SIOUXLAND GROWTH ORGANIZATION |
Siouxland GO's Board works diligently throughout the year to provide opportunities for current members, recruit new members, and partner with Siouxland businesses for professional development as well as volunteer opportunities. The Siouxland GO board is made up of nine members; President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and the following committee chairs; Connect, Civic, Innovation Market, Marketing, and Special Events. It is because of the hard work of the nine board members that Siouxland GO remains a strong, stable, and vibrant organization.
Grace Nordquist, PRESIDENT Community Engagement Coordinator, Siouxland Youth For Christ Grace Nordquist, originally from Panora, Iowa, is excited to be elected President of such a fun and involved group of young professionals that are dedicated to making an impact on the Siouxland community. After completing her Associate's Degree at Iowa Central Community College in 2018, Grace moved to Sioux City to attend Morningside College (now University) where she had an active presence on campus and was involved in various activities like the Women's Swim Team (2020 Morningside Women's Athlete of the Year), Student Ambassadors, ODK Honor's Society, and was an Athletic Communications Intern, participated in Campus Ministry and the school's Mental Health Awareness Group. Grace graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Mass Communication; Corporate Communication Emphasis. Grace is now the Community Engagement Coordinator for Siouxland Youth For Christ (YFC), an organization dedicated to reaching lost youth in the community to share the story of Christ. In addition to Siouxland YFC, Grace is an Assistant Coach for the Men and Women's Swim Team at Morningside University and an active member at her church. In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, swimming and working out, decorating her house and trying new foods and restaurants. Brock Bourek, VICE PRESIDENT Theatre Administrator, Lamb Theatre Brock Bourek is excited to serve on the Siouxland Growth Organization Board as the Vice President. Brock’s goal as a board member is to help connect young professionals with one another and to offer opportunities for socialization & growth within the community. Brock is originally from Columbus, Nebraska; where he left to attend Morningside (College) University in Sioux City. After graduation, Brock accepted a full-time position with LAMB Arts Regional Theatre as Theatre Administrator. When Brock isn't working, he enjoys watching movies, participating & watching live theatre, singing & dancing, and spending time hanging out with friends. If you have any questions or would like to join the Siouxland Growth Organization, feel free to contact Brock and join him for a one-on-one social to learn how you can get involved. Jeremiah Back, TREASURER Security National Bank Jeremiah was born and raised in Cherokee, Iowa. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Morningside College, class of ‘16. Jeremiah started his professional career as a teller at Security National Bank while he was enrolled in classes at Morningside. He still works for SNB and is currently serving as a Commercial Services Representative. Jeremiah is actively involved in the community through Siouxland Habitat for Humanity and Elevate Community Church as well as Siouxland GO. In his free time, Jeremiah enjoys exploring new places (mostly mountainous terrain and beaches), trying new things, playing cards, and partaking in any sort of competition. Sydney McManamy SECRETARY Realtor, United Real Estate Solutions sydneymcmanamy@myunitedagent.com Sydney McManamy is a Siouxland native and a graduate of Sioux City East High School. She briefly left Siouxland to earn a degree in business management and minors in accounting, marketing, and sales from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Sydney has since returned to Sioux City and works as a residential real estate agent at United Real Estate Solutions. When she isn’t popping in and out of Siouxland homes, Sydney likes to spend her time with her fiancĂ© Tommy, family, and friends. She also enjoys giving back to her hometown through her involvement in Siouxland Growth Organization, River-Cade, United Way of Siouxland, and the Events Facilities and Tourism Advisory Board. If you see Sydney out and about be sure to say hello! If you then want to avoid being trapped for hours in conversation, make sure to avoid discussing why Diet Coke is superior to Diet Pepsi or why everyone should know their top CliftonStrengths. Rob Valdovinos, Marketing Realtor, Century21 Prolink Rob Valdovinos is excited to serve on the Siouxland Growth Organization Board as the Marketing Chair. Rob’s goal is to promote awareness of the SCGO and it’s purpose in this great community it serves, as well as to bring attention to and highlight the Siouxland area. Rob grew up not too far from Sioux City in the small town of Salix, going to high school and graduating from Westwood Community School. Rob has always had lots of connections in the Siouxland area and it has only grown larger since moving to Sioux City 4 years ago. Shortly after moving to Sioux City Rob decided to pursue his dream career of becoming a Real Estate Agent and has now been a licensed Realtor® for the states of Iowa & Nebraska and is