative 

for Siouxland. Also, I am currently a member of Sioux 

City’s Eastern Star chapter, Harmony Chapter #22, Order 

of the Eastern Stars, Jurisdiction of Iowa. These groups 

provide wonderful opportunities to give back and improve 

Siouxland in various ways. I have volunteered at many 

non-profit organizations, given school supplies, Siouxland 

Soldiers, “Holiday for Heroes,” working with youth at my 

church, and mentoring Siouxland young educators. 

What is your vision for the future? 

My vision is to reach out into our community to increase 

ethnic minority membership and leadership at all levels 

and to improve educational and cultural opportunities for 

ethnic and minorities. 

What would you like to see happen in Siouxland? 

I would like to see more organizations become more 

diversified. At the same time, have a retention program 

in place to improve Siouxland growth. Also, I would like 

to see this program culture and nurture the relationship of 

young professionals from their education journey to continue 

throughout their career journey. 


I am continuing to build partnerships with our neighborhood 

businesses/organizations. Our school has partnered with our 

neighborhood fire department. Also, I am a mentor to educators 

for the Sioux City Community Schools. Plus, SUU mentors 

educators in Siouxland. The ISEA Multicultural Committee has 

created a Facebook page. Harmony Chapter #22, Order of the 

Eastern Star gives out scholarships to college students. I am 

devoted to religious, charitable, and educational purposes. I 

strive for excellence through education, training, dedication, 

and commitment. 


People can help by providing a platform and/or an avenue for 

Siouxland business to come into schools to build a cultivating 

relationship/partnership. Siouxland organizations have a 

diversified program to bridge the gap between recruiting 

college students and young professionals in the workforce. 

Connections and relationships are very important to encourage 

and show others we care about them. 


The key to success is to have a growth mindset and be a lifelong 

learner. Learning involves having an open mind, listening, 

and exploring. 


you something you’ve been able to use to your benefit 

or to the benefit of others? 

Growing up, I never had to face any real challenges in life 

until I became an adult. After graduating from college and 

entering the workforce, I realized very quickly I have to work 

harder in comparison to my colleagues. I noticed that being of 

color in the workforce, I continuingly have to prove my worth 

as a leader in my leadership roles. This taught me to be more 

observant and have a clear vision of my goals. 


Building Leadership Team 

Teacher Leadership and Compensation steering committee 

for Sioux City Schools 

Intermediate Director for Sioux City Education Association 

Siouxland Unit UniServe (SUU) President 

Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) multicultural 

committee representative for Siouxland 

Member of Sioux City’s Eastern Star chapter, Harmony 

Chapter #22, Order of the Eastern Stars, Jurisdiction of IA 

Provide services to many non-profit organizations 

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Siouxland Magazine | 10 UNDER 40 / 10 

Sandra K.S. Granger 

Pediatrician, UnityPoint Clinic at Sunnybrook 


I volunteer in a couple of phenomenal programs that our 

community offers. I serve on the advisory board for the 

HOPES program, which provides support in a variety of 

ways to families expecting a baby or coming home with 

their new baby. This program has a powerful impact by 

improving child and maternal health, school readiness, 

and economic self-sufficiency. I am so proud to be 

supporting them. 

I also work with Prime Age to Engage, which works with 

medical providers to provide books and a prescription 

for reading to young children at their well-child visits. 

Research shows that children who read for 15 minutes a 

day from birth to age five will know many more words and 

be much more prepared to enter kindergarten. 

Additionally, I serve on the Siouxland District Board of 

Health, where I advocate for policies and programs that 

will help the health of our community. And I am working 

with the Iowa Department of Public Health Childhood 

Lead Advisory Workgroup to develop a new medical 

screening tool to determine children’s risk for lead 

exposures and to increase providers’ use of this tool at all 

well-child visits from birth to age five. 

and childcare, and investment in green space. Investment 

in children, especially in early childhood, yields strong 

dividends and benefits our whole community. 


My role as a pediatrician gives me a great opportunity 

to promote the health and well-being of children and, 

by extension, families. I help to ensure optimal physical 

functioning, maximize the ability to succeed in school, and 

promote emotional health. I also work with HOPES, Prime 

Age to Engage, Siouxland District Health Department 

Board of Health, and the Iowa Department of Public 

Health Childhood Lead Advisory Workgroup. I believe 

all these roles help to make Sioux City a great place for 

families to live. 


Invest in children! 


If there is one key to success, it is hard work. However, 

the ability to identify personal strengths and weaknesses 

is also critical. Then you can work hard to address 

weaknesses and potential strengths. 

What is one challenging life experience that 

taught you something you’ve been able to use to 

your benefit or to the benefit of others? 

When I was in medical school, I was incredibly anxious 

heading into my first set of licensing exams, which play 

a big role in determining how competitive you will be in 

obtaining a residency. Worrying affected my sleep and 

ability to take time away from studying. Then, on the last 

Sunday before the test, I went to Mass and the priest’s 

sermon reflected on how worrying is a worthless endeavor 

and ultimately involves us trying to intervene in God’s 

work. This perspective helps me keep my worries in check. 


HOPES Advisory Board 

Prime Age to Engage 

Siouxland District Board of Health 

Iowa Department of Public Health Childhood Lead 

Advisory Committee 

What is your vision for the future? / What would 

you like to see happen in Siouxland? 

I would like to see Siouxland continue to develop 

into the best place to raise a family. I would like to see 

our community’s children thrive as adults with healthy, 

balanced, and productive lives. We should consistently 

work to provide affordable housing, quality education 

“Children are the world’s most valuable 

resource and its best hope for the future.” 

– John F. Kennedy

Maria Guzman 

Educator for Sioux City Community School District (Irving Dual Language Elementary School) 

organizations have to offer. Also, by supporting our 

schools and teachers. 


The most important key to success is to work hard and 

follow your dreams. Also, never forget where you came 

from and your roots. Use it to grow from it and inspire 

others like you. Sometimes all people need is to see 

themselves in you to inspire their growth. 



I have been a kindergarten teacher at Irving Dual Language 

Elementary School for eight years and will continue to 

be a kindergarten teacher this new school year. I started 

helping the dance group at Irving about six years ago and 

now I am one of the dance teachers for the group. We 

volunteer our time after school and in the summer to teach 

Mexican Folkloric dance to Irving students. We practice 

after school and perform throughout the community. I 

am recently planning to start the dance group back up 

at Irving. The dancers really missed it and the community 

has reached out for performances as well. I am hoping 

to have the group practicing and be able to come to the 

parades and performances this school year. I am also 

working with Theresa from the Sioux City Public Museum 

and other community members, planning the annual Day 

of the Dead celebration. 



My vision for the future is to keep growing and learning 

in my profession so that I can keep doing what is best 

for students. I would like to see Siouxland growing as a 

unified community by supporting cultural events or the 

diverse local businesses the community has to offer. 




One challenging life experience that taught me to work 

hard since I was a child was moving to the United States as 

a 7-year-old and seeing my dreams of becoming a teacher 

disappear. I did not speak English and it made school 

very difficult. My parents taught me that I had to learn 

English and work hard. I teach at Irving Dual Language 

Elementary School. There are many students who do not 

speak English. I know they feel, how I felt starting school. 

I like being a role model for my students and showing 

them that it is possible. They often do not believe I did not 

speak English and it gives them a boost of confidence; 

which is something I wish I had as a child. I always share 

my experience of learning a new language with them, to 

hopefully inspire them to work hard, so they can fulfill their 

dreams when they grow up. However, also to know the 

importance of not losing their native language or culture. 


Siouxland Unidad Latina Volunteer 

Volunteering with the dance group La Perla Tapatia - a 

Mexican Baile folklórico (“folkloric dance”) 

Welcoming new immigrants to the Siouxland community 

and volunteering as a translator 

“In a world where you can be anything, 

be kind.” 


I am learning and growing in my profession by going 

back to school to receive my Master’s. I want to continue 

to do conferences or reading on my own time, about 

strategies or ideas to implement in my classroom. I am 

also supporting the community by helping plan a cultural 

event for the community that is fun and educational. 


People can help make this happen by attending the 

fun events the Sioux City Public Museum and other


Michael J. Harman, Ph.D., BCBA-D 

Assistant Professor of Psychology, Briar Cliff University 

Director of the Behavior Analysis Clinic 

Director of Siouxland Research Center 


The most impactful way that people can continue to 

help is to believe in the importance of providing help. I 

use the word “believe” as I think that it encompasses the 

motivation for providing help: helping others because, 

and only because, others need help. 


The most important key to success is accepting, behaving 

with, and maintaining a sense of humility. Humility will 

always keep you grounded in a realization that your 

success is the result of a collective effort of everyone that 

you have learned from in your path. Humility ensures that 

success never stops; one person’s success should be the 

catalyst to helping other people succeed. 


I am working to grow and maintain the impact of the pro 

bono Behavior Analysis Clinic at Briar Cliff University. 

The importance of this clinic is two-fold. First, this clinic 

provides an opportunity for students of behavior analysis 

to gain real-world fieldwork experience. Secondly, the 

clinic provides the families of Siouxland with a muchneeded 

resource at no cost. 



My vision for Siouxland is that it becomes a beacon of 

hope for families seeking therapeutic services for their 

children. I envision a Siouxland in which everyone who 

needs, or who would benefit from therapeutic services, 

would have access to those services. This would be a 

Siouxland where the community collectively works to 

ensure that every child has the best possible opportunity 

to live their fullest life. 


Fulfilling my vision for Siouxland requires consistent and 

continual work in advocating, providing, and educating 

people in the benefits of behavior analytic services. I 

constantly look for platforms everyday to advocate for 

the many families in Siouxland that need this type of help. 

Further, I serve as the Clinical Director for the pro bono 

Behavior Analysis Clinic at Briar Cliff University. With my 

team of students, we consistently provide nearly 1,000 

hours of pro bono services each year to children with 

developmental disabilities. I also teach numerous courses 

to students pursuing degrees in psychology and behavior 

analysis. 




Following my undergraduate graduation, I applied to 

nearly a dozen graduate schools. Every application I 

submitted was rejected and I struggled with purpose 

and direction. Just prior to graduating, a professor came 

across my application in a discard pile. He decided to 

give me a chance and extend an offer to attend graduate 

school. At one of the most challenging times in my life, 

someone decided to take a chance on me. It was from 

this experience that I learned about the power of giving 

people a chance. 


pro bono Behavior Analysis Clinic at Briar Cliff University 

(therapy, consultation, parent /staff training) 

Association for Behavior Analysis International 

“Et lux in tenebris lucet – and the light 

shineth in the darkness.”

Peggy La 

Owner, Yummi Blox and Hong Kong Supermarket 


Siouxland has always been my home and I am in love 

with our community! One thing that I’ve learned in my 

years here, is that people and their commitment to our 

community are what make living here great and I’m 

grateful to be a part of that mission. What’s amazing is 

that our family-owned Hong Kong Supermarket isn’t just 

a store. It’s a one-stop-shop for hundreds of Siouxland 

newcomers and long-time residents to shop for groceries 

and socialize, too. While our store has a multitude of 

products, we also have a multitude of resources and 

information, helping direct people to the right places. 

For example, if people need help with English Language 

Learning classes, then we refer them to local agencies that 

provide these services, like the Mary J. Treglia Community 

House. I have always been deeply passionate about 

building bridges and relationships in our community. I 

have always been networking and communicating with 

our Asian community in hosting local events, such as 

the Siouxland Asian Festival held in the summer and the 

Vietnamese New Year’s celebration, held in February at 

the Pho Mon Temple. 

It’s a privilege to be able to fulfill that role and help 

enhance the quality of life for fellow Sioux Citians of all 

ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, 

and abilities. I recently opened Yummi Blox to support 

economic development on West 7th, while supporting 

small food truck small business efforts. As a new mother 

it is important to continue the work of celebrating many 

different cultures, education, and uphold my civic duties 

to keep our community together. 

of Siouxland Asian Festivals, I know what it takes to lead with 

positive collaboration and encouraging others to go the 

extra mile. This annual event invites hundreds of people, not 

only from our Asian communities but from diverse groups 

of people from all walks of life. It’s a great event for people 

to make connections, learn from each other, and celebrate 

the beauty of our Asian heritage. 


Next year, 2022, is going to be a BIG YEAR for the Siouxland 

Asian Festival. This is going to be our 10th year! I’m so proud 

of how far this event has come! The annual Siouxland Asian 

Festival brings hundreds of people from all over the tri-state 

region. This festival is an expressive way for us to celebrate 

our heritage, culture, and traditions. It is also meant to 

rejoice in the special moments with our loved ones and 

leaders among the Asian communities in Siouxland. Next 

year’s event will be bigger and better - and to make this 

happen, we have a committee of dedicated people who 

are incredibly passionate about making each Asian Festival 

a success! From spreading the word in the community to 

our local media, we have the tools and resources for what it 

takes to create a stronger presence! 


The greatest help is willing to be educated, learn, and 

embrace other communities. My greatest desire is to see 

people continue to get involved and stand up for the 

betterment of community and diverse populations. 


Communication and action are the most important keys 

to success. When a thought comes about, action has to 

happen. Mistakes are bound to happen and can always 

be adjusted along the way with communication, and I’m 

so thankful that we have an awesome team that thrives on 

these two principles. We not only come up with ideas but 

execute them. 


you something you’ve been able to use to your 

benefit or to the benefit of others? 

Make mistakes! Learn from mistakes. Adapt and move 

on. A mistake that makes you humble is better than an 

achievement that makes you arrogant. 


Asian Pacific Islander Commissioner for the State of Iowa 

Co-Founder of Siouxland Asian Fest 

Volunteer for the Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee 

Volunteer for Mary J. Treglia Community House 




My volunteer experience has taught me to see the hidden 

opportunities in difficult situations. After hosting a decade 

Always ask questions. If you don’t ask 

questions, the answer will always be no.


Corey Larkin 

Owner, High Ground Cafe + Espresso Bar 


I run Sioux City Cars and Coffee, Sioux Falls Cars and 

Coffee, Sioux City Fall Car BBQ, Sioux Falls Fall Car 

BBQ, Midwest Euro Club, Midwest Euro Takeover, and 

Siouxland Small Business and Startups. 

My dad often said during hard times, “This 

too shall pass.” It’s hard to always have that 

outlook but it’s very true. 


I have been working on a lot of small businesses and 

start-up networking. 



I would like to see more small businesses and unique 

places. There’s so many people that want to do these but 

have no direction or are scared. There’s lots of help out 

there, they just need to be pointed there. 


I’m having meetings at High Ground for Small Business 

and Startups. I’ve also created a facebook group for the 

area. Sioux Falls has a similar one that helps and does 

very very well. 


Check out the Facebook page! https://www.facebook. 

com/groups/siouxlandstartup 


Keep at it. Don’t get discouraged. You don’t understand 

exactly how hard it is to run a business and everything 

that goes into it, until you’re actually in it! 


taught you something you’ve been able to use 

to your benefit or to the benefit of others? 

Starting a business during a pandemic is hard, but maybe 

starting in a time where it is so very hard will make the 

future much easier.

Cynthia Nelson 

Owner, Hawks Coffee Shop & Gypsy Soul Boutique 


I would love to see people supporting small businesseswe 

have so many wonderful businesses and fabulous 

business owners in our community and we need to make 

sure we give support so they don’t close their doors!! 

Sergeant Bluff came out BIG TIME during COVID to 

help support us. Our community rallied behind our new 

business and made sure that we could continue to remain 

open. The support they showed for the business, for my 

family, and for my staff is exactly why I want to raise my 

children here. The continued support for all local/small 

businesses is so important. 



I really enjoy being involved with committees that are 

dedicated to making the Siouxland community a better 

place to live/raise children. Currently, I am on the board for 

Lila Mae’s House, which helps survivors of sex trafficking. 

I am also involved with several boards in Sergeant Bluff. 

I want to actively help make my children’s school and 

community as great as possible. I am on the Parks and 

Rec board, which works on creating and enhancing the 

sports facilities and programs in Sergeant Bluff. I am also 

on the SBL School Foundation Board, which raises funds 

to give scholarships to students in Sergeant Bluff that 

may need some assistance in college. I love making the 

community a better place for my children and also being 

able to help educate our future leaders. 



I would love to see Siouxland continue to grow and 

develop. I love seeing new businesses opening up - more 

events and activities being held- and more competitive 

sporting teams developing! I would love to see that 

continue. I am not originally from here and when I moved 

here I noticed people would talk about having to go to 

Omaha and Sioux Falls for day trips, for events, or for 

sports tournaments. I think our goal should be to change 

that - to create opportunities here in our own backyard! 


I would say determination has been my key to success. 

I really love showing my daughter (and her friends and 

all my young female staff) that if you work hard you can 

achieve your dreams. Being a strong female entrepreneur 

and role model is a goal of mine and I have a long way 

to go before I figure it out, but I am determined to keep 

trying! 




