Ms. Jen Blake has made KOTA Territory her home for more than 20 years, joining the staff in October 2014. Jen, who has two bachelor's degrees from Black Hills State University, is the KOTA Territory News assignment editor. We can thank the Air Force for bringing Jen to KOTA TV News. She is a seven-year Air Force public affairs veteran with a tour of duty at Langely AFB, Va., before being assigned to Ellsworth AFB. Jen also served in Bosnia and Cambrai, France. When not working, she volunteers in the community, tries her hand at a multitude of craft projects and spends time with her husband

Ms. Leah Braun is Senior Partner with Nsight Partners. Nsight Partners allies with individuals, businesses and organizations to help them solve problems and achieve results. They do that through coaching, training and consulting…all designed to develop and grow the individual and the organization. Leah retired from the South Dakota National Guard at the rank of Master Sergeant after 22 years of military service, where she began to hone her passion for working with people.  Leah has a teaching degree from BHSU and a Master of Science in Administrative Studies with an emphasis in Counseling from USD.  Leah is a Certified Professional Coach, credentialed through the International Coach Federation. A career highlight for Leah was being awarded the ‘Friend of Small Business Award’ by the SD CEO in May 2017. Leah recently graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. When Leah isn’t working in Nsight Partners she’s working in the family business – Twilight First Aid & Safety. When she’s not working, she can be found hiking and biking the trails of South Dakota, gardening, cooking or hanging out with her husband and three kids.

Ms. Tara Cox is a coaching and human resources professional with over 20 years of experience in the world of people. Her love of business and people along with her natural curiosity makes her the “go to” when leaders seek to improve themselves or get stuck. From her career beginnings in college, to starting her own consulting business and now coaching business, Tara’s drive to help others be the best version of themselves shines through. Through her company, Kinisi Coaching, she guides client’s to be courageous, consistent and accountable with forward movement. Tara is a certified professional coach and certified senior professional in HR (SHRM-SCP & SPHR) with experience climbing the ranks in HR, consulting in both Kansas City and Sioux Falls, and has been called on to speak and publish on topics such as culture, talent and more. Tara enjoys outdoor adventures and time with her family. Staying healthy and active as well as keeping life as simple as possible are her constant goals. She loves one on one conversations and the beauty of the human experience. She resides in Sioux Falls with her two children, Ethan and Camdyn.

Ms. Stephanie Dowling currently leads the community affairs team at Black Hills Energy. Prior to her role with Black Hills Energy, Stephanie was appointed by the Governor of Arizona as the Deputy Director for the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT). In her role as Deputy Director and Chief Marketing Officer, her area of focus was strategic alignment and development of AOT's branding, advertising, public relations and communications programs. She led the agency in international tourism, policy and constituent and delegate relations. Stephanie has nearly 25 years of experience in communications, public relations and advertising. Her career started in London, England as a public relations representative for the Bank of England and was nominated for two National Emmy Awards for work as a senior researcher and field producer with "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw." During her time with NBC, she interviewed world leaders and celebrities, covering breaking news, world events and politics. She then moved on to manage and direct public relations and marketing for Tommy Hilfiger-USA where she led the development of their first website www.tommy.com. In addition, she traveled to all fifty states to produce and manage a nationwide marketing campaigns for the Tommy Hilfiger brand. From there, she joined New York City nonprofit, The Fresh Air Fund, where she redeveloped marketing campaigns, produced celebrity galas, and handled board relations. She then joined the team at GoDaddy to build their public relations department and set the stage for worldwide brand awareness. She has won several awards for her professional work and has been appointed to several boards and committees throughout her career. Stephanie is a graduate of the University of South Dakota with a BA degree in Mass Communication.

