Feb. 23, 2021

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Rika Peterson, a consultant with Maximizing Excellence.

Name: Rika Peterson

Age: 30

Hometown: Sioux Falls

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls is home to my favorite things: family, friends and Sanaa’s.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

Maximizing Excellence is a strengths-based work environment. My areas of expertise on the team have been intentionally built upon my top five CliftonStrengths: analytical, restorative, individualization, strategic and relator. It makes for a good job and a good week when I get to analyze data to determine if something is feasible, create solutions for challenging issues, build and work alongside committed teams of volunteers, strategize to improve a nonprofit’s effectiveness and collaborate with the rest of the Maximizing Excellence team in fun and work.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I graduated from Augustana University with my B.A. in psychology and sociology and went on to pursue my Master of Social Work at the University of South Dakota. While in graduate school, I managed to land a dream combination of macro social work internship experiences: South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation and Maximizing Excellence. Together, they laid the foundation for the social worker I am today and ultimately led to the opportunity to join the Maximizing Excellence team.

Describe Maximizing Excellence in three words.

Creative problem-solving.

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

I originally set out to become a clinical therapist. I was so eager to get through my psychology courses that I ended up needing to find another major or minor to fill credits. The rest is history. What changed my mind? The entire sociology department at Augustana and reading the book “The Rich and the Rest of Us” by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West. Marginalized populations need organizations and systems working to meet their needs. Now, I do therapy on organizations, so part of the original dream still connects, just on a larger scale.

What is your favorite way to give back to your community?

I gravitate toward hands-on volunteer experiences, whether that is helping out with a Habitat for Humanity build, coaching for Girls on the Run or working hard with a small, committed group of people to accomplish a specific objective.

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

During a recent extended stay in Omaha, I enjoyed frequenting a restaurant called Modern Love – they do delicious and impressive vegan comfort food and desserts. I would love to see a restaurant like that flourish in Sioux Falls.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

The past year has shown just how important quality of life is. I hope to be content and healthy, serving the community in meaningful ways, seeking opportunities for personal growth and greater understanding of the world around me and able to say I have a few more destinations and signature recipes under my belt.