I worked in Child Protective Services for about 10 years 

and every single day I was reminded of the bad things 

that happen in our world, and then also all the good 

people and services we have in our community to help 

make things better. It’s very important to me to support 

organizations that help make Siouxland a safer place for 

children and those who are vulnerable. 


Lila Mae House Board Member 

Sergeant Bluff Little League - Board Member, Secretary, 

and Director of Fundraising 

Sergeant Bluff PTO - Secretary 

Sergeant Bluff Parks and Rec Board Member 

Sergeant Bluff Luton School Foundation Board Member 

Sunnybrook Church Ministries 

“Pray. Wait. Trust.” 


I have opened two businesses in the last year and I am 

able to use that platform to bring people together, to 

hold events, and to support local teams, non-profits, and 

other small businesses. Connecting people and seeing 

them happy is one of my passions. I love participating 

in committees, sitting on Boards, and being in the room 

where things are happening, so I can be a part of the 

change.


Sheenah Tonga 

Branch Administrative Supervisor 

Assistant Vice President 

The Stuck Bivens-Rose Group @ Baird 


I am constantly looking for opportunities to serve the 

community whether that be through an organization 

or a simple act of kindness. Most recently I was able to 

assist Camp High Hopes with setting up for Rib Fest and 

volunteering at the Woodbury County Fair. 



I believe the year of COVID/2020 taught us all a lesson; 

we need each other. We need community support. All 

the things we once took for granted, or as a luxury, were 

missed. It’s time to band back together and move forward. 

I would love to see Siouxland do just that. Find something 

that excites you; find your passion. Whatever that is, find 

a way to support it. I’d encourage you to do it as a family, 

a group of friends, co-workers, etc. Be the one to lead the 

charge and soon we will have a community full of leaders! 


Whenever an opportunity to serve presents itself, I try to 

recruit others to join me in the effort. Not only is it fun to 

collectively achieve something awesome but it could help 

someone else find their passion. There is a joy in giving 

back but often we think we can’t do or give enough. That 

is not the case; the simple, smallest act can mean the 

world to someone. 

Through the COVID pandemic, I have made every 

attempt to make those around me feel loved and cared 

for through outbound phone calls, cards, small gifts 

dropped at doorsteps, grocery runs, dinner drop-offs, or 

simple messages to know someone is thinking of them. 


Anytime you find yourself with an opportunity to serve, 

invite someone to join you. Be an example and lead the 

way. You’d be surprised how many people are just waiting 

for that invite! 


The key to success is continuing to do what you know you 

need to even when you don’t feel like it. Stay consistent in 

your efforts. Always remember success isn’t built overnight 

and it certainly isn’t built alone. 




It feels like every day comes with a new lesson but the most 

challenging came from 2006-2013 while my husband and 

I were undergoing fertility treatment. The dream of many 

young girls is to find prince charming and start a family; 

it was certainly mine, but I never dreamt it would be as 

challenging. The journey had a lot of trials. Through it all, I 

learned to let go, endure, and enjoy the journey. The story 

being written was ours. Around every corner, in every 

valley or the top of every peak a lesson was learned. I’ve 

been blessed to share our story and help several couples 

through their fertility journeys. Once we opened up about 

our trials, the number of Facebook messages I received 

asking for guidance, support etc., was astonishing. 

Everyone’s journey is so different, and you never know 

who you may inspire or impact by sharing yours. 


Woodbury County Fair 

Siouxland Wrestling Academy 

Camp High Hopes 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 

American Heart Association 

United Way of Siouxland 

Noah’s Hope 

Siouxland Humane Society 

“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of 

people, can transform the world.”

Emily Vondrak 

Marketing and Development Manager, Siouxland Habitat for Humanity 


One of the most important ways to encourage growth is 

to support the things we have now. Go to events like the 

Farmers Market, Food Truck Fridays, or Saturday in the 

Park. Remember local restaurants and boutiques when 

you’re dining and shopping. Take your family or friends 

for a fun night out watching a local sports team, or show, 

or event at the Tyson Events Center or Orpheum Theatre. 


Investing in our community is why Innovation Market is 

one of my favorite events we sponsor for the Sioux City 

Growth Organization. It is amazing to hear the ideas of 

local entrepreneurs and ultimately see them come to 

fruition. For Siouxland to step up and invest in local people 

is the key to progress. 


I have the privilege of working for Siouxland Habitat for 

Humanity, so I get to spend a lot of my time sharing more 

about how we build safe, affordable homes for families in 

need in the community. 

I am also involved in some great community organizations. 

Currently, I have the pleasure of serving on the Board of 

Directors for the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, and 

as a Chamber Ambassador. 

I am also honored to serve as the 2021 President for Sioux 

City Growth Organization. I am working with a mission of 

attracting and retaining young professionals to Siouxland; 

we strive to get involved in the community and showcase 

and experience all Siouxland has to offer. 

Additionally, I served on the planning committee for the 

first-ever Summer In Siouxland program. It was created 

for all of the students who spent their summer doing 

an internship in Siouxland so that they could learn what 

opportunities they would have if they choose to stay here 

after graduation. 



My biggest hope for the future of Siouxland is for the 

community to continue to grow. It is almost surreal to walk 

through downtown and see the revitalization compared 

to 5, 10 years ago. We’ve seen so many new businesses, 

housing developments, and more pop up. It’s also led to 

some fantastic quality of life projects. My vision is that we 

stay on this trajectory and share with people what a great 

community this is to be a part of and call home. 


Get Involved! Change comes from every one of us in 

this community. We all have different experiences and 

perspectives that shape the way we see the world. If you 

have an idea to make Siouxland better, find a person or 

organization that can help you make it happen. 


The most important key to success is hard work. It sounds 

cliché, but growing up as a farm kid it was a characteristic 

that was ingrained in me as a way of life. It is a trait that has 

served me well. 




Do not be afraid of change. At the time, losing my job at 

the start of the COVID-19 pandemic was frightening. But, 

by deciding to embrace change and see the set-back as 

an opportunity, I ended up being able to move into a new 

role in the nonprofit world, which had been a career goal 

of mine for a long time. 


Sioux City Growth Organization, President 

Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors 

Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, Ambassador 

Summer In Siouxland, Planning Committee 

Akron-Westfield Cheer Coach 

“The people who are crazy enough to think 

they can change the world are the ones 

who do.”

converse 

curious 

Cultivating Meaningful 

Powerful narrative of “us” 

truth seekers 

Carving An Extraordinary Path 

By Jetske Wauran 

More than two decades ago, Mark Avery 

ended a significant chapter in his life. He left 

a prominent career as a businessman to pursue his 

burning passion for the arts. What he didn’t know 

is that his passion would lead him to a path of 

philanthropy. A path that he has continued to walk 

on to this day. 

Long before they were displayed in front of the 

Martin Luther King Jr. Transportation Center in 

downtown Sioux City, these 14 busts were at Mark’s 

home studio. These are sculptures of people who 

have made a lasting impact on Siouxland as part of 

the Celebrating Community Project. 

Each sculpture was individually crafted by Mark. 

Originally molded with clay before being cast into 

a bronze sculpture, Mark spends at least six months 

creating each bust. 

In between his artistry, the Sioux City native has also 

created Kindness Siouxland, a community project 

focusing on spreading kindness through brightly 

colored signs in the shape of thought bubbles 

displayed across local schools and retirement

strengthening our community 

Conversations exploring perspectives 

coming together 

open minded 

focused on common good 

homes. That is not all...he’s got 5,000 more signs 

ready to go for display. 

“When you do art, it helps you see the different 

layers of existence, and it also helps you to not only 

understand yourself but also understand how you 

relate to others and how they relate to you,” shared 

Mark. 

Mark was born in Sioux City, May 22, 1954. He and 

his wife have been married for 42 years. They have 

two daughters and one son. 

Photo Credit Jetske Wauran 

Hello, I’m Jetske Wauran and I am so excited to team up with Siouxland 

Magazine! This team effort will serve as an avenue to share my passion 

project, “People of Siouxland - Portraits of the Extraordinary.” I launched 

this in September 2020, in hopes of inspiring and uplifting others in the 

most trying of times. As a visual storyteller, my mission is to highlight 

people who have made a profound impact in our community and write 

stories about the underrepresented individuals and hidden gems within 

Siouxland. It is an honor to share their unique and remarkable stories with 

you. Stories that are worth encouraging, enjoying, and celebrating. 

Jetske Wauran is a community activist, professional photographer, and 

Emmy award winning journalist.

Siouxland Magazine | Converse / 20 

Inclusive Peek 

What challenges have you experienced living 

in Siouxland? I enrolled at Morningside College in 

Sioux City, Iowa. My main focus since I have arrived here 

is my role in the Morningside College Golf Team. As I 

am from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in England, the biggest 

challenge I have faced since I moved to the Siouxland 

area is the difference in culture. For example, nobody 

could understand my accent when I first arrived, so I 

had to learn to pronounce words differently to converse 

with people. Sense of humor and different types of 

food is among other cultural aspects that were very 

different for me when I moved here. 

How has Siouxland been welcoming? 

Sioux City, and the surrounding Siouxland area, have 

been incredibly welcoming from the day I arrived here. 

Everybody was so friendly and made me feel at ease. 

All of the members on the golf team at Morningside, 

and the head coach, Todd Sapp, offered me rides to 

practice and get groceries. They also made sure that 

myself and all of the other internationals (international 

freshmen golfers in particular) were always invited to 

social events and did everything they could to make 

our lives easier. The sense of support I have felt from 

the Siouxland community has been overwhelming. 

Everybody has always shown an interest in myself 

and the rest of the 

Morningside Golf 

program and this, to me, 

just shows how fantastic 

the local people are. 

What do you want the 

people of Siouxland 

to know? 

The first thing I would 

like the people of 

Siouxland to know is to 

not change their attitude 

and way of going about 

life, as it creates a very 

hospitable environment 

for everyone in the 

area. The second thing I Jonathan Robert Douglas 

would like the people of Siouxland to know is that travel and 

getting out of your comfort zone truly broadens the mind. 

Since I have moved to Sioux City, I have been exposed to 

many new challenges and met so many amazing people 

I never would have met if I stayed in England. I really feel 

like Sioux City and the people in the Siouxland area have 

helped me develop and grow as a person and for that I am 

eternally grateful. 

Inclusive Peek – En Espanol 

¿Qué desafíos ha experimentado viviendo en 

Siouxland? Me inscribí en Morningside College 

en Sioux City, Iowa. Mi enfoque principal desde que 

llegué aquí es mi papel en el equipo de golf de 

Morningside College. Como soy de Newcastle-Upon- 

Tyne en Inglaterra, el mayor desafío al que me he 

enfrentado desde que me mudé al área de Siouxland 

es la diferencia cultural. Por ejemplo, nadie podía 

entender mi acento cuando llegué por primera vez, 

así que tuve que aprender a pronunciar las palabras 

de manera diferente para conversar con la gente. El 

sentido del humor y los diferentes tipos de comida son 

otros aspectos culturales que eran muy diferentes para 

mí cuando me mudé aquí. 

¿Cómo ha sido la bienvenida a Siouxland? 

Sioux City, y el área circundante de Siouxland, han 

sido increíblemente acogedores desde el día que 

llegué aquí. Todos fueron muy amables y me hicieron 

sentir a gusto. Todos los miembros del equipo de 

golf de Morningside, y el entrenador, Todd Sapp, me 

ofrecieron paseos para practicar y hacer la compra. 

También se aseguraron de que yo y todos los demás 

jugadores internacionales (golfistas internacionales de 

primer año en particular) estuviéramos siempre invitados a 

eventos sociales y hicieran todo lo posible para hacernos 

la vida más fácil. La sensación de apoyo que he sentido 

de la comunidad de Siouxland ha sido abrumadora. Todo 

el mundo siempre ha mostrado interés en mí y en el resto 

del programa Morningside Golf y esto, para mí, muestra lo 

fantástica que es la gente local. 

¿Qué quieres que sepa la gente de Siouxland? Lo 

primero que me gustaría que supiera la gente de Siouxland 

es que no cambien su actitud y forma de vivir, ya que 

crea un ambiente muy hospitalario para todos en la zona. 

La segunda cosa que me gustaría que supiera la gente 

de Siouxland es que viajar y salir de su zona de confort 

realmente amplía la mente. Desde que me mudé a Sioux 

City, he estado expuesto a muchos desafíos nuevos y he 

conocido a tantas personas increíbles que nunca habría 

conocido si me hubiera quedado en Inglaterra. Realmente 

siento que Sioux City y la gente del área de Siouxland me 

han ayudado a desarrollarme y crecer como persona y por 

eso estoy eternamente agradecido. 

Photo Credit Jetske Wauran.

Intersectionality Mapping 

By Semehar Ghebrekidan 

What is Intersectionality? 

Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term stating that it is a framework for conceptualizing a person, group of people, or 

social problem as affected by several discriminations and disadvantages. It considers people’s overlapping identities 

and experiences in order to understand the complexity of prejudices they face. 

Let’s do some mapping! 


1. Draw a stick figure of yourself 

2. List the following dimensions of your identity 

Race 

Ethnic background 

Language background 

Socio economic class now 

Socio economic class when you were growing up 

Gender 

Sexuality 

Age 

Ability Status 

Education background 

Major 

Introvert/Extrovert 

Parental Status 

Marital Status 

Religious background/Spirituality 

Citizenship Status 

Military background 

Political Ideology 

If you are a 

Sibling 

Sister/brother 

Cousin 

Parent 

Aunt 

Grandparent 

Great grandparent 

Job Title 

List 3 other things that you use as an identifier 

After listing all of these around your person, think about the following. 

1. What are 3 things you think about every day without anyone asking you? 

2. What are 3 things that you are surprised with/don’t think about often? 

3. Why is it important to know these? 

4. How would they affect your outlook on life? 

5. How do they affect you in your job? In your family? In your organization? 

Semehar Ghebrekidan is the Community Inclusion Liaison for the City of Sioux City. She is 

charged with Inclusion efforts to help connect the City and the community. Semehar has her 

master’s degree from South Dakota State University in Sociology and her bachelors in Global 

Studies with minors in Spanish and Leadership & Nonprofit Management. When she is not 

working, you can catch her cooking, reorganizing her home, and hanging out with her family 

and friends.


Dear Dweeby 18-Year-Old 

By Tony Michaels 

This is easily one of my favorite issues of the 

year with Siouxland Magazine.There is so much 

negativity when you are doom scrolling on social media. 

It is easy to get caught up in the dour posts, and it makes 

me a little angsty and sad. That is why I LOVE this issue. 

Odds are if you are reading this article, you are probably 

not scrolling past political and angry posts. 

Every time I run to get this annual issue; I have one big 

takeaway moment. We are so lucky to be surrounded 

by so many talented and compassionate individuals in 

Siouxland. My second takeaway is that I love the fact so 

many different professions are featured on these pages. 

When I saw the first list way back in 2012, I thought it was 

so fun to have so many different backgrounds and skill 

sets in one room for some celebratory drinks. 

When looking for an appropriate picture to go with 

this article, I chose this embarrassing pic from my dorm 

room at the University of Nebraska when I was 18. I sent 

this image home to my parents to prove to my parents 

I studied. At least once I studied. I did not send them 

the pictures from 2 a.m. at a party. College was more fun 

before social media. 

I have been very nostalgic about life ever since my oldest 

son turned 18 last month. My world view has changed. 

My goals have changed. I have changed. 

When this picture was taken, I was dialed in on having a 

six-figure income, a sports car in the garage, and season 

tickets to the Huskers at Memorial Stadium. In the 

90’s, I assumed we’d have five more trophies by 2021. 

Unfortunately, the Husker football program changed 

too. 

Anyway, I was trying to be somebody, get a title, follow 

a career in broadcasting, and make some bank. In short, 

enjoy life. 

Tony in the dorm. 

Enjoy life. Cherish your loved ones. Look out for those 

who need help. Be a man for others. Do not post on social 

media after midnight. Invest in Facebook. Then, log off 

Facebook. 

Build something. 

KSUX 105.7 Morning show host with Candice 

Nash, Author of the book, “Tacos and Beer 

Atmosphere.” 

Photos Contributed by Tony Michaels. 

Paid advertisement. 

Like Us on Facebook 

and 

Share our Facebook Spotlights 

Making a Difference for Small Businesses & Nonprofits 

A few days ago, I read a quote from Iowa State football 

coach Matt Campbell about why he has not left for a 

bigger job at a larger school or the NFL. He said, “you’re 

either trying to be somebody or you’re trying to do 

something.” Man, has he built something in Ames. 

The featured Top 10 Under 40 are building something 

for us in Siouxland. They are using their talents to 

improve the quality of life not only for their families but 

for the greater good of the community. It is inspiring. I 

love everything about this issue. 

Man, I look at this young man in this picture and realize 

how much I did not know. 

