LEADERSHIP THAT DELIVERS

One of the most influential books I’ve read on organizational excellence is Good to Great by Jim Collins. One concept from the book especially shaped my approach to leadership: the idea that effective leaders combine humility with an unwavering commitment to results.

Great leaders don’t seek credit for success or look for excuses when things go wrong. They focus on the mission, build strong teams, take accountability, and make difficult decisions when necessary. They care more about long-term outcomes than personal recognition.

That’s the leadership philosophy I put into practice as President of Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. (DTSF).

At DTSF, we built a strategic plan centered on a simple goal: strengthen downtown as a place to invest, work, live, and gather. Our approach was straightforward—keep downtown active, clean, safe, and welcoming. When people have a positive experience downtown, they return, bring others with them, and businesses grow.

The results speak for themselves.

During my tenure:

• Downtown foot traffic surged
• Property values nearly doubled
• Downtown residency grew by 63%
• DTSF’s budget doubled
• Organizational assets tripled
• DTSF’s overall economic impact grew fivefold

Those outcomes came from consistent execution and long-term thinking.

We expanded year-round events and promotions to create activity beyond the summer months. Burger Battle became one of the region’s most recognized community events and helped drive significant traffic to local restaurants each January—typically the slowest month of the year.

We invested in placemaking and walkability improvements that made downtown more inviting, from public art to safer pedestrian crossings. DTSF also piloted downtown’s first dog park, helping demonstrate demand and build momentum for a permanent dog park.

We strengthened business recruitment and retention efforts to improve the mix of downtown businesses and increase activity throughout the district. During the pandemic, DTSF established a COVID Relief Fund that helped 70 small businesses survive at a time when many had nowhere else to turn.

One of the most important accomplishments was renewing and expanding the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), a funding mechanism critical to downtown services and operations. Previous efforts to renew the BID had stalled for decades. In 2021, we brought property owners together around a shared plan that ultimately led to the Downtown Ambassador Program and enhanced cleaning, safety, and outreach efforts downtown.

Leadership isn’t about rhetoric. It’s about building trust, solving problems, and delivering results that improve people’s daily lives.

If elected mayor, that’s how I’ll lead: with humility, accountability, and a relentless focus on long-term outcomes.

My goal is to make every neighborhood in Sioux Falls a place where people and businesses can thrive. I want Sioux Falls to become the Opportunity Capital of the Midwest. Achieving that will require steady leadership that delivers results.