Ms. Catherine Greseth is the Executive Director of the Workforce Diversity Network of the Black Hills (WDN) which is a 501C3 organization working with employers to understand the benefits of hiring and retaining individuals with disabilities. WDN works with local businesses and the public at large to provide education and information that is transforming a more diverse and inclusive workforce in western South Dakota. She began her career in broadcasting in South Dakota with KBHB and KOTA and was the Media Relations Director for the Sturgis Bike Rally. Since that time, Catherine has earned a strong reputation by holding numerous positions for a variety of businesses including Fortune 500 companies throughout the western United States. She has been employed with respiratory centers, hospice, long-term care centers, rehabilitation centers, Alzheimer’s units, retail, casinos and tourism. Catherine has served as President of a number of nonprofits and currently serves as President on the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities. She has been appointed by Governor Daugaard to the Board of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Statewide Independent living Council. She is now the Current Chair of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired. Catherine is an Ambassador for the Rapid City Chamber, is a board member of the Zonta Club of the Black Hills, is a graduate of the 2017 Leadership South Dakota Class, a 2016 graduate of Women in Leadership and received the South Dakota 2018 Governor’s Award for Outstanding Citizen of the Year. Catherine, who herself is visually impaired along with her daughter Mary, is an advocate for all the abilities of people with disabilities. She is committed to educating and connecting resources to create a culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Catherine is married to Clete Greseth, and they have four grown children.

Ms. Janie Hett is the soul behind Peak Motion PT. Janie founded Peak in 2010 after a rocky start to her profession. Her goal was to create an environment that allowed her to do what she loves in a positive, healing space. In 2013, Janie found herself overwhelmed with stress and physically debilitated with a new diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. Much of my spare time the past few years has been spent studying nutrition, stress management, and wellness to help me on my personal journey to health. In 2018, I completed my foundations course in Functional Medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine and I am now able to better help my patients on their journey with traditional physical therapy, and resources and education for stress management and nutrition, because I’m passionate about whole body wellness. I grew up on a ranch near Buffalo, SD and I love being a part of helping my ranching family when I can. My husband, Dave and I live in Beulah, WY with our son, Nathan and baby boy #2 due to arrive in a few short weeks. In our spare time, you can find us with our animals enjoying the great outdoors hiking, kayaking, or camping.

Ms. Michelle Kane provides business counseling and resource guidance to aspiring and established entrepreneurs as the Director of SD CEO. She and the SD CEO team are privileged to bring outstanding workshops, networking opportunities and conferences to professional women across the state while promoting entrepreneurship and leadership. Prior to joining SD CEO, Michelle owned Black Hills PR, a public relations firm she launched in 2011. Headquartered in Spearfish, Black Hills PR designed marketing, social media and PR programs for local, regional and national clients including three years traveling with a professional rodeo association. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Advertising from San Jose State University and is a 4th generation Californian who says that she "found her spot" in Spearfish. You can find Michelle at the creek, lake or pool with her son Jack, on the golf course with husband Mike, on her front porch with friends or in her garden, weeding and listening to podcasts.

Dr. Rachel MK Headley is the CEO of Rose Group International, a company that specializes in providing premium strategic leadership coaching and training to solve problems around teamwork, productivity, time management, and retention, so they can better harness the energy of their people to achieve aspirational goals. Headley is a Mensa PhD scientist and former Operational Science Officer of the Landsat satellite mission, with over two decades of experience leading complex and groundbreaking achievements, managing big projects, uniting diverse international stakeholders, and guiding teams through change. Dr. Headley is TEDx/keynote speaker, Forbes contributor, and executive coach.

Dr. Barbara Looney teaches Managerial Communications, a persuasive business writing course, for the School of Business at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD. She is also Program Coordinator for the university’s MBA Program. She grew up in Spearfish, lived on the East coast for more than 30 years, and happily returned to SD in 2004. Before her academic life and a PhD, Barbara was a customer service representative for the Sheraton Hotel Corporation in Boston, a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C, a corporate paralegal in Charlotte, NC, and the assistant manager of a bar supply company in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Barbara left the beach bars to teach high school English in Miami, and she’s been involved in education ever since. Her current academic interests are business pedagogy and the impact of social media on conversation skills.

Ms. Meg Manke is Chief Operating Officer of The Rose Group, Int’l. She has years of experience leading through transition. From major changes in highly-regulated industries to managing through a $100M acquisition, Meg has refined skills in understanding people through change. Her studies in organizational psychology and mastery in leadership concepts ensure that your people are taken care of. Period. Meg has a passion for helping others realize their full potential – breaking down social and personal barriers – changing their story. Her innate ability to recognize opportunity in weakness and present a strategic solution is unprecedented in today’s business world. Meg is a ranch kid from western South Dakota, where she still puts in a hard day’s work on the family place. Ranch life gave her sticktoittiveness, passion for family and outdoors, and maybe a touch of stubbornness. Meg is an avid runner, an advocate of the well-rounded education of youth, and a major supporter of finding humor in all things.