I wish I could send a note to that geeky frosh.

Sioux City Scoop 

By Alex Watters 

Earlier this year, the Biden 

administration unveiled the 

American Rescue Plan which 

will deliver $350 billion 

for state, local, territorial, 

and tribal governments to 

respond to the COVID-19 

emergency and bring 

back jobs. Sioux City will be 

receiving just over $40 million. 

This program is going to have 

a profound impact on our 

Alex Watters community. However, it is not 

necessarily a blank check. The US 

Department Treasury gave broad categories with which the 

monies can be used. There is also the hesitation that if funds 

are used for a project that would not qualify, they have 

to be reimbursed. Therefore, I would prefer to proceed 

with caution. 

The City Council directed staff to look into various 

projects they thought were eligible and worth 

pursuing. Staff then presented the City Council options 

during two separate study sessions. These projects 

strike a balance of supporting organizations negatively 

impacted by the pandemic and proactively investing 

in infrastructure that will set Sioux City up for future 

growth. 

Here is an outline of the projects identified with the 

disclaimer that not all of these projects may be pursued 

as they are outlined below. We may also receive further 

clarification for eligible projects. 


Infrastructure: 

Sewer 

• Increase capacity and improvements at WWTP. 

• Improves our ability to support new business/ 

industry. 

• Reduce the likelihood of sewer rate increases in 

the near future. 

• Fund the balance of other outstanding sewer 

projects. 

Water 

• Replace failing or at risk of failing water mains. 

• Install boost station that will improve pressures 

in a much-needed part of town. 

• Extend water lines to support a new housing/ 

business development. 

Stormwater 

• Fund a drainage ditch that will expand our 

business park and complete other project 

shortfalls. 

Broadband 

• Increase business speeds to attract new business 

and allow growth for others. 

• Expand Wi-Fi capabilities into underserved 

neighborhoods- leveling the playing field for 

learning and connectivity. 

Businesses/Nonprofits 

• Establish parameters for organizations to apply for 

funding to offset losses incurred due to the 

pandemic. 

Hospitality/Tourism 

• Establish parameters for hotels and tourism reliant 

businesses to apply for funding to offset losses 

incurred due to the pandemic. 

Affordable Housing 

• Offer infrastructure improvements to support 

affordable housing developments. 

• Look into housing improvement opportunities for 

those neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic. 

(Maybe difficult to identify/verify). 

Again, these projects aim to help organizations and individuals most impacted by the pandemic and make serious 

investments in our infrastructure that will offset the need for future rate increases - something that will benefit all 

taxpayers. While all of the qualifications for eligible programs may not be crystal clear yet, this type of investment 

is sure to make a difference in our community. I look forward to the growth we can experience from it. 

Alex Watters, City Council of Sioux City 

awatters@sioux-city.org 

Photo Credit Michel Rohner, Studio 712

Inspire 

Lessons learned from stories in our community. 

Connecting Students With The Community 

By Michelle Lessmann 

Connections are being made early in the Siouxland 

community, thanks in part to partnerships 

between local businesses and the Sioux City 

Career Academy. The Career Academy offers over 

30 pathways for area high school students to explore. 

Each pathway integrates core academic knowledge 

with technical and occupational knowledge to provide 

students with a pathway to careers and post-secondary 

education. 

For students still determining what their future holds, 

the Career Academy allows exploration. Students can 

‘try on’ pathways until a passion is discovered. Exploring 

these pathways in high school allows students to make a 

more educated decision about a career or future college 

major. There are three main goals for every pathway in the 

Career Academy. 

“We want to connect students 

with careers and professionals 

in those positions, so students 

understand what is available 

in our community,” said Katie 

Towler, principal of the Sioux 

City Career Academy. “We 

hope our students will either 

stay here in Siouxland or return 

to work in our community 

someday.” 

Katie Towler, Principal, 

Sioux City Community 

School District, Sioux 

City Career Academy. 

Career Academy. 

Students should leave high school with everything they 

need to be immediately employable with the knowledge of 

how a two-year or four-year degree can help them achieve 

their career goals. The Career Academy has very strong 

work-based learning programs, so student internships are 

encouraged. Classes are focused on helping students gain 

experience and applying skills they learn in the classroom as 

much as they are about making connections with possible 

employers and groups in the community.

non-profit 

community 

family 

small business 

people 

“Our students are exposed to real-life experience through 

the Career Academy, providing them with a true glimpse 

into future careers and also building their resumes in the 

process,” adds Towler. “For example, our graphic arts 

students connected with Downtown Partners to serve as 

volunteers for the Alley Art Festival and helped Downtown 

Partners to prepare for the NAIA tournament. Experiences 

like this help engage students and strengthen their 

community relationships. These connections encourage 

students to stay in our community after high school.” 

During the 2021-2022 school year, over 2,600 students 

will come from the tri-state area to attend Career Academy 

classes. Recently, Governors Reynolds, Ricketts, and Noem 

signed a pact allowing students from Nebraska and South 

Dakota to attend the Career Academy. Currently, students 

from 15 area schools have access to the Sioux City Career 

Academy. 

One of the Sioux City Career Academy’s goals for the 

upcoming school year is to increase their community 

business connections. The Career Academy’s Advisory 

Committee works closely with students to help them 

make a career out of what they are learning and loving in 

the classroom. The Advisory Committee is a vital part of 

connecting students with internship opportunities. In the 

fashion/interior design pathway, students work with the 

University of South Dakota’s Theater Department to gain 

experience in stage design, costumes, and make up. 

Two Career Academy internship coordinators work with 

students to identify their goals and then align those 

goals with area internships. Students must meet certain 

expectations showing they are well-prepared before 

being placed in an internship, ensuring it will be successful 

for both the student and the business. The internships 

are graded with businesses providing feedback on the 

student’s performance. 

Last school year’s 63 internships included two very 

successful ones. Cale, a 2021 graduate, interned at 

Thompson Electric in their prefabrication shop. Cale’s 

class schedule allowed him to work part of every day 

during the school year. After graduation, he was offered 

a full-time job at Thompson Electric where he continues 

to work. This internship was a win-win because Thompson 

gained a valuable employee and Siouxland kept a great 

young adult in the community. 

Another successful internship is going on currently at 

The Warrior Hotel with Terreek, a student in the Career 

Academy’s culinary program. Terreek is a chef de partie 

Career Academy Design. 

in Woodbury’s Steakhouse kitchen, increasing his skills 

by working with some of the top chefs in the area. What 

started out as a regular internship, turned into a paid 

internship and will likely lead to a full-time job for Terreek 

after graduation. 

Currently, there is a high demand for students with twoyear 

technical degrees in higher-paying jobs, and the 

Career Academy is working with community businesses 

to fill that need. Demand for welders in the community 

is high, and fortunately, so is demand for the welding 

pathway in the Sioux City Career Academy. There is also a 

high demand for construction and medical workers, such 

as CNAs and CMAs; the Career Academy is working on 

filling that demand. 

Michelle Lessmann, a fully licensed office professional 

in Keith Bales office of Thrivent. She can be contacted at 

mrlessmann@hotmail.com. 

To learn more about the Sioux City Career Academy or to visit 

about possible business partnerships, call (712) 279-6668. 

Businesses in nearby Nebraska and South Dakota communities 

are also encouraged to partner with the Career Academy now 

that students in those areas also attend the Career Academy. 

Photos Contributed by Sioux City Career Academy.

Siouxland Magazine | Inspire / 26 

Wayne State College film students working on an act from the student production of Sigmund and Dora; the set for the movie 

was completely built from scratch by the film students. 

Wayne State College Offering A Four-year Film Degree 

By Amy Buster 

The fall semester of 2021, Wayne State College will 

offer students in Mass Communications studies a 

four-year degree in film production. The program is 

titled Digital Film Production and Theory. Dr. Michael G. 

White, Ed. D., will be one of the professors teaching the 

program. 

“The film industry has changed a great deal over the years. 

Wayne State College had a really strong Electronic Media 

program when I started teaching here. The addition of film 

was really natural. Industry needs are evolving, and we 

wanted to train students in higher levels of production,” 

explained Dr. White. 

then transitioned into an adjunct professor in 2011 while 

finishing up my doctorate. I was hired full-time in the Mass 

Communications Program in 2019 as an Electronic Media 

Professor,” stated Dr. White. 

The push for Wayne State to offer a program in film had two 

driving forces behind it. One was the industry itself. 

“The demand for highly skilled film production workers is 

good right now. With the expansion of video used in social 

Wayne State’s history for providing real-life media 

opportunities for its students goes back to when they did 

their first broadcasting with their radio station in 1971, 

KWSC-FM. The television broadcasting program with a 

working station started in 1976. 

Dr. White is a 1992 Mass Communications graduate of 

Wayne State College, with an emphasis in Broadcasting. 

He then continued with his studies to get an MSE in 

Communication Studies and then his E.D. in Education 

from the University of South Dakota. 

“I began as a grad student at Wayne State College 

in 2009 in the Communication Studies program, and 

Wayne State College film students working on a scene from 

the student movie, Red String of Fate. The movie was just 

released in October last year.

media and the streaming of films more content needed to 

be created. When I was a grad in the 90’s, working in film 

was like a dream. Today, there are jobs in smaller markets 

doing commercials, corporate, and the occasional film,” 

said Dr. White. 

The digital film program at Wayne State helps students 

develop skills in film production, on-camera performance, 

in addition to experience in cinematic production, acting, 

directing, lighting, and set design. Students finish the 

program with a solid foundation in media production, 

pre-production, and related skills. This allows students 

to graduate and immediately enter the film industry with 

the necessary skills to succeed. 


The other demand for the program came from the 

students themselves. In 2015, film production was 

offered only as a minor at Wayne State. 

“The development of the four-year program in film 

production at Wayne State College came from student 

interest. We were seeing tremendous growth in the 

minor. Our program assessment data indicated students’ 

desire for a major. Recent graduates wanted more 

undergraduate preparation for entry into graduate 

film schools and they wanted more undergraduate 

experiences for careers in film and television,” stated 

Dr. Deborah Whitt, Ph.D., Department Chair of the 

Communications Department. She went on to state, “Now 

our curriculum offers students a full range of multimedia 

content, scriptwriting, acting, film analysis, media theory, 

pre and post film production, and four years of hands-on 

experience. I am so proud of our faculty and students!” 

Once the student were able to take what they had learned 

and put it into use and enter it in festivals, enthusiasm for 

the program spread like wildfire. 

“The students loved making films so much and their 

skills expanded, I started expanding the curriculum to 

include production design, screenwriting, on-set sound 

engineering, Foley work, surround sound development, 

etc. Enrollment went up, one of our students got into 

a prestigious grad school, and the student films were 

being selected into some of the better festivals. The 

administration got behind us and funded a renovation of 

“The Attic,” the fourth floor of the Humanities building, 

which is also the home of the Mass Communications 

program. We expanded our video editing facilities to 

support stations for colorization, motion graphic and 

animation, and a lab dedicated to surround sound and 

Foley (live sound effects) work. We now have great 

cinema production equipment and students are trained 

just as if they are on a major union set in any large market,” 

said Dr. White. 

During that five-year spectrum, from 2015-2020, a 

number of White’s films, and films of his students, went 

on to place and win in area competitions. Films winning 

awards by Wayne State Students include: Sigmund & 

Dora, Something Lost, Connor & Annie, The Offer, Love 

Sick, and The Offer. The films of Dr. White’s that have won 

Wayne State College film students, Ally Boyd and Justis 

Hoffart, discussing scenes from the student film Something 

Lost. Ally is a senior this year, and one of the top producers 

in her class in the film department. Justis is a senior this year, 

and one of the top directors in his class. 

awards are: Ghost In Her, Ever Fallen (full feature film), A Day 

with Lily, and To Live Again. 

Recently, Dr. White got a phone call from a producer in 

California who wanted to know more about Wayne State’s 

“Film School on the Prairie.” 

“I love the idea that students don’t have to go to either coast 

to get a film degree. They get to go to an affordable state 

college which opens up the option of grad school. Really, the 

best thing will be the experiences they get while at Wayne. 

I literally have students on set the first week they arrive at 

school. I wanted to be able to build something great here 

at Wayne State. It’s not just my Alma Mater, in many ways it’s 

my home. There is something special here. We are getting 

interest from all over the country. It’s just really thrilling,” 

stated Dr. White. 

Dr. White sat in great anticipation during registration this 

summer for students to enroll in the four-year film-program. 

It only took a few moments before a student approached him 

and asked, “Where do I sign up for the four-year digital film 

program?” With a tear rolling down his cheek, Dr. White was 

more than happy to direct the student in getting enrolled in 

the program. FADE TO BLACK 

Amy Buster, a writer/editor for 25 years. The majority of her work 

has been writing and editing for small-town newspapers in both 

the Kansas City Metro area and the Siouxland Community. “The 

relationships I’ve formed from these work experiences are some 

of the most powerful, and life influencing bonds that I’ve ever 

experienced.” - Amy 

Photos Contributed by Dr. Michael White.


Aaron’s Barbershop. 

Making Something From Nothing 

By Dr. Cyndi Hanson 

For those who look around and say, ‘there’s 

nothing to do here,’ there is a choice. For Aaron 

Gonzalez, the decision was easy – make something! The 

24-year-old owner of Aaron’s Barbershop, Don Dinero 

Promotion’s, and co-owner of The Don’$ Sports Bar & 

Grill determined early on that rather than complain about 

something, he had the power to make it happen. 

A Siouxland native, Aaron says he always had a business 

mindset. “I liked to sell things as a kid. Fundraisers for 

soccer or whatever really got me excited.” And he 

recognized watching his family operate businesses, also 

influenced him to realize that you can reap rewards. His 

grandfather had a couple businesses in Mexico before 

moving to California to become a cook. When the family 

relocated to Siouxland, Aaron’s father and sisters opened 

Mi Familia restaurant and the whole family worked. “I 

remember not wanting to go to school at times. My dad 

would say, ok you do not want to go to school, then you 

are going to work. After working hard washing dishes 

and getting a tiny paycheck, I was motivated to go back 

to school!” said Aaron. 

He continued to state that school was a challenge for him, 

because he had big visions and school was slow. As a 

result, he graduated early and put all his attention into his 

professional pursuits as a barber. He had begun cutting 

hair for others in 7th grade. “I’m not really supposed to say, 

but I was cutting hair and running a business at 13 years 

old,” said Gonzalez. “I watched YouTube all the time to 

learn new techniques. I’d ask others how to do something 

if I didn’t know. I have never been afraid of failure. You only 

fail if you don’t put in the effort.” 

In 2013, Gonzalez moved to Lincoln and enrolled in Barber 

School. The 2,100 hours of required time, seemed an 

Owner, Aaron Gonzalez

eternity to the young man who had already been doing 

the techniques being taught for a couple years. “It was 

hard for me to finish school. I just already knew that stuff, 

it was frustrating to have to put in so much time. I pushed 

to help others and now the requirement is down to 1,800 

hours,” he said. 

He officially opened Aaron’s Barbershop in South Sioux 

City on February 9, 2017, at 19 years old. “That was my 

goal, to do it before I turned 20,” Aaron explained. “I 

have books of goals I’ve written down through the years. 

I focus on the one right in front of me until it happens, 

then I’ll go back and look to see what else I set as a goal 

for myself.” 


At the ripe old age of 21, Gonzalez started to look for the 

next thing. He had been cutting hair for almost a decade 

and was good at it. He remembered in high school he 

identified a need for a sports bar and grill in South Sioux 

City and decided now was the time to make it happen. 

“You know something is what you need to pursue when 

it is always on your mind,” Aaron explained. “This thought 

was on me for over a year. I spent time researching what 

I needed to do, looking for resources and a location. 

Then one night about midnight, it became clear that it 

should be called The Don’$ to honor my grandfather.” 

Gonzalez’s grandfather had died about a year earlier. 

Everyone in the family referred to him as The Don – a sign 

of respect for the family patriarch. 

“Once I had the name, it was almost like I heard my 

grandfather say, ‘do it,’ and things started to fall into 

place. I spent most of the night sketching a logo, a 

couple months later a location became available. The 

vision really came together,” said Gonzalez. 

“If something is in your mind continually, 

believe in it, trust it, go after it.” 

The Don’$ Sports Bar & Grill grand opening was 

November 17, 2018. Close family friend Pablo Cisneros 

and Aaron’s father, Lupe Gonzalez, are partners in the 

business. “Dad helps with the day to day,” Aaron stated. 

“He knows the restaurant business. But we all help. I 

would not have done this with anyone else. Pablo, his 

wife, my dad and his sisters, my siblings are people I 

trust, and we all work in the business. It is truly a family 

endeavor.” The business is a popular location and has 

recently remodeled the dance floor. Aaron has visions for 

further expansion as well, which aligns well with his other 

business of a promotions company. 

