People You Should Know
SEPT. 29, 2020
People You Should Know features new hires, promotions and awards involving top executives and organizations. For consideration, email [email protected]. Guaranteed placement is provided only to partners of SiouxFalls.Business.
Dzenan Berberovic
Avera Health
Dzenan Berberovic, chief philanthropy officer for Avera Health, has been included in the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy Forty Under 40 list. Berberovic started at Avera in 2017 as the foundation executive director for Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. Before that, he served in successive leadership roles for the University of South Dakota, culminating as executive director for principal giving. He is credentialed by CFRE International as a certified fundraising executive.
Prairie Family Business Association
The Prairie Family Business Association presented two awards at its annual conference.
This year’s recipient of the Heritage Award was the Johnson family of Reliabank, which was founded 100 years ago as The Farmers National Bank of South Shore. The Johnson family has held ownership since 1967, spanning three generations. Reliabank has grown to nine locations across eastern South Dakota.
The Simmers family of Bismarck Aero Center received the Vicki Clarke Prairie Family Business of the Year Award. Bismarck Aero Center was founded in 1990 by Bob Simmers and is led by second-generation owner Jon Simmers. It started with a focus on piloting services and expanded in 2002 to include aircraft maintenance and ground support with help from then-partner Mike Aarestad. The company has 45 employees.
Sanford Health
The U.S. Department of Defense has named Sanford Health as one of 15 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award recipients, the highest U.S. government honor to employers for support of National Guard and Reserve employees.
AIA South Dakota
AIA South Dakota has elected officers for its board of directors: president, Tom Hurlbert, Co-op Architecture; vice president, Allison Dvorak, Stone Group Architects; and secretary/treasurer, Jeff Nelson, Falls Architecture Studio. New board members are Aaron Johnson, VanDeWalle Architects; and Terri Miller, Architecture Incorporated.
Joe Herdina
Children’s Home Society of South Dakota
The Children’s Home Society of South Dakota has appointed Joe Herdina as its chief financial officer. Herdina has decades of experience in the financial industry, most recently serving as vice president of finance at The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, which merged with Sanford Health.
Michelle Trent
The Compass Center
Michelle Trent has been named executive director of The Compass Center. Trent joined the organization in 2014 as a counselor/advocate. In 2018, she was promoted to assistant director & clinical director. She will begin her duties Oct. 5.
Cutler Law Firm
Mike Bornitz
Mike Bornitz, a member of Cutler Law Firm LLP since 2000, has been selected as the South Dakota Trial Lawyer of the Year by the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association. The award is given to a lawyer who demonstrates high ethical standards and a commitment to upholding and maintaining the jury trial system, makes active contributions to the organization and has achieved success in litigation.
Bornitz focuses on litigation in the areas of personal injury, insurance bad faith, product liability, wrongful death, worker’s compensation, business and estates. He has tried nearly 50 cases in state and federal courts and administrative agencies in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, and has argued cases before the South Dakota Supreme Court and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. His career includes receiving an outcome exceeding $4 million followed by two outcomes exceeding $2 million and $1 million on four other occasions.
Alayna Holmstrom
Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith
Alayna A. Holmstrom has joined Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith LLP as an associate attorney. She practices in the areas of commercial and complex litigation, plaintiff’s litigation, insurance litigation, employment litigation, trust litigation, labor and employment, and family law.
Jeana Goosman
Goosmann Law Firm
Jeana Goosmann, CEO and managing partner of Goosmann Law Firm, served as the moderator for a panel earlier this month as part of the virtual annual meeting of the National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms. Goosmann led the discussion on Leading Your Legal Team: How to be a Leader Who Gets the Best Results.
Insight Marketing Design
Insight Marketing Design has been recognized by Summit International Awards, a competition recognizing excellence in design, creativity and effectiveness of advertising and marketing communications.
The design and content of a website for Rausch Granite Monuments received a Silver Award.
The second award was for the “Hope” television commercial for the South Dakota Farmers Union.
Rachael Roberts
Positive Presence Global
Rachael Roberts has joined Positive Presence Global, a national mentor coaching company for teenagers and young adults. Positive Presence provides customized virtual mentor coaching that emphasizes positivity and self-empowerment. Roberts previously taught in the Sioux Falls School District for six years.
Southeast Technical Institute
The LPN program at Southeast Technical Institute has been ranked No. 2 in the Midwest by NursingProcess.org. The analysis looked at NCLEX-PN pass rates, academic quality, reputation and affordability of 660 schools.