Ms. Clarissa Thompson is a E-RYT®500, YACEP® teaching since 2014 and practicing since 2007. Clarissa teaches flow classes influenced by all the energies around her so no two classes are ever exactly the same. Finding yoga during a challenging time in college allowed her to discover her inner light and confidence, which she hopes to share with those she encounters on and off the mat. She offers a variety of workshops, courses, and leads Moon Ceremonies and other specialty events and retreats around the Black Hills area. Clarissa travels and leads retreats and yoga teacher trainings through Light the Spark Within LLC, a company that she co-founded. She loves being in nature and enjoying all that the incredible Black Hills area has to offer.

Dr. Sonya Pagel is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Black Hills State University. She teaches teaches courses in organizational and interpersonal communication, public speaking, and conflict management. She earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from Ohio University and went on to teach at various universities including the University of Rio Grande, Letourneau University, and Seattle Pacific University. Sonya’s research interests include the communication processes involved in organizational change and management development. This led her to study the rhetoric of company executives, and to conduct interviews with middle and senior managers to learn how they select, read and implement popular management theories. She has also worked in government and industry where she designed and delivered workshops on topics such as coaching, presentation skills, and leadership.

Ms. Laura Prosser has been an accounting professor at Black Hills State University since 2002.  In addition to teaching accounting in both Spearfish and Rapid City, she is the program chair for the BHSU accounting and business programs at the University Center in Rapid City.  Laura also serves on the board of directors at Northern Hills Federal Credit Union in Sturgis. In 1988, Laura earned her CPA certification and in 2011 she completed the requirements for her CMA certification (Certified Management Accountant). Prior to teaching at BHSU, Laura taught accounting and business courses at National American University in Rapid City where she chaired the accounting assessment committee. Laura was also the assistant controller at Washington Federal Savings Bank in Hillsboro, Oregon for three years.  Laura earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from the University of South Dakota.  Working with finances and budgets in personal and business applications are some of Laura’s favorite parts of accounting and financial management.  Laura and her husband David reside in Sturgis, SD and have three grown children.

Dr. Helen Usera is the owner and president of Aspiring Business Consulting, a consulting company focused on people and organizations through speaking, meeting facilitation and planning. She is a certified John Maxwell Team coach and mentor and is also certified with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Helen received a Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education from Pittsburg State University; a Master’s of Science, Special Education from Pittsburg State University; and a Doctorate of Education, Educational Administration from the University of Kansas. She currently serves on the boards of Rapid City Chamber of Commerce and Rapid City Regional Airport. Her greatest accomplishment is being the mother of two sons and now a grandmother to 2 grandchildren.

Jaime L. Wood joined the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in October 2014 and currently serves as the District Director for the South Dakota District Office. She is responsible for promoting small business resources across South Dakota including access to capital, counseling and training, government contracting, and disaster relief. Previous to her SD assignment, Ms. Wood served as the Deputy District Director in the SBA North Dakota District Office. She also previously served at SBA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as the Director for Policy and Engagement, in the Office of Veterans Business Development, where her focus included SBA veteran-related programs for active duty, National Guard and Reserve, service-disabled veterans, military spouses, and survivors. While at SBA Headquarters, Ms. Wood participated in an interagency detail with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand veteran small business ownership in agricultural and rural areas. She began her U.S. Government civilian career in March 2006. Prior to joining SBA, she served with the U.S. Department of the Army in multiple military public affairs, strategic communication, and staff positions in U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, in Stuttgart, Germany. Her duties included several deployments to Africa and within Europe. She is a U.S. Army veteran having served as a military broadcast journalist. Ms. Wood is a Class of 2016 graduate of the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, where she earned a Master of Strategic Studies. She also holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland.

For the last six years, the SD CEO (Center for Enterprise Opportunity) Women In Leadership program has graduated over 150 women who have experienced what it means to be part of a South Dakota sisterhood of professionals. The leadership program, sponsored by Coeur Mining in Lead, includes training and mentorship from professional women in our region and professors at Black Hills State University. It's a unique program that focuses on finding the leader in you.

SD CEO Women In Leadership, Class of 2019!