Gonzalez with ideas that keep coming. 

has plans to bring more artists and concerts to the city to 

make sure there are ways to have fun here. While he builds 

the sports bar and entertainment businesses, Gonzalez 

says cutting hair is his safety net. He now has 6 barbers at 

his shop and recently opened a salon next door with three 

beauticians providing services as well. 

When asked why he has made Siouxland his home Aaron 

explained, “I used to say I hated it here, I was going to 

move to California. But my family is here, and I want to be 

close to them. Plus, California would have just been about 

having fun, not building for the future. I am 24 now and I 

have a son, it is not just about me. Family is important to 

me; I make sure I have two weeks each year to go on a trip 

with my family. I probably couldn’t do that if I worked for 

someone else.” 

The advice that Aaron offers other young people is from 

his mother, “she always said, the lazy person always works 

double. She will probably laugh when she reads that. I did 

not always like it, but she was right. If I were lazy and did 

something kind of right, I would have to do it again and do 

it right. My advice is stay focused, listen to yourself, work 

hard. Happiness is not about where you are, it’s about 

what you are doing. If you are not working to elevate 

yourself and those around you, in 10 years it will all just be 

the same. Don’t complain – do something.” 

Dr. Cyndi Hanson, Executive Director for Northeast Community 

College’s Extended Campus. 

Photo Credit Britton Hacke Photography. 

“I have always been the party planner,” he said. “Now I 

learned I can get paid to do it!” Don Dinero Promotions 

coordinates events, parties, and other entertainment. “I 

got to coordinate parties for Saturday in the Park artist 

Waka Flocka Flame this year,” Aaron said with pride. He

grow 

Don’t fear failure. Embrace it. It’s where the learning happens. 

Hardline Coffee Co. 

Iowa’s West Coast Initiative Feature 

I operate a third-wave coffee shop 

and roastery in downtown Sioux 

City. Our focus lies in roasting 

ethically sourced coffee and using 

fresh ingredients to create unique 

handcrafted beverages. 

What motivated you to start 

your business? 

I started my journey with a handbuilt 

mobile coffee unit shortly Owner, Nisa Salem 

after graduating from Morningside 

University. During my years as an undergrad, I developed a 

passion for the craft (and consumption) of coffee. Combining 

my previous experience in the food and beverage industry with 

my formal education in the sciences, I decided to explore the 

crossroads of coffee and chemistry. This quickly led to founding 

a brick-and-mortar coffee shop and micro-roastery on 5th 

Street in downtown Sioux City. What began as a mild curiosity 

about single-origin coffees soon transformed into a passion for 

sharing my creations with the community. My inspiration stems 

from the connections I make with my customers and the ideas 

we generate together. 

What’s unique about your business? 

Our coffee is always roasted in-house, and our syrups and 

pastries are made by hand. This allows us to offer a high-quality 

experience with every beverage. It also ensures that we know 

exactly what goes into each drink, so we are able to offer many 

gluten-free and vegan options. Our baristas are highly trained 

in brewing methods, so you know you’re going to get the best 

tasting cup every time. 

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome 

as you’ve grown your business? 

Business ownership is often fraught with challenges. Three 

days before Hardline’s grand opening, I found out that I was 

pregnant with my son, Ezra. Growing into motherhood and 

growing as a small business owner are similarly difficult yet 

often incompatible paths. Fortunately, all of that growth led to 

a surprising amount of resilience. Eight months after my son 

was born, the Covid-19 pandemic began. During that time, I 

navigated through a major equipment failure, revenue loss, 

hiring and training a new team, and closing down the shop to 

quarantine and heal from the Coronavirus twice. 

What has been your greatest reward? 

Working with a team of like-minded but incredibly unique 

individuals, as well as engaging with the community, has brought 

me a lot of satisfaction and joy. I like to think that Hardline has 

grown along with the people who support it, which in turn has 

made it a very colorful and exciting place to be. It’s always great 

to see people show some love for specialty coffee. 

How have you benefited from the start up community 

in Sioux City & the region? What resources did you use? 

I have enjoyed working with local organizations like Downtown 

Partners and Iowa’s West Coast Initiative to get involved 

in community events through the coffee shop. Attending 

networking events like IWCI’s First Friday Coffee and Sioux 

City Growth Organization’s Innovation Market have helped 

me make connections with other small business owners in the 

area. The Sioux City Farmer’s Market and IWCI’s mastermind 

groups have provided me with a platform to grow my business 

and hone my skills as an entrepreneur alongside others. 

Are there any experiences that were particularly 

influential in that regard? 

My mastermind group has been a great resource for inspiration, 

and it helps me hold myself accountable and challenges me to 

grow. I’ve also been fortunate enough to connect with a number 

of people who share a similar passion for arts and culture. Some 

of these connections are what led to our partnership with the Art 

Sux Gallery and the revitalization of the former Karlton’s building 

on 4th Street, where we have opened our new location.

personal growth 

leadership 

determination 

business development 

influence 

Why is it important for the community to support startups and 

small businesses? What more can be done to help them? 

Small businesses & startups infuse tons of resources and culture into their 

communities. Many of you have heard that every dollar spent at a small 

business goes right back into the community. That can also be said about 

your energy. I’ve been blown away by the support Hardline has received 

from our customers. It allows me to support my team, many of whom have 

their own side hustles, and reinvest my energy into Sioux City in new ways. 

There are many ways to support your favorite small business or startup. 

Shopping locally, sharing their posts on social media, leaving a Google 

review, or even offering a partnership or service can be mutually beneficial. 

What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew when 

starting your business? 

Relationships make all the difference. I am fiercely independent by nature, 

so it has been a struggle to ask for and accept help from others. I’ve learned 

that I truly enjoy playing to my strengths and watching others flourish while 

they utilize their skills. Building a well-rounded team has been one of the 

highlights of business ownership for me. Now, I love that we can lean on 

each other for support and celebrate our victories together. 

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a 

business? 

So many tidbits of wisdom! You get out of it what you put into it. Approach 

your business plans with good intentions and a positive attitude, and 

don’t be afraid to change it up. Adaptability is one of the best qualities an 

entrepreneur can have. Do your research and really think about your longterm 

goals, but don’t forget to be flexible and enjoy the moment. One day 

you’ll look back and be amazed at how far you’ve come. 

How can the community continue to help your business? 

Visit our new space at 515 4th Street! Buy a cup of coffee, a bag of beans, 

or some merch. We are always here for a friendly smile and some pleasant 

conversation. If you’re feeling philanthropic, tip your barista and leave 

us a 5-star review online! Snap some photos and share them with your 

friends. At the very least, word of mouth is always helpful. And don’t forget 

to support the arts and shop local! 

What are some future goals for your company? 

We are currently looking forward to upgrading our roasting and brewing 

equipment to provide a larger variety of single origin coffees and coffee 

blends. Additionally, we are accepting new clients for our wholesale program, 

in which we roast and deliver coffee to other businesses in the area. We are 

also excited to have adequate space to host art gallery receptions, mutual 

aid events, and more local art and small business pop ups. 

Iowa’s West Coast Initiative (IWCI) is a collaboration between the economic 

development organizations in Plymouth, Monona and Woodbury counties, 

and includes the following organizations: City of Sioux City, Siouxland Interstate 

Metropolitan Planning Council, Siouxland Economic Development Corporation, 

The Siouxland Initiative, Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation, Woodbury 

County, and Monona County. Learn more about IWCI at www.IAWestCoast.com. 

Photos Contributed by Hardline Coffee Co. 

IAWESTCOAST.COM I 866.537.6052 

Entrepreneurs and small business owners now have 

access to an information specialist who can assist you 

in finding solutions to your most pressing questions by 

facilitating connections to the right people, data, and 

resources. 

IASOURCELINK.COM I 866.537.6052 

IASourceLink is the premiere business resource in Iowa 

for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Free 

business webinars, expert advice, and a searchable 

directory of organizations that assist Iowa businesses can 

all be found on IASourceLink. 

IOWASBDC.ORG I 712.274.6454 

Do you need free, confidential and customized business 

counseling? Contact SBDC for advice on developing a 

successful business plan. 

SIOUXLANDEDC.COM I 712.279.6430 

Siouxland Economic Development Corporation offers 

financial assistance programs and services to assist 

small and medium sized businesses in getting started or 

expanding. 

MAKERSPACESIOUXCITY.ORG I 712.251.6050 

MakerSpace Sioux City offers shared space for hobbyists, 

inventors, artists and innovative people to come together 

to create and teach through hands-on learning. 

SPRINGBOARDCOWORKING.COM I 515.809.0052 

Springboard Coworking offers shared office space in 

downtown Sioux City for entrepreneurs that combines 

the best elements of cafe culture with a productive, 

functional, and affordable work environment. 

ISUSTARTUPFACTORY.ORG I 515.294.7444 

ISU Startup Factory is designed to help businesses bring 

new products to the market and work with companies to 

make them attractive to outside capital investors. 

VENTURENETIOWA.COM I 515.471.1300 

VentureNet Iowa connects ideas to resources, 

management, and investors, to create jobs and build 

businesses in Iowa. If you have a business idea in the 

areas of Biosciences, Advanced Manufacturing, Value- 

Added Ag, or Information Technology, you may qualify 

for assistance through VentureNet Iowa. 

Did you use one of these great resources? We 

want to share your story! Visit our website at 

siouxlandmagazine.com, fill out the form and connect 

with us today!

Siouxland Magazine | Grow/32 

Become A Downtown VIP! 

By Grace Nordquist 

Work or live downtown? If so, you’re eligible for 

discounts at select downtown businesses through our VIP 

program! 

Our Downtown VIP program allows downtown employees 

or residents to hold a VIP card that gives them access to 

downtown business specials. It is free to all downtown 

businesses to participate, and cards can be distributed to 

every downtown employee or resident. 

I work or live downtown, how do I get my card? 

Downtown employees can sign up through Downtown 

Partners by showing employer identification, or employers 

may provide a list of employees on company letterhead. 

Downtown residents will need proof of residency, or housing 

management can send a list of tenants. 

How do I know who offers discounts? 

For a list of current downtown VIP specials, visit our website 

at https://downtownsiouxcity.com/vip. 

Our Downtown VIP program is one way we express our 

gratitude to our downtown stakeholders. So, thank you - 

and enjoy being a VIP. 

Once you provide identification as an employee or resident 

of downtown, stop by our office at 418 Pierce Street to get 

your VIP card. 

We always recommend calling ahead before stopping by 

to ensure we are not out of the office. You can reach us at 

712-252-0014. 

Once you have your VIP card, simply show it at participating 

businesses and mention the downtown VIP program to 

claim your discount! 

I have a business downtown, how do I offer a VIP 

special? 

If you are a downtown business who would like to offer a 

special for the VIP program, we would love to add you to 

the list! Please send your business name and the special you 

would like to offer to info@downtownsiouxcity.com, or call 

our office at 712.252.0014, or send a fax to 712.258.8516. 

Please make all staff aware of what the VIP card looks like, 

and the special you offer. We are happy to give you a VIP 

card or send a copy for you to share with staff. 

Thank you for participating in our downtown VIP program 

and giving back to Downtown Sioux City. 

If you have questions, please email us at info@ 

downtownsiouxcity.com, or call us at 712-252-0014. Be 

sure to follow us on social media and check out our website 

to stay up to date on all things Downtown Sioux City! 

Contributed by Downtown Partners, a non-profit 

organization that works with downtown stakeholders to 

create a vibrant, expanding downtown. To learn more about 

Downtown Partners and to stay up to date on downtown 

projects and events, visit www.downtownsiouxcity.com. 

PREMIER Congratulates 

Kodi 

Benson 

First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard 

congratulate Kodi Benson for being named the 

Siouxland Top 10 Under 40 in 2021. 

We know there are no shortcuts to success. It 

is achieved through hard work, integrity and 

believing in both yourself and your team. 

Congratulations, Kodi, we think you are PREMIER. 

PERSONAL | BUSINESS | CREDIT | WEALTH MANAGEMENT 

firstpremier.com

Siouxland Magazine | | Grow/33 / 39 

Siouxland Chamber Annual Dinner 

By Chris McGowan 

As our nation commemorates the 20th 

anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11, this year’s 

Siouxland Chamber of Commerce Annual 

Dinner and Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 

September 30, 2021, at the Sioux City Convention 

Center. Focused on saluting our veterans and the men 

and women of our Armed Forces, this year’s event is 

designed to collectively say “Thank you” to our service 

members for their selfless sacrifice and commitment to 

defend freedom around the globe. 

To this end, we welcome Keynote Speaker Melissa 

Stockwell, an American war hero, world champion 

athlete, and mother of two. She has triumphed over 

personal tragedy to achieve international athletic 

acclaim. 

A 2002 ROTC graduate of the University of Colorado, 

Melissa was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 

United States Army and deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in 

March of 2004 as part of the global “War on Terror.” 

Three weeks later, a blast from a roadside bomb struck 

Stockwell’s Humvee. The attack resulted in the loss of 

her left leg above the knee. She is the first female in our 

Armed Forces to lose a limb in active combat, and a 

recipient of both the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. 

Following her military service and focusing on her recovery, 

Melissa turned her attention to competitive athletics. 

She became the first Iraqi War Veteran to qualify for the 

Paralympics. After competing in three swimming events at 

the 2008 Paralympic Games in China, Stockwell was honored 

by her fellow Team USA athletes and selected to carry our 

nation’s flag at the closing ceremonies. After Beijing, Melissa 

transitioned to the sport of Paratriathlon. She is now a threetime 

World Champion. She was named female Paratriathlete 

of the Year for two consecutive years and has twice been 

nominated for an ESPY Award. 

Today, Melissa continues to compete as a world-class athlete 

while giving back to others, particularly those who face 

challenges similar to her own. She has become a certified 

prosthetist, elite triathlon coach, and the published author of 

The Power of Choice: My Journey from Wounded Warrior to 

World Champion. 

In addition to welcoming Melissa Stockwell, Siouxland will be 

treated to the powerful and patriotic voice of United States 

Navy Petty Officer (Retired) Generald Wilson. He will sing our 

national anthem. Wilson, who has performed at the World 

Series, Conference Championship games in the NFL, as well 

at NCAA championship contests, will deliver a performance 

you will not want to miss. 

Chris McGowan, President, Siouxland Chamber of Commerce.


Start Your 

Day With 

Gourmet coffees, 

hot breakfast sandwiches and 

bakery goods make your morning 

just right. For lunch, choose 

from steaming soups, tasty 

sandwiches, and fresh salads. 

Eat in or grab and go! 

Send Them Back-to-School 

With a Smile! 

Schedule your 

back-to-school dental 

visit with 

Lohr Family Dentistry! 

Order ahead! 

Pick up or delivery 

available: 

lohrfamilydentistry.com 

712.255.1163 

2918 Hamilton Blvd. 

Sioux City • Ho-Chunk Centre 

Now Open! South Sioux • Flatwater Crossing 

Winnebago • Ho-Chunk Village 

sweetwatercafe.net 

Crittenton Center 

A Legacy of Serving Children and Families 

Once known as ‘Flo Crit,’ a home for unwed mothers, 

the Crittenton Center of today is much more. Offering 

childcare and preschool, a foster teen program, family 

development and parenting classes, we remain true to 

our foundation of serving children and families. 

We welcome your support as we give vulnerable children, 

teens and families hope for a brighter future. Visit 

www.facebook.com/crittentoncenter/, call 712-255-4321 

or e-mail info@crittentoncenter.org to learn more today! 

www.crittentoncenter.org

Forty 

By Peggy Smith 

I love this annual edition that highlights 10 

Siouxland individuals under 40 and tells us 

their stories along with their contributions to 

our community. It is so inspiring to read how far 

they have come in their personal and professional 

lives and imagine the positive difference they will 

make in the next 40 years. 

This edition’s focus got me thinking about what was 

going on in my life back when I was 40. The year I 

turned 40 was the year I lost my dad; the year I was 

born was the year my dad had turned 40. He gained 

me in his life at the same age I lost him from mine. 

Somehow that fact is hard to grasp; and resonates 

with me. 

Losing a parent at any age causes reflection and the 

need to recenter yourself, which was certainly true 

for me. My dad had always been a true advocate for 

Iowa and Siouxland. He was born the year his father 

obtained the farm I still live on today – now a Century 

Farm. Dad taught me the importance of taking care 

of what you are entrusted with, family, being a good 

steward of the land, and the community in which you 

live. Those values were instilled in me from an early 

age, but his death really drove them home to me. 

Years ago, the opportunities to get involved revolved 

mostly around church and school, or the field in which 

you worked. My dad was involved in farming events 

and was a township trustee for decades. Now, the 

opportunities are practically endless. There are so 

many causes and agencies that need advocates and 

supporters that once an individual identifies their 

passion, it is not difficult to discover a way to get 

involved and make a positive impact in an area that 

speaks to your heart. 

Today, I am impressed with the enthusiasm and 

dedication of the young professionals who call 

Siouxland home and strive every day to make our 

community better today than it was 40 years ago, or 

even than it was yesterday. Identify your passion, get 

involved, and help Siouxland become a place with 

which to be reckoned! 

Leadership Siouxland is an organization dedicated to 

developing diverse, informed leaders who shape our 

community for today and tomorrow. 

Peggy Smith, Executive Director for Leadership Siouxland. 

Siouxland Magazine | | Grow/35 / 39 

Imagine the Power of Dedication 

We are proud to recognize Sheenah Tonga, Branch 

Administrative Supervisor with our Sioux City office, 

for being named Top 10 Under 40 2021 by Siouxland 

Magazine. Sheenah’s dedication to our community 

inspires us all. 

The Stuck Bivens-Rose Group 

712-234-4000 

stuckbivensrosegroup.com 

©2021 Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated. Member SIPC. MC-682901.


With more than 630 slot machines and 19 table games, hot casino action simply scratches the surface of all that 

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City has to offer. Experience the legends by viewing the vast Hard Rock Memorabilia 

Collection, with iconic pieces from Slash to Johnny Cash. Enjoy a crafted cocktail or a delicious entrée in one of our 

award-winning restaurants and bars, then catch an electrifying show accompanied by the roar of a live audience. 

Finish the night and crash like a true rock star in the only AAA Four Diamond, award-winning hotel in the region. 

We deliver amplified experiences that rock. 

111 3RD STREET | SIOUX CIT Y, IA 51101 | hardrockcasinosiouxcity.com 

Must be 21 or older to gamble. If you or someone you know needs gambling treatment, call 800.BETS.OFF.

Sioux City Growth Organization 

By Emily Vondrak 

First and foremost, we want to wish a huge 

congratulations to this year’s 10 Under 40! It is so 

amazing to see all of the ways you are making an impact 

here in Siouxland, and we are so grateful for all that you 

do for our community! It is a very well-deserved honor! 

Additionally, we want to recognize all of this year’s 

nominees. We are blessed to have a multitude of amazing 

young professionals in this area who make a positive 

impact from all walks of life- keep doing what you do! 

start making a difference, which is part of the reason Sioux 

City Growth Organization came into existence. While we 

may be primarily young professionals, we know there is 

strength in numbers. By coming together to work to grow 

our community, we are able to accomplish our mission of 

making a difference. Whether it is volunteering for a local 

nonprofit, picking up litter, holding our annual Innovation 

Market to promote entrepreneurs, or any of our other 

initiatives, we strive to make an impact on the growth of 

Siouxland! 


We also want to give a big thank-you to Siouxland 

Magazine! We so appreciate the work you put into 

recognizing young professionals each year and for being 

one of the community’s best advocates. 

Over the past decade, numerous Sioux City Growth 

Organization members have had the honor of being 

selected as part of Siouxland’s 10 Under 40. We are so 

proud of our members, past and present, for all they do 

to uphold our pillars of networking, volunteering, and 

getting involved, and carrying out our mission of attracting 

and retaining young professionals to the Siouxland area. 

We believe that change and growth in a community come 

from everyone, of all ages. You are never too young to 

Are you a young professional who wants to be more 

involved in the community? Become a member of the 

Sioux City Growth Organization! Check out our website and 

Facebook page to learn more and stay up-to-date. 

Have an idea for a way Sioux City Growth Organization can 

make a difference in Siouxland? We would love to hear it! 

Sioux City Growth Organization welcomes progressive 

and innovative ideas. As a group, we work to put these 

ideas into action and build the momentum to take Sioux 

City into the future. 

Emily Vondrak, President for Sioux City Growth Organization.

Chart Your Own Course 

INDEPENDENT LIVING . RESIDENTIAL CARE 

Your lifestyle is up to you - if you need ideas, we have plenty! 

Life at Northpark Place is an ongoing partnership between 

residents, families and our team. We embrace and advance 

independence, celebrate opportunities, and empower residents 

to experience life as they define it! 

2562 Pierce Street 

Sioux City, IA 51104 

CharterNorthparkPlace.com 

712-255-1200 

. Activities and Enrichment Programs 

. Basic Utilities 

. Beauty / Barber Shop 

. Cable TV 

. Chapel 

. Concierge Services 

. Community Kitchen 

. Computer / Internet Access 

. Emergency Call System 

. General Maintenance 

. Housekeeping 

. Landscaped Grounds 

. Laundry Service 

. On-site Care Staff 

. Pet-Friendly 

. Private Dining Room 

. Scheduled Transportation Services 

Experience 

THE DIFFERENCE! 

Being a part of our family also means being 

inspired by a supportive culture built upon 

reliability, loyalty, pride, experience and 

mutual respect. It means providing seniors 

with exceptional services and amenities, along 

with the vibrant lifestyle they so richly deserve. 

SCHEDULE AN IN-PERSON 

OR VIRTUAL TOUR TODAY!

Resources To Help! 

By Todd Rausch 

I thought this month would be a good month 

to share some resources that we have found to 

be very helpful to our clients. We will be happy to 

share any other resources that are helpful as well. This 

is simply a start. 

Resource links 

SBDC guide to starting a business in Iowa 

https://iowasbdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ 

Start-Up-Resource-Guide.pdf 

Smart Start on video (on demand) this is good. 

Great place to start. 

https://iowasbdc.org/on-demand-training/ 

SBA business plan checklist 

https://fitsmallbusiness.com/sba-business-plan-template/ 

SBA business plan template online 

https://www.signnow.com/fill-and-sign-pdf-form/6408-sbabusiness-plan-template-fillable-form 

SBA Financing your business videos. 

https://learn.sba.gov/learning-center-launch/learning-centerfinancing-your-business 

Revolving loan funds Iowa map. 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/IA_bp_rlflist120718-2018.pdf 

SBA start your business guide. 

https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/10-steps-start-your-business 


Frequently asked questions about starting a 

business in Iowa 

https://iowasbdc.org/online-resources/frequentlyasked-questions/ 

Great Guide for all subjects from Iowa Dept of Rev. 

https://tax.iowa.gov/starting-business 

Iowa Unemployment Ins. You must do this within 

30 days of hiring an employee 

https://www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/book/ 

export/html/38396 

I9 form 

https://idph.iowa.gov/Portals/1/userfiles/137/ 

AmeriCorps%20Enrollment%20Forms/ 

Employment%20Eligibility%20Verification%20I-9%20 

Form.pdf 

Quickbooks discount 

https://americassbdc.org/resources/sponsoroffers/?cn-cat=22&fbclid=IwAR22O2nXLpSRD7I30HE 

gciUHenN_r_VEAEY3VniyuR4KFpaofl3gh 

Create a 1 page business plan online. 

https://canvanizer.com/new/lean-canvas 

https://www.thestrategygroup.com.au/wp-content/ 

uploads/2018/05/Template_V7-no-border-copy.jpg 

https://cdn2.slidemodel.com/wp-content/uploads/ 

FF0001-01-free-business-model-canvas-1.jpg 

Guide for lean canvas 

https://www.tuzzit.com/en/canvas/lean_canvas 

LivePlan 

SBDC clients receive a discount when they use the link 

below to start with LivePlan. SBDC clients can receive 

6 months of LivePlan for $65. This is approximately a 

50% savings. Click here to get started 

https://partners.liveplan.com/iowa-sbdc 

Free resources Liveplan 

https://resources.liveplan. 

Lender Match SBA 

https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/lender-match 

Strategic Doing 

https://strategicdoing.net/intro/ 

Useful Links 

https://iowasbdc.org/online-resources/useful-links/ 

Getting your products online with Shop Iowa. 

https://iowasbdc.org/?s=Shop+Iowa 

https://iowasbdc.org/photo-box/ 

Grow your business guide. 

https://www.iasourcelink.com/guides/grow-your-business-guide 

Todd Rausch, Regional Director for the Small Business 

Development Center at Western Iowa Tech Community College. | 

712-274-6454 | Todd.rausch@witcc.edu


congratulations 

Dr. Michael Harman 

Siouxland’s Top 10 Under 40 

Assistant Professor of Psychology 

Director of the Behavior Analysis Clinic 

Director of the Siouxland Research Center 

Behavior 

Analysis 

Clinic

Olympic Level Team Performance – “Going For The Gold” 

By Linda K. Krei (ActionCOACH ExcelEDGE) 

With the excitement of the 2021 Summer Olympics, 

it was clear that each athlete must be extremely 

disciplined in preparing for and performing at that 

level of competition; dedicating the focused time 

and extreme energy necessary to reach the Olympic 

level of performance. Whether a single sport or a team 

endeavor, the skills, knowledge, and pursuit of excellence in 

performance levels were incredibly impressive. 

In our work environments, there are often Olympic-sized 

projects that a team must come together to undertake, to 

implement, and complete. Whether they be an established 

team or newly formed units, the team members must learn 

their roles within the team, and they must also collectively 

align and understand the desired outcomes. Then, interact 

successfully with the other members to earn their “medal” 

and receive the honored recognition on the “presentation 

platform” as a team. 

Three critical elements that must exist with 

any high-performing team: 

• A willingness and openness to (continually) learn 

• Skills for successful implementation & execution of 

the project 

• Knowledge of actions needed to achieve the goals 

In a team setting, not every member will be at the same level 

of expertise. As a leader, you must manage to move the 

team forward while helping to fill in any skill or knowledge 

gaps. However, the critical element essential for each team 

member is to embrace the willingness and openness to learn. 

Each team member must demonstrate they are ready to 

take on a new challenge even in the face of uncertainty. The 

learning process should include a willingness to fail as well 

as some level of risk-taking to achieve team success. Skills 

can be taught, and knowledge can be shared. Yet having the 

willingness and openness to receive new information with 

coaching and formative feedback for improvement must be 

an intrinsic characteristic, authentically in the heart and on the 

mind of each team member. The individual fire or spark for 

this cannot be manufactured. 

learning? The delivery of training, coaching and education 

needs to be varied and tailored to individual learning styles as 

much as possible. Also keep in mind, that all team members 

do not learn at the same pace, and some may need additional 

support along the way. 

Ultimately, team success is going to come from clarity in shared 

goals and timelines. If each team member works with the end 

in mind, they have a better chance of success. You must let the 

team set boundaries and consequences for each other and a 

clear accountability plan must be in place. 

Personality and Behavioral styles should also be considered 

as you prepare your team for grander goals. Whether you use 

Meyers Briggs®, DISC® or other personality assessment tools 

to help better understand how to best communicate with each 

team member, it is vital that they all understand their own style 

and respect each other’s styles for maximum output. 

Important too is to understand what motivates self and others. 

Once the team demonstrates mastery and achieves a certain 

outcome, it is time to reward them. Consider that every member 

of the team is motivated in different ways. Remember always 

that team members are individuals with different motivations 

that may require different types of recognition. 

Training for a place on an Olympic Team clearly is not for 

everyone. However, your teams can achieve Olympic-like 

greatness, and it is the leader’s role to inspire people and 

manage the process to support, guide, develop, challenge, and 

motivate their team toward excellence to “Go for the Gold”. 

Take Action Today. 

Contact Coach Krei for your Complimentary 

Strategy Session to get you started. 


Once you have a clear picture of where each team member 

stands with regards to these three critical areas, you can move 

on to the next step of teaching and coaching the team. There 

are 3 types of learning styles to understand and appreciate: 

• Kinesthetic 

• Auditory 

• Visual 

The dominate learning style will shape the way you deliver 

information and impart new skills. Are your team members 

“doers”? Do they need to be hands-on to learn? Are your 

team members auditory, where they must hear information 

in various form to learn? Or are your team members, visual 

learners. Do they require visual tools and cues to spark the 

As an award winning, globally recognized, 

Certified Executive Business Coach and 

Facilitator, Linda would love to help you take 

your leadership to the next level. 

Linda Krei, ActionCOACH Excel Edge 

712.251.7189 

E: lindakrei@actioncoach.com 

https://lindakrei.actioncoach.com

alance 

Inside and out. 

Life Has You Down, Dog: 

Thank The Earth For The Support To Rise High 

By Dr. Meghan Nelson 

It’s important to consult your physician or physical therapist 

before beginning any new physical activity or exercises, 

and always listen to your body and respect the warnings 

you hear. 

“You may write me down in history 

With your bitter, twisted lies, 

You may trod me in the very dirt 

But still, like dust, I’ll rise.” 

-Maya Angelou 

There’s no escaping it: we all get knocked down from 

time to time in life. We fail, we fall, we hit the ground 

harder than we’d like. It’s a kind of an unnerving reality, 

but something we all have to deal with nonetheless. 

This dance of life has always called me back to the 

ground to bow to that which provides and sustains our 

lives. 

Child’s pose can be the perfect posture to cultivate the 

comfort and support so many of us yearn for at this time. 

Physically, this pose can aid in digestion and lengthen 

the spine and back hips, while stretching shoulders, 

knees, and ankles. As with any joint impairments, this 

pose could be difficult, possibly painful, and could cause 

more harm than good. So, listen to the messages your 

body sends you, especially in your ankles, knees, and 

back. Be compassionate to your needs with the use of 

bolsters or blankets to support and provide comfort. 

But we also get up, dust ourselves off, and begin anew 

time and time again. We’re resilient. We battle back. 

What is it inside of us that keeps that fire burning, that 

keeps us rising? 

The only mistakes are the ones from which we don’t learn. 

When we’re down, this is our opportunity to dig deeper, 

to release the fear of failure, to trust that there is a reason 

for everything, to learn, to grow. These so-called failures, 

these setbacks, are opportunities to cross thresholds, 

become better, remain confident and trusting, and (re) 

discover the profound connection of love and gratitude 

towards the Earth, our community, and ourselves. They’re 

all crying out for help: the Earth, in its viral tongue; our 

communities, in political discord and inequity; and 

within ourselves, in our inability to create or embody our 

heartfelt missions. 

In searching for answers, only more questions. How do 

we maintain our faith in systems that continually knock 

us down? Why do we continue our support of institutions 

that seem to be built for things, and not people? When 

are we going to respond to the issues staring back at us 

in the mirror? 

During the times in my life when my back has been against 

the wall, in those moments when I didn’t know which way 

to turn, the greatest solace I’ve found in my own life has 

been in practice. The practice is the performance. 

Child’s Pose: Starting on hands and knees, shift the 

hips back towards the heels, lowering the heart and 

head to the earth. Arms can be extended out front but 

avoid any pinching or sharp pain in any of your joints. 

Please, be generous with props in order to support 

yourself in a way that allows you to experience release— 

into this pose to find solace, and within to find the 

peace that comes with introspection. Take 5-7 rounds 

of breath, connect to intention, and find gratitude and 

comfort for the safety of the earth below you. Inhale, 

lift back of body towards the heavens. Exhale, let go of 

all fears, open heart, melt, and release into the earth.

eathe 

clarity 

nutrition 

flexibility 

Downward Facing Dog: From child’s pose, shift 

body forward to tabletop, tuck toes, lift knees and 

draw tailbone back and up towards sky, draw navel 

in towards spine. Slight bend in the knees to take 

hamstrings out of the fight to rise up, release low back 

and create space in the spine. Hands are firmly rooted 

to mat; upper arms are spiraling open as elbow 

creases toward front of mat. Shoulder blades slide 

down spine away from ears. Neck is relaxed, let head 

release between arms.s. 

Downward Facing Dog (Family Version): Down 

dog is always a popular one for the littles. Let your little 

pup be playful, breathwork can be incorporated with 

panting, barking, just being heard. Work to create a down 

dog tunnel, lots of fun when doing yoga with a group or 

the entire family. Take turns letting each participant crawl 

underneath the down dog tunnel. Those on the ground 

can slither and hiss like a snake. Making their way through 

the tunnel is great core and functional strengthening 

activity, plus a ton of fun. 

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling 

but in rising every time we fall.” 

– Confucius 

Downward Facing Dog (Chair Version): Instead 

of hands on the earth one can use a chair, desk, or 

countertop to help release tension from spine and find 

the same benefits of this pose. Grip onto the seat of a 

chair pressing arms down to active stabilizing muscles 

throughout shoulders. Feet slowly walk back, lower 

heart towards the earth, keep knees bent in order to 

find optimal length in the spine. 

Dr. Meghan Nelson, a licensed physical therapist 

and professional yoga therapist with a passion for 

using yoga as medicine for optimal health, injury 

prevention, and overall health and wellness. Meghan 

is co-owner of Lumin Therapy, which provides 

integrative healing of the mind, body, and spirit 

through the practice of physical therapy, medical 

therapeutic yoga, and mindfulness. 

Photo Credit left page Meghan Nelson. Heart Opener 

(Partner) Photo Credit Sarah Gil. Heart Opener 

(Supported) Photo Credit Amy Focht. Camel Pose 

Photo Credit Meghan Nelson.

Siouxland Magazine | Balance /44 

Ask The Therapist 

By Gladys Smith 

Question: My daughter was recently involved 

in a serious car accident where one of her 

friends was badly injured. We’ve always 

been a close-knit family, but she’s been more 

withdrawn, moody, and refuses to talk with us 

about her feelings since the accident. What 

can I do to help her get back to her old self? 

Response: Thank you for your question. I’m glad 

that you’re reaching out to help support your 

daughter during this difficult time in her life, as 

parental support and guidance are critical for her 

healing process. 

From what you’re describing, it sounds as if your 

daughter may have been traumatized by the car 

accident. A traumatic experience is an event in life 

that causes a threat to one’s safety, and possibly 

places that person’s life, or the lives of others, at risk. 

As a result, a person will experience high levels of 

distress emotionally, psychologically, and physically 

that can temporarily disrupt their ability to function 

in daily life. Adolescents will often be concerned 

about the strong emotions they’re experiencing, but 

due to the developmental stage they are in, they 

will manage their distress differently than a child or 

adult. 

After experiencing a traumatic event, one’s body will 

shift into a state of heightened arousal. It’s as if the 

body turns on a series of internal alarms. When the 

alarms go off, one is able to access a lot of energy in 

a short amount of time to enhance one’s chance of 

survival. In most instances, this heightened state of 

arousal will last for a short period of time, or until the 

threat subsides. One is usually very tired afterward, 

as this state of arousal uses quite a bit of energy. 

During the normal healing and recovery process, 

the body is coming down from the heightened 

state of arousal as the internal alarms turn off, the 

high energy level subsides and the body returns 

to a normal state of balance. This re-setting of the 

body usually occurs within about one month after 

the event. 

Adolescence is a time when young people are in the 

process of navigating their sense of independence. 

However, after a traumatic experience, they will tend 

to vacillate between independence and insecurity, 

which can be somewhat perplexing for both them 

and their parents. 

As a parent, it’s important to know the common 

reactions to trauma in adolescents in order to best 

Send Your 

Questions to 

the Therapist. 

support them. Although every young person is 

different, the following reactions are what you may 

see with your daughter: 

• Increased alertness and responses to stimuli 

• Avoidance of thinking or talking about the event, 

or the inability to stop thinking and talking about it 

• Recurrent, distressing flashbacks, thoughts, or 

memories about the event 

• Strong emotions such as sadness, anger, anxiety, 

and guilt 

• Overreacting to small things 

• Changes in mood 

• Physical complaints of headache or stomach aches 

• Trouble sleeping or having nightmares 

• Isolating and withdrawing from family and friends 

• Depression and feelings of hopelessness 

• Difficulty with short term memory, focusing, and 

concentration 

• Feeling overwhelmed 

• Increased need for independence, yet feelings of 

insecurity 

• A drop in grades and overall school performance 

It can be difficult to see your teen struggling, especially 

if they choose not to talk with you about it. There are a 

number of reasons this may be happening. They may 

still be in shock and trying to deal with the reality of 

what happened, in addition to being confused about 

their thoughts and feelings. Again, it’s important 

to remember that they don’t always know how to 

identify their feelings, which in turn makes it difficult

for them to express their feelings. Adolescents may 

feel they need to be strong for others or don’t want 

to upset their parents or family members. Often they 

may choose to spend time with their peers as it can 

serve as a distraction from uncomfortable emotions. 

There are a variety of ways that parents can help 

their adolescent deal with the distress of a traumatic 

experience. First of all, it’s important to provide an 

environment that is consistent and stable. It may 

be necessary to limit the amount of activities they 

are involved in to help reduce their level of anxiety. 

Being clear with your teen about the rules and 

boundaries you have for them will help to establish 

consistency and routine. Another way to reduce their 

anxiety is to ensure a predictable environment. This 

can be done by having clear expectations of them, 

informing them ahead of time of any upcoming 

changes in schedules, and making sure they know 

how to contact you should they need to. 

After experiencing a traumatic event, it is vital for the 

healing process to ensure a sense of safety. This can 

be done by providing a predictable environment, 

limiting confusion, and providing opportunities for 

your teen to share their thoughts and feelings with 

you without judgment. Keep in mind that there will 

be things that remind your teen of the trauma they 

are experiencing (places, people, sounds, etc.). It 

will be helpful to develop a plan with them for how 

they can deal with these reminders. 

If the behaviors or symptoms you’re seeing with 

your daughter begin to become unmanageable, or 

are interfering with her daily functioning, it may be 

helpful to seek professional mental health services. 

Fortunately, there are a number of treatment 

interventions that are specifically designed to help 

those who are struggling with trauma. 


ULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS 

TO THE 

NDER 

TO 

40 

All 

WINNERS 

OF THE 2021 

10 UNDER 40 WINNERS 

ity congratulates all of the people being 

agazine UnityPoint as their 10 Health Under – Sioux 40 winners! City congratulates Your all of the 

people being recognized by Siouxland Magazine as their 

to Siouxland make an impact each and every day. 

10 Under 40 winners! Your outstanding contributions to 

e salute Siouxland you! make an impact each and every day. Thank you 

for all you do. We salute you! 

CONGRATULATIONS 

CONGRATULATIONS TO 

TO 

SANDRA GRANGER, MD 

SANDRA GRANGER, MD 

We are We are extremely proud of your 

of your recognition 

recognition and appreciate your 

and appreciate your 

dedication dedication to the to the health health and wellbeing 

and of our wellbeing community! of our 

community! 

004826-1 08/21 CS


INNOVATIVE BUSINESS 

CONSULTANTS 

712-277-2424 

www.ibcins.biz 

MultiDrip 

IV Nutritional Therapy 

Sioux City, IA 

MultiDrps are nutritional IV infusions that fuel your 

body with vitamins, minerals and amino acids 

delievered directly into your bloodstream for a 

replenished, rehydrated and revitalized lifestyle. 

• Boost your immune system 

• Recharge energy levels 

• Feel revitalized in minutes 

• Rehydrate your brain 

multidrip.com 

3930 Stadium drive | Sioux City, ia 51106 | (712) 276-4325

Emerging From The Pandemic 101 

By Dr. Nesrin Abu Ata 

Question: How do I deal with the aftermath and 

continuation of the pandemic? I feel like I can’t 

go anywhere without having a mask on, and I 

get anxious when someone gets near me at the 

grocery store? 

Response: You are not alone in dealing with such 

questions and situations. Take a breath and remember to 

be kind to yourself. When we are in survival mode, whether 

it be fight, flight, or freeze, our nervous system is no longer 

socially oriented where we feel connected to ourselves, to 

others, and to a higher purpose. As we emerge from the 

pandemic, our nervous system needs to re-calibrate back 

into the socially engaged status. How do we know we are 

there? We know we are there by feeling that we are in our 

“element” again, feeling safe in our bodies, minds, and 

spirits, and in relationships and community. This is where 

we find it easy to connect to ourselves and others. We 

start to live in a world full of possibilities, full of trust and 

willingness to take risks to grow and explore. 

The first step is acknowledging that we all have been 

changed by the pandemic as we emerge. Exactly how we 

have changed may take some time to realize. And that is 

ok. We don’t need to know the answers right away, and 

each of us will leave our way into our own unique answers. 

Remember that as we emerge from the pandemic, we 

as a collective are having many “first time in over a year 

experiences.” Take time to reflect on your upcoming “first 

time ever since the pandemic” event. Don’t rush yourself 

through the event or the experience. Be gentle with 

yourself and check in with how your body feels. You may 

feel nothing in your body, or you feel some tightness in 

your chest or difficulties breathing. Be gentle with yourself 

and accept your experience as it is without judgement. 

Remember, there is no right way to emerge. The right way 

is in the making, as you go. 

Many of us have been out of touch with families and 

friends. Most of us spent time at home searching for 

something to watch on TV, or to eat in the fridge. Many 

report a growth in the waistline as a side effect of the 

pandemic! While spending so much time alone at home 

felt like solitary confinement to some, the opposite is also 

true. Being crammed into a room with too many family 

members can be challenging. Conflict, emotional, and 

physical altercations are likely to happen. Take stock of what 

your body feels when you are around family and friends 

now without judgement. It is ok to take breaks from being 

around family and friends. Pandemic social overwhelm is 

real! 

From a mental health perspective, anxiety and depression 

have increased since the pandemic; 2 in 5 adults are likely 

to have depression and anxiety. Others report their sleep 

worsening or having brain fog. From a neuroscience 

perspective, executive functions like planning, focusing, 

and abstract thinking are impaired when the person is 

under stress. So, you may find yourself sluggish or doubting 

yourself as you emerge from the pandemic. If you notice 

that your mood or sleep have changed, consult with a 

mental health provider. 

Remember that the impact of the pandemic is also different 

for different people. Some people like the quiet of reading 

books, and others do not want to be stuck at home. As you 

take stock of your life, and reflect on what is normal and 

what is meaningful, you may want to ask yourself: what 

events, habits and relationships have I let go of during 

the pandemic? How do I feel about that? Am I happy and 

relieved that I didn’t have to do them, and now the more I 

think about them again, do I get more stressed? Or does it 

bring me joy again? 

One thing for sure is that we are not going to “go back 

to normal.” Normal will need to be redefined for each 

individual, family, community, and workplace. Whatever 

it is that we are going through won’t truly be over. Rather 

than looking for who we are now, we should consider 

approaching the emergence experience with an open 

mind and curiosity. Nobody knows the right way to do it. Be 

kind to yourself and others as we all navigate this new era. 


Dr. Abu Ata is a board-certified psychiatrist and 

family medicine physician in private practice, 

providing holistic care for the mind, body, and spirit 

in the context of personal growth and relationships. 

Offers a mindfully cultivated practice of presence 

and expertise. Her healing practice draws on her 

mindfulness, yoga, family medicine, and integrative 

psychiatry training to weave a unique tapestry 

supporting your YOU-nique journey. Connect at 

www.nesrinabuatamd.com or drnesrinabuata@ 

gmail.com. 

Photo Contributed By Dr. Abu Ata.


Brainwave meditations and drones offer sound therapy in the comfort of your own home. 

Heal Through Synchronicity In Soundwaves 

By Emily Larson 

Hello, again, dear reader. Our investigation of 

alternative ways to heal and come home to ourselves 

continues as we explore the notion of sound as therapy. 

In order to do so, we must start with a side exploration of 

the brain and its different states of consciousness. 

You have probably heard that the brain is part of our 

central nervous system, which means it is a hub of 

communication to the rest of the body. It governs both the 

voluntary responses, like picking up a pencil or walking 

to the refrigerator to grab a fizzy drink, and the automatic 

responses happening behind the scenes of our day-today 

experiences. This includes the breath, heartbeat, sleep 

cycles, digestion, and, importantly for this conversation, 

brain activity. 

These rhythm-based processes seeking harmony draw 

great influence from the stress and relaxation responses 

governed by the autonomic (or automatic) nervous 

system. Thus, our stress level directly influences all the 

automatic processes in our body. For example, shallow 

breathing and sporadic, pinball-machine-like brain activity 

communicate a stress dominant state to the body through 

the autonomic nervous system. 

Deep breathing and slowed brain activity communicate 

a relaxation dominant state. This activity in the brain can 

be measured using wave patterns and, for the type A 

personalities out there, categorized into certain frequency 

ranges (these ranges are measured in Hertz, or wave cycles 

per second): 

• The Beta State (13-38 Hertz) is characterized by quick 

scratches of waves with just a bit of space in between each 

wave, signifying wakefulness and conscious thought. We 

produce brainwaves in primarily Beta frequency ranges 

when we are awake and working, problem-solving, or 

analyzing our surroundings. 

• In an Alpha state (8-13 Hertz) our brain activity starts to 

form fuller waves with more space in between each wave, 

which is associated with a relaxed state; perhaps a light 

meditation or that lovely space between dreaming and 

wakefulness. 

• During a Theta state (4-7 Hertz) our brains really slow down 

and produce the broad waves associated with REM or 

active sleep cycles. We can also achieve these frequency 

ranges during deep meditation, visualization exercises, or 

hypnosis. 

• Finally, for our conversation, in the Delta state our brain 

activity produces the broadest and slowest wave patterns 

at 4 Hertz or less. Typically, we only achieve Delta during 

deep dreamless sleep, but some advanced practitioners 

and monks have been able to chill this deeply during 

meditation.

These days, our busy, fast-paced world seems to exist in 

a primarily Beta state of consciousness. Our brains work 

quickly within these frequencies while we work at our jobs 

or school, check off to-do lists, and put dinner on the table 

for our families. These are important aspects of our lives, but 

any overused state of consciousness causes imbalances. 

For instance, excessive Beta activity typically presents as 

excessive stress. This can manifest itself as chronic pain or 

fatigue and can even affect how we see ourselves and our 

world, contributing to states of dis-ease like depression 

and anxiety. Shifting states of consciousness in our day-today 

helps lift the stress of living in a primarily Beta or stress 

dominant state where we tend to identify too strongly with 

our thoughts and to-do lists. Accessing the deeper levels 

of consciousness that exist at slower frequencies (Alpha, 

Theta, Delta) enables us to live more fully as our truest and 

purest selves rather than as our stressed and overused 

thought patterns and belief systems. 

There are countless ways to visit different levels of 

consciousness like meditation, breathing exercises, 

and even sleep. However, I am here to show you the 

alternatives in alternative medicine. First, it will help you 

to understand a bit about entrainment, which means 

falling into synchronicity. For example, Christian Huygens 

discovered that his pendulum clocks would start off-beat 

from each other but eventually entrain to the same rhythm. 

Similarly brainwaves can entrain with external frequencies 

like sound waves. The practice of sound therapy utilizes 

sound waves to shift our brain activity to the slowed down 

and chilled-out Theta or Delta frequencies. This can be 

especially true when the sounds are presented in a certain 

manner such as binaurally. When two different frequencies 

interact in this way, the brain perceives the difference in 

frequency, which can be as low as 4-7 Hertz. As mentioned 

previously, this is the actual range of Theta brainwaves and 

below the range of human hearing. So, amazingly, our 

brains perceive a sound lower than our ears can actually 

hear! To boot, our brains and, consequently, our bodies 

achieve a deeply relaxed and healing state. Ancient 

medicine and technology combine to provide several ways 

to bear witness to these sorts of sounds and phenomena. 

Recipients take in unfiltered healing frequencies with a 

sound bath. 

• Sound baths are just that. When we allow our bodies to 

rest fully and bathe in the hypnotic frequencies formed by 

Tibetan singing bowls, crystal singing bowls, or gongs, our 

brains have all they need to entrain these frequencies and 

deliver the relaxation response to our bodies. Brian David 

Gilbert offers crystal bowl sound baths regularly in the 

community either through the Mind & Body Connection 

or at a local park on a nice day. You can find updates 

about sound baths on his Facebook page or Instagram @ 

Brian-David. 

• Alpha, Theta, and Delta wave meditations are like sound 

baths in that they both offer sound at frequencies meant 

to deeply relax the mind and body. You can find many 

versions of these meditations on Spotify or YouTube and 

are usually best taken with high quality headphones in 

order to receive the full therapeutic benefit of the binaural 

beats. These meditations either layer calming music with 

therapeutic tones or have little to no fluctuation as drones. 

• Drones share important similarities to brainwave 

meditations because they convey specific frequencies to 

our brains for entrainment, and we can access them via 

the internet from any one of our various devices right 

at home. Drones, however, get right to the point and 

deliver only specific frequencies. There are no melodies 

or harmonies here, just chill, bass tones you can feel in 

your bones. 

These methods of sound therapy offer ways to relax the 

mind even when that seems impossible among the sea of 

to-do lists and clutter. Simply sitting with certain sounds can 

help recalibrate the nervous system, our sense of identity, 

and our perception of the world. Layers of continuous 

behaviors and thoughts can fall away, allowing the true self 

to fully emerge, in this moment, now. 


Emily Larson, Licensed Massage Therapist, Private Yoga 

Instructor, Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology & Human 

Performance, Co-Teacher of Anatomy for massage 

therapy students at the Bio Chi Institute, mother to Noah. 

Crystal singing bowls send soundwaves through the 

friction created between bowl and mallet. 

Photo Credit (left page) Zach-Pickens. 

Photo Credit (right page) Emily Larson.

explore 

Enjoy Your Life. Adventurous 

A soothing environment. 

Skincare & Age: Top 10 Questions 

Remember your carefree teen years, laced with 

summer sunshine, experimental eye shadow 

shades, and bare-faced beauty? When your skin was 

smooth, and whatever you put on your cheeks looked 

shiny and pretty? 

At some point – maybe it’s in your 30s, maybe your 40s, 

maybe beyond – skin care becomes an obsession. And 

certainly, we’ve reached a pivotal point in society where 

we’re starting to ask ourselves tough questions about 

what this whole “look younger” thing means. Why do we 

want to look younger? What’s behind the drive to keep 

the same face we had when we were 15 years old? And 

why are women spending thousands of dollars a year on 

skincare products and procedures to bring back a “glow” 

they remember having 30-plus years ago? 

For me, I’ve steered clear of cosmetic procedures for now, 

but I’m not ruling them out. As our skin changes, we’re 

allowed to change our minds too! I’ve been fortunate to 

have the friendship and guidance of local Ave aesthetician 

Gina Eastman for many years, and I tend to follow her advice 

verbatim. She gives the most amazing facials that leave your 

skin glowy and hydrated. So, I decided to sit down with 

The truth is, we all just want to feel great in our own skin. 

For some, that means eradicating every line and wrinkle 

that appears around the eyes. For others, it means 

becoming comfortable with a look that may appear older, 

but also enjoys a wisdom and clarity unknown to our teen 

selves. 

Is anything wrong with either approach? In my humble 

opinion – no! Individuals should make their own 

decision about how to approach aging. The underlying 

commonality is that everyone wants to feel like 

THEMSELVES. Whatever that means. 

Gina always gives me the lowdown on the latest products.

Community 

Entertainment 

Nature 

Appreciation 

Indulge 

Gina to get insider info about keeping your skin healthy and 

beautiful – regardless of age. My Top 10 Questions – and 

Gina’s answers – are below: 

• What is the most common complaint you hear about aging 

skin? 

Fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, hyperpigmentation! How 

can I make them go away, or at least not as noticeable? 

• What is your best piece of advice for women who want to 

keep their skin looking fresh? 

Use the correct products for your skin type. Always 

moisturize day and night. It’s essential to hydrate inside and 

out; drink plenty of water. A lack of daily water intake can 

lead to dull, less radiant skin. Wear sunscreen 365 days a 

year, rain or shine, indoors and outdoors. 

• Do you think there is too much emphasis placed on staying 

“young”? How do you teach clients to embrace their age? 

Yes. Absolutely, there are so many outdated stereotypes 

about aging in older women. Staying positive, active, and 

practicing a daily regimen is key. 

• For younger clients in their 20s and 30s – what is the best 

thing they can do now to keep their skin healthy? 

Get in the habit of wearing sunscreen every day. I cannot 

stress that enough. It is the most important step in your daily 

regimen. Stop using just makeup wipes and just cleanse 

your face. Also, add an antioxidant and Vitamin C. It helps to 

fight free radicals from all environmental aggressors. They 

will help boost the protection of your SPF and give you 

radiant skin. Retinol – using it at night can increase collagen 

production and decrease its breakdown. 

• What is the most requested skincare treatment at Ave? 

HydraFacial! It delivers instant and long-lasting results 

that you can SEE and FEEL. The only hydra dermabrasion 

machine which cleanses, exfoliates, and gives you a nodowntime 

peel. It extracts, hydrates, and infuses your skin 

with antioxidants and peptides. 

• What is the biggest game changer in terms of results? 

A DAILY AT HOME REGIMEN, and frequent visits with me. 

• Skincare products can be expensive. What is the best way 

to save money and still get great-looking skin? 

Start with the basics; cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and 

sunscreen specific to your skin type. Then I like to introduce 

an all-in-one product, such as ALASTIN Restorative 

Complex. It can improve the appearance of fine lines and 

wrinkles, restore volume to thinning skin, improve elasticity, 

contain antioxidants, and helps with skin dullness, as well as 

even out the skin tone. 

An assortment of skincare products at Ave. 

• Are facials really that important? Will women see a big 

difference by getting facials regularly? 

100% and YES! They deep clean your skin, remove dead 

skin cells, and unclog pores. They have tons of anti-aging 

benefits. Massage and face masks help to lift the face 

and muscles, which helps with fine lines and wrinkles. 

Rejuvenation helps make your skin tone more even, 

brighter, and your skin more elastic. 

• What is the most significant advancement you’ve seen in 

skincare in the last 10 years? 

Hands down – HydraFacials and microneedling. 

• What is the question you get asked most frequently? 

“Your skin looks amazing, what do you?” I credit it to 

great genes (thanks Mom), and I’ve been on an at-home 

regimen for 14 years. And I’ve done BBL (BroadBand 

Light) which helps with the appearance of fine lines and 

wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. 

There you have it! Expert advice on what you can do now, 

at any age, to take care of your skin. However, you choose 

to grow older, healthy skin will always showcase your most 

beautiful being. 

Erika Hansen is a lifelong Siouxland resident, mom, 

model, podcast host, live entertainment professional, 

and small business owner. Curious about exploring 

the connection between outward appearances and 

inner power, Erika is passionate about making fashion 

fun, and fostering a spirit of inclusion with no limits 

based on age or body type. You can find out more 

about Erika’s love of style & design, her modeling 

journey, and info about her podcast, “Ages 9 to Adult”, 

on Instagram: @erikahansen.official. 

Photo Credit Britton Hacke Photography.

Siouxland Magazine | EXPLORE /52 

10 Things To Do In The Garden This Fall 

By Jenny Jorgensen and Lisa Cox 

Gardening is an almost year-round endeavor in 

Northwest Iowa (specifically USDA zone 5) for 

Woodbury County. Once the harvest is in, there is still 

much to do to ready the garden for the following year! 

• Plant garlic for next year. We harvest our fall-planted 

garlic in July the following year. Come fall (shortly 

before the first frost), you will want to plant new or 

saved garlic cloves. This July, we harvested about 

100 garlic bulbs. Each variety was planted in mid- 

September of 2020. The garlic needs to dry before 

it can be stored. Some save garlic heads to share, 

replant, or roast with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh 

rosemary from the garden. There is nothing better to 

remind you of your laborious love in the garden than 

fresh herbs and vegetables on your plate. 

• Clean your garden of all leftover plants. Cleaning up 

the garden will reduce the chances of disease and 

future problems. 

• Use your leaves as mulch. Once clean-up is done, rake 

leaves and, if possible, shred them. (A mulching mower 

that bags both grass and leaves will do the trick here.) 

Use them in the garden as mulch, raking them to an 

even level. No trip to the dump for your leaves! They 

are helping your garden! Water them down at this 

point. Our leaf mulch is often 3-5 inches deep for the 

winter season. In the spring, the fall mulch will have 

composted on its own and become compost in the 

garden as we hand or rototill it in. Using leaves in the 

garden is a wonderful way to continue to teach kids 

in the garden. Not only do they enjoy raking them up 

and jumping in them, which helps break them down, 

but it also educates them on life cycle, recycling, and 

decomposition. 

• If you have been harvesting throughout the season, 

try your hand at canning or freezing your produce 

to eat throughout the long Midwest winter. With a 

slight blanching, most veggies can be frozen. We like 

to pressure can tomatoes, salsas, and occasionally 

other veggies. An excellent resource for canning 

and preserving fruits and vegetables is https://www. 

extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/preserve-tastesummer 

which includes courses and publications 

available that are research-based. There is nothing so 

satisfying as opening a can of your ginger peach jam in 

January and spreading it on toast. 

• Help the birds and insects through the winter by leaving 

some tall stalks with perennial flower seed heads intact. 

These not only make beautiful winter landscapes, but 

they make tasty treats for the birds. Long grasses are 

beneficial to the birds and insects during the winter. 

• Clean out your pots and grow bags. At the end of every 

season, it is important to clean your pots and bags to get 

Drying Garlic to use the rest of the year. 

them ready for the next year. Cleaning helps prevent disease 

being carried over to the next gardening term. Another 

advantage to the cleanout is to save ceramic pots, which tend 

to crack if you leave the soil in them. 

• Collect seeds. If there are annuals, perennials, or even favorite 

vegetables you wish to try again another year, let seed heads 

age on the plant, and just before they start dropping, claim 

those seeds for your own. These seeds can be stored or 

shared with family and friends to grow during the next garden 

season. A great resource for this is Seed Savers Exchange 

https://www.seedsavers.org/, where a course is offered on 

learning how to save seeds. 

• Think about drip irrigation for your vegetable and perennial 

garden beds. Many gardeners create drip irrigation by 

using hose connectors, simple measurements, shears, and 

forethought for planning their garden course of irrigation. 

This can be as simple as laying soaker hoses through the plots, 

using landscape staples to secure them, and then hooking up 

a hose or directional Y’s and specified hoses designated for 

gardens. Doing what meets your needs for your garden, your 

budget, and your body are the primary goals of drip irrigation. 

Often, this simple solution, done in the off-season, will help 

save money, time, and stress in the long run. 

• Composting! This is gold. As gardeners, we strive to constantly 

rejuvenate our soil. We take from the soil, and we give to the 

soil as part of the soil food chain. With our own food scraps, in 

the right way, it is wonderful to spread our very own compost. 

This is also a golden lesson to share with kids. Not only do they 

learn about refreshing their soil in their backyard, but they also 

learn about decreasing waste that is sent to their local dump. 

There are a variety of compost options. Do some research to 

see what works best for your yard and your family. You might 

also want to try vermicomposting where a few red wiggler

worms will create compost for you from your kitchen scraps. Try 

the book: Worms Eat My Garbage, by Mary Appelhof, Flower Press 

(ISBN 0-942256-10-7). Kids love helping to feed the worms, and it is a 

simple compost building opportunity to connect the whole family to 

life cycles and healthy gardening. 

• Bring plants that can be overwintered into the house. Several annuals 

can overwinter inside your house with the right conditions. The first 

condition for all plants being moved inside is light. Choose the right 

light location, avoiding drafts for the fall and winter. Often, additional 

grow lights can be added for better results. In many cases, during 

the fall we see gardeners start to bring in their favorite geraniums. 

Geraniums are known for their ability to be enjoyed indoors, and then 

hardened off to be appreciated once more for another season outside. 

Likewise, annual loving gardeners, who plant cannas, elephant ear, 

and more learn that these can be relocated inside, wiped clean of 

soil, and wrapped in newspaper, and stored in the dark until spring. 

Similarly, many herbs can be gently lifted from the soil or transplanted 

into a pot and brought inside to enjoy throughout the winter. 

Siouxland Magazine | EXPLORE / 53 

• Start watching for seed catalogs. Be thinking about what you want for 

next year. This starts as soon as the harvest is in, the garden is cleaned, 

the leaves are mulched, and the produce and seeds and plants are 

where they need to be for winter. Seed catalogs start coming in 

December. Be thinking, be planning, be exploring. 

• Start planting your own seeds under lights inside according to 

package directions. Some will be in early February…and progress 

from there. You may get “the bug” and need light systems to grow 

more of your own plants. This will increase the varieties you can plant. 

• Contact Woodbury County Extension and enroll in the Master 

Gardener Program, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener/ 

become-master-gardener. Contact Shawn Tabke at tabkes@iastate.edu 

FINALLY, as you plan for next year consider planning to “plant, grow, 

share” following the motto of Up from the Earth. Follow us on Facebook 

and check out our website at https://upfromtheearth.wixsite.com/ 

siouxland Join the many gardeners sharing fresh produce each season 

to supply local food pantries to increase food security in our area. 

Whether your donation is small or large, it will be truly appreciated. 

Collection sites are listed on our website and on our Facebook page. 

What is amending the soil? A soil amendment is any material 

added to a soil to improve its physical properties, such as water 

retention, permeability, water infiltration, drainage, aeration, 

and structure. The goal is to provide a better environment for 

roots. In order to do its work, an amendment must be thoroughly 

mixed into the soil. 

Jenny Jorgensen is a retired teacher and volunteers with Up from the 

Earth. She is a Master Gardener and serves on the Woodbury County 

Extension Council. 

Lisa Cox is a former high school teacher and a very active community 

volunteer including Up from the Earth. She is a Master Gardener and 

a certified personal trainer. 

Up From The Earth exists to connect extra produce from home gardens 

to people in need. 

Photo Credit Jenny Jorgensen.


Igniting sparks can happen anywhere and can start at a young age. 

The Power In Our Children 

By Julie Boyle 

As one of the largest positive youth development 

organizations in the United States, 4-H believes in 

the power of youth. We know every youth has valuable 

strengths and abilities to improve our world. In 4-H, we 

empower youth to be true leaders in their club, 

community, country, and world. Research from Tufts 

University has shown that engaging in high-quality 

positive youth development (PYD) programs such as 

4-H, youth are four times more likely to contribute to their 

community, two times more likely to be civically active, and 

nearly two times more likely to make healthier choices. 

One of the key components of high-qualityPYD is 

a lasting relationship with a caring adult outside of the 

family, also referred to as a developmental relationship. 

Building relationships is something we can do as 

we engage with youth every day. A developmental 

relationship is defined as one between a child 

and an adult that reflects mutual warmth, respect, and 

trust. As children grow and mature, they become more 

independent, competent, and confident. This relationship 

will evolve and become more complex as the focus 

shifts to youth being an equal contributor. According 

to the 4-H Thriving Model, research has revealed 

five components of successful relationships. These 

components include expressing care, challenging 

growth, providing support, expanding possibilities, and 

sharing power. 

• Expressing Care: We can express care by listening, being 

dependable, warm ,and inviting to youth with whom we 

work or engage with every day. In a world where we all seem 

to be in a rush, take the extra few minutes to listen to the 

youth in our lives talk about their challenges and successes. 

You may even hear them start to talk about their passions or 

sparks (read on for more about youth sparks)! 

• Challenging Growth: By challenging growth, we are 

holding youth accountable and expecting them to bring their 

best efforts. through encouragement and support in tough 

tasks we can teach life skills. As such, challenge youth to fail 

forward. Failure is often our best teacher so help them reflect 

on failures by finding what worked and what didn’t and what 

they can change in the future. 

• Providing Support: Children and youth need adults to 

provide support by setting age-appropriate boundaries 

and helping to navigate situations and systems in which they 

are not familiar. We can empower them by helping to raise 

their voices up and encouraging new connections to further 

their passions. 

• Sharing Power: Sharing power with youth in a 

relationship helps youth feel valued. As adults, we need 

to show respect for youth opinions and backgrounds, 

collaborate with youth in a variety of ways, and include them 

in making decisions that will affect who they are and what 

they are doing.

• Expanding Possibilities: As adults, we have access to 

opportunities that aren’t always available to youth. We 

can expand opportunities and possibilities for youth by 

introducing them to new ideas, providing support in their 

endeavors, and connecting them with others who can 

help them reach their goals. 

These five components of developmental relationships 

are not independent of each other, rather they act 

together and move fluidly throughout a relationship. These 

relationships are an important component to PYD and 

helping youth thrive. “Positive youth development is not 

about young people doing ‘okay’ or well enough; it is 

fundamentally about making sure young people have 

the experiences they need to develop to their fullest 

and become positive contributors to society” (Scales, 

2010). We are helping youth thrive. 

Siouxland Magazine |EXPLORE/ 55 

Another major component of thriving 

youth is youth “sparks”. A spark is a passion or interest 

that ignites a fire in a young person’s life and expresses 

the essence of who they are. It is something that gives 

youth a sense of direction and encourages goal setting. 

Sparks are different from fun activities or hobbies in that a 

spark generates an action that not only benefits youth but 

also their community or society. Sparks provide essential 

motivation for a young person’s growth in knowledge 

and skills and provide an avenue for youth to build their 

personal network as they engage with others with similar 

sparks. 

To support youth in building sparks, adults can become 

a spark champion. A spark champion is someone who 

helps youth identify their spark by paying attention to 

their world and interests, listening to their values and 

opinions, and recognizing when they achieve significant 

milestones. We need to be intentional in talking to youth 

about their sparks, encouraging advancement in their 

spark, and providing opportunities to help youth get 

better in their spark. A few things we can do include: 

• Help youth set goals to follow their spark. Encourage 

setting SMART (small, measurable, achievable, relevant, 

and time-bound) goals to improve in their passion. 

• Allow space for youth to develop their own projects. 

• Allow failure! Providing a safe space where youth can 

fail helps build resiliency and problem-solving skills. 

• Provide support and encouragement. Some sparks may 

be hard for adults to resonate with as it may not be one of 

our interests, but it is important for us as adults, to show 

our support and encouragement. 

Engaging youth in a variety of activities helps them find 

their sparks. 

the everyday lives of children.” Be the difference maker. Help 

youth know they are valued in our society so we can watch 

them change the world. To learn more about positive youth 

development and Nebraska 4-H Youth Development, visit 

our website at 4h.unl.edu. 

Resources: 

Arnold, M.E. (2019) Fostering Developmental Relationships. Oregon 

State University Extension 4-H Youth Development 

Arnold, M.E. (2019) Facilitating Youth Sparks. Oregon State University 

Extension 4-H Youth Development 

Scales , P. C. (2010,December) Finding the student spark: Missed 

opportunities in school engagement. Search Institute Insights & 

Evidence 5(1). 

Julie Boyle, a 4-H Youth Development Extension 

Educator working with youth serving programs and 

organizations in Northeast Nebraska. She has a 

bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science 

and a master’s in Youth Development. 

Photo Credit Julie Boyle. 

Building relationships with youth and supporting them 

in their sparks are just two important components 

of PYD. This quote from Nelson Mandela sums it up 

nicely. “History will judge us by the difference we make in


The 2019 Women in Film panel. 

Sioux City International Film Festival Celebrates 16th Year 

By Amy Buster 

The temps outside are starting to drop. You can hear 

and feel the crunch of the leaves under your feet. There 

is no mistaking that fall has arrived in Siouxland, and with 

it, the 16th annual Sioux City International Film Festival 

(SCIFF). 

Tim Bottaro, one of the co-founders of the festival, shared 

with us some of the history of how the festival has changed 

over the years. 

“We’ve transitioned to CD’s, DVD’s, and now to fully digital 

submissions. These formats are much easier to deal with; 

their size, better picture quality, more compact equipment, 

and copying/transfer abilities were all welcomed by our 

festival. I must defer much of the details to today’s formats of 

film to younger, more experienced board members,” stated 

Bottaro. 

“When Rick Mullin, Margo Chesebro, Gary Lipshutz, John 

Carter, and I created what was then known as the ‘Siouxland 

Film Festival,’ the entries were submitted on VHS tapes. 

Over the years, we received thousands of VHS films. I was 

amazed we never received one that was damaged in the 

mail or other delivery service. I recall the first international 

film we received came from South Korea. We all marveled 

it arrived in one piece,” shared Bottaro. 

Sadly, co-founder and prominent Sioux City volunteer, Rick 

Mullin, died this past February. Part of this year’s festival 

will include a tribute to Mullin highlighting his many 

achievements and contributions to the festival and the 

Siouxland area. 

Through the transition from shooting movies on film to 

using digital technology, the festival, too, has changed with 

the times. 

Tim Bottaro, John Musker and Ron Clements.

Another aspect of the film festival that has changed is 

where it is the location of the event. 

“The move of the home of the festival to the Promenade 

Cinema in downtown Sioux City has been wonderful. 

The many filmmakers who travel to the now-named 

Sioux City International Film Festival (SCIFF) are thrilled 

to see their film on the big screen in a real theater digital 

format. The SCIFF patrons also appreciate the enhanced 

quality of the sound and viewing experience and have 

commented on it,” said Bottaro. 


Fifteen years ago, a single foreign film was submitted to 

the festival. Today, one third of the films submitted are 

from outside of the United States. 

“One of the reasons for the huge increase is due to two 

French filmmakers, sisters, flying to Sioux City for the 

world premiere of their drama, ‘A Moment of Lucidity.’ 

The sisters raved about the festival on Facebook 

and elsewhere. They are well known filmmakers 

internationally. As a result of their support the festival 

and its board members received many Facebook friend 

requests from filmmakers, actors, and others from around 

the world. It sparked the beginning of SCIFF’s growing 

reputation as a high level, truly international film festival. 

Every filmmaker, actor, or other film team member who 

has attended SCIFF have mentioned how surprised they 

were at the quality of the films shown, and the hospitality 

of everyone they have met. Many declare SCIFF is the 

best film festival they have ever attended,” stated Bottaro. 

The French filmmakers were the Barabault sisters, and 

the year was 2016. The festival originally ran for only 

two days, on a weekend, but has grown to a full fourday 

celebration. This year the festival will be held from 

September 30 – October 3. The SCIFF is the longest, 

continuously running short film festival in Iowa. That is 

until the year 2020. 

“Cancelling last year was difficult to break in this 

consecutive event. However, we also knew that battling 

a health crisis was a priority. We are allowing filmmakers 

from 2020 to submit for the 2021 festival and look forward 

to offering once again, a fantastic lineup of high-quality 

films,” stated current board president, Leslie Werden. 

The festival accepts short films, no longer than 30 

minutes in length. All subject matter is acceptable. This 

year’s theme for panels and workshops is Latinx. 

“The aspirations for the festival are to continue building 

momentum by bringing in excellent filmmakers and 

panelists so that the attendees not only see the films 

but also have the opportunity to hear directly from 

professionals in the industry. We currently work with 

Downtown Business Partners to generate ideas for 

events around downtown Sioux City that coincide with 

the festival. In addition, Downtown Partners promotes 

the event and provides us with some items for gift bags 

Andi Behring, Rick Mullin, Arielle Haller-Silverstone and 

Andrew Moffatt. 

for incoming guests,” shared Werden. 

In return, the festival has had its impact on the Siouxland 

community in helping support the aspirations of local film 

makers. 

“We are aware of Wayne State’s status with a minor in film 

and they just announced the major (BS in Film Production 

and Theory) that will start in the fall semester (2021). We have 

a great relationship with Wayne State. Students not only 

attend the event but also host an informational table at the 

festival. We are also planning a Local Filmmakers block on 

Thursday night, September 30, to showcase works created 

by local students and community members,” said Werden. 

She and Dr. Michael White, an Assistant Professor, who 

focuses on broadcast and film production at Wayne State, 

will be working together on this aspect of the festival. 

“The beauty of SCIFF is that each year brings a number of 

changes. The festival has evolved and adapted over the 

past 16 years. SCIFF will continue to meet the challenges of 

putting together an outstanding film festival. The support of 

the people of the region is critical to SCIFF’s success and has 

been a big reason for its long life,” said Bottaro. 

Amy Buster, a writer/editor for 25 years. The majority of her work 

has been writing and editing for small-town newspapers in both 

the Kansas City Metro area and the Siouxland Community. 

“The relationships I’ve formed from these 

work experiences are some of the most 

powerful, and life influencing bonds that 

I’ve ever experienced.” - Amy 

Photos Contributed by Sioux City International Film Festival.

Great food with local flair 

is just a click away.


Challenge 

Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. 

Panasonic North America Case Study: 

Sioux City Symphony Orchestrates Exception Virtual Experience 

In a recent international case study, Panasonic 

North America featured three American orchestras 

for their innovative multimedia performances: the 

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Miami New 

World Symphony, and the Sioux City Symphony 

Orchestra. 

Challenge 

The Sioux City Symphony Orchestra (SCSO) is one of the 

nation’s oldest at 106 years old and is highly distinguished 

for its innovative, multimedia performances. With 70 

members, the orchestra is a true regional ensemble that 

draws its members not only from Iowa but also from nearby 

Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota. 

In Sioux City, in-person performances halted from mid- 

March 2020 to March 2021 as the pandemic prevented the 

orchestra from gathering and hosting its planned season, 

which typically consists of eight to ten programs each year. 

“We were in the middle of the storm as Covid-19 completely 

shut down our 2020 season, but we knew we needed to 

be here when the pandemic abated, so we immediately 

started preparing for our return,“ said Ryan Haskins, 

Music Director, of the SCSO. “If you go back through any 

disastrous moment in history, it has always been the arts 

which eventually take humanity back to where they feel 

normal again.” 

Under Haskins’ leadership, the SCSO studied solutions and 

consulted with other orchestras on how to best provide a 

concert experience, even when an audience was not able 

to gather. The orchestra’s goal was to establish a multicamera 

setup to produce live and pre-recorded musical 

performances to showcase themselves online. 

Solution 

Through funding from the 

Gilchrist Foundation, and the 

Kind World Foundation, the 

Sioux City Symphony created 

SCSO LIVE, a new Over-the- 

Top (OTT) subscription service. 

SCSO LIVE, the orchestra’s live streaming and on-demand 

app, allows symphony patrons and fans around the world to 

view concerts live, as well as recorded and edited archive 

performances in 4K. 

The SCSO recorded the first concert performance with its new 

Panasonic Live Streaming system in December – a two-hour, 

internally-produced Holiday TV special for the local NBC 

station that received tremendous positive responses from 

the community. In January, it produced six digital chamber 

music concerts, including a three-part series on Beethoven, 

which were all offered exclusively on its new SCSO LIVE 

streaming service. “Without our new Panasonic gear, we

would not have been able to present this incredibly 

diverse, impactful programming to the communities that 

we serve,” said Haskins. In March and April, the SCSO 

resumed in-person concert presentations with limited 

audiences and safety precautions in place, live streaming 

them and making them available on its SCSO LIVE ondemand 

app. 

For the live performances, a three-member production 

team led by Adam Gonshorowski, the orchestra’s live 

producer and director of digital content, down converts 

the 4K video signal to 1080 HD for the live stream. The 

production team, along with Haskins, then edits the 

performance and uploads a 4K 60p program to Vimeo 

for patrons and subscribers to SCSO LIVE. “You can watch 

the performance live on a Saturday night, fully mixed and 

produced, and then you can go back after the fact to 

watch it in 4K on Vimeo as well,” said Gonshorowski. “The 

UE150’s 4K 60p image is fantastic, especially the detailed 

close-ups of the musicians and instruments.” 

According to Gonshorowski, the UE150’s small footprint, 

quiet operation, ability to be remotely controlled, and 

easy setup were huge pluses, as the SCSO didn’t want to 

have camera operators in-house. “It’s a better experience 

for the audience not having to watch the operator pan a 

camera or overhear the operator on a headset. We can 

deploy the PTZ cameras in more interesting locations 

where a person cannot get to. This allows for more 

creative options with the cameras because we don’t have 

to have a person standing behind them.” 

“The Panasonic live streaming experience 

has been truly remarkable. The first time 

we had the PTZ camera system up and 

running, it was a magical moment. We 

all realized we were part of something 

incredible. We have an exceptional 

orchestra here in Sioux City, and now we 

have something that can help us deliver it 

in its true beauty to the world. We are now 

operating at an entirely new level.” Ryan 

Haskins, Music Director, SCSO 

Sioux City Sympony Ryan Haskins,Conductor. 

Bringing New Perspectives to the Orchestra Viewing 

Experience 

According to Haskins, a virtual performance will not replace 

the magic of a live performance. But if a person cannot 

physically be at the venue, a virtual experience is the next 

best thing. “If you watch from your seat in the theatre, you 

basically have one view,” said Haskins. “Because of our 

new Panasonic cameras, patrons can view the concert from 

many unique perspectives. It allows for a virtual on-stage 

experience - close-ups of the instruments or even musicians 

playing solos. Patrons can now experience angles that they 

cannot normally view from their seats. And then, of course, it 

also gives an audience member the chance to go home and 

rewatch some of their favorite moments of the evening after 

they have attended in person. It’s a new, refreshing way to 

view our programming.” 

The new PTZ cameras/switcher system has also allowed 

the orchestra to greatly expand its outreach educational 

efforts. “A large part of our mission is music education and 

community outreach to young people. We can now connect 

with classrooms, not just in Sioux City but across the country 

or around the world,” stated Haskins. 

Summary 

With Panasonic’s 4K PTZ cameras/switcher system, the SCSO 

is able to efficiently and creatively live stream its programming 

and is looking to produce more TV programming, as well as 

more exclusive offerings, for its SCSO LIVE app and digital 

library. Its live streaming efforts are off to a great start, as 

the SCSO has created a future-proof 4K 60p video system 

that is easily expandable by adding cameras to provide new 

angles and perspectives to educate and entertain patrons. 

“The possibilities are endless,” said Haskins. “This is exactly 

what the orchestra world needs. Orchestras have been 

criticized for only reaching their base audience, but it’s now 

thrilling to think how we can evolve with this new technology. 

Our PTZ cameras/switcher system will allow us to expand 

into new uncharted waters that will provide us with an energy 

and creative fuel that you cannot match,” Haskins added. 

“It gives us the opportunity to share with more people the 

chance to experience the art we know and love.” 


Sioux City Symphony behind the scenes. 

Photos courtesy of the Sioux City Symphony.


PRESENTED BY CARLSON GROUP @ RE/MAX 

Future home of RE MAX City Centre. 

RIVIERA THEATER to be transformed 

into “RE/MAX CITY CENTRE” 

The former Riviera Theater will be celebrating 

its 50th anniversary in 2021 with a complete 

makeover. A group of area developers is determined 

to reinvent an iconic Sioux City corner while giving the 

nod to the venue’s history. The local entrepreneurial 

spirit of Siouxland will be on full display within the “RE/ 

MAX City Centre.” 

The City Centre will be the new home to the RE/ 

MAX Preferred real estate brokerage, their team of 

exceptional agents, and several unique concepts not 

currently found in downtown Sioux City. The Warp 

Zone Arcade & Taproom, Ichiban Sushi and Japanese 

Steakhouse and a newly renovated intimate theater 

experience will bring the building to life! 

“Culture is so important to us. We want to create a 

really fun, upbeat atmosphere and flex space for our 

clients, agents, and everyone visiting the City Centre to 

enjoy all it will have to offer. As with all our real estate 

closings, a portion of the proceeds from the purchase 

of this property and leases generated in the building 

will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network,” stated 

Rachel Carlson, owner/broker RE/MAX Preferred and 

Carlson Group Team Lead. 

Lindie Stauder, who created the innovative “The 

Warp Zone Arcade and Taproom,” recently won 

an award at Siouxland’s 2020 Innovation Market 

and also at the 2021 Iowa Venture Event. The new 

concept combines the social experience of a bar and 

the excitement and nostalgia of the arcade. In addition 

to all your favorite old-school arcade games, they will 

offer a wide selection of local and regional beers. A 

constantly rotating tap list will keep you stopping in to 

try something new. 

Binh Vuong and the team at Ichiban will be 

creating a new dining concept that takes the sushi

ar concept to a whole other level. Innovative 

new ideas and creative twists on menu options will 

give Sioux City patrons a different take on traditional 

Japanese steakhouses. 

There is still room to lease space within the building. 

Although, space is expected to fill quickly, with 

construction commencing late summer early fall. 

The building currently sits at 18,000 square feet but, 

through the addition of a second-level, will grow to 

25,000+. 


“A cornerstone of our mission is creating 

opportunities for local entrepreneurs and 

business owners to be successful while growing 

our community. The RE/MAX City Centre is 

going to have a very collaborative high energy 

entrepreneurial spirit,” states Jeff Carlson, 

Carlson Group at RE/MAX. 

There will be a nod to the history of the Riviera. A 

portion of the City Centre will remain a theater. The 

vision for “The Theater” is to offer second movie 

showings, as well as host other events. It’s a great 

platform for non-profit events and even will be 

available to rent or host your own gatherings. 

Jeff & Rachel Carlson (Sioux City), Aaron Jones 

(Okoboji, IA), James Stapleton (Omaha), and 

Joshua Johnston (Omaha) make up the partners 

in “The City Centre Project.” The developers 

have a unique cross-section of experience in 

designing and launching projects. The Sioux 

City, Okoboji, and Omaha markets include 

youth sports complexes, stay suites and resortstyle 

lake accommodations, historical building 

restoration, restaurants & bars, franchises, and 

other residential developments. 

Joshua Johnston commented, “Though my roots 

are now in Omaha, having been born and raised in 

Siouxland, I’ve always been drawn back to being part 

of the growth and re-development of the Sioux City 

area. As our other business ventures have grown, we 

began to look back to Siouxland for opportunities to 

make an impact. I remember coming to the Riviera 

as a kid, and so to have the opportunity to breathe 

life back into this building means a lot to me. We are 

committed to the long-term success of downtown 

Sioux City. It also means a lot of hard work coming 

to fruition and something special for everyone 

involved.” 

“I’m excited to continually invest in Siouxland as we 

have with our Robertson Ryan insurance companies. 

Siouxland holds a special place in my heart, and I 

Chamber ribbon cutting of RE MAX City Centre. 

am excited to do my part by investing in a project that 

will add next-level amenities to downtown,” elaborated 

James Stapleton. 

Bravo Company Design (Plymouth, MN) gave invaluable 

initial insight into building layout options. FEH DESIGN 

(Sioux City, IA) is heading up the architectural front, 

including layout and infrastructure design efforts. 

“The future is incredible for Sioux City, and RE/MAX 

Preferred is poised to be a big part of that growth. 

When buyers and sellers think of RE/MAX, they think 

of “trust” and “integrity.” We put our clients above 

commissions, provide state-of-the-art technology to 

improve the buying and selling process, and, most 

importantly, give back to our communities. Our office 

in Okoboji was #1 in sales in 2020, which is great, but 

it’s not our main focus. We focus on exceeding our 

client’s expectations, maximizing listing exposure for 

our sellers, and providing unparalleled search tools 

(i.e., RE/MAX Preferred App.) Our ability to provide 

value, especially in technology and saving our agents 

the time they can be spending with their families, will 

allow us to continue to add amazing people to our 

team. Our presence here, on 4th Street, at the RE/MAX 

City Centre, shows our long-term commitment to our 

agents, our clients, and the community, stated Aaron 

Jones, Broker/Owner RE/MAX Lakes Realty and RE/ 

MAX Preferred. 

Download Siouxland’s 

Preferred Real Estate Search App

Siouxland Magazine - Volume 3 Issue 5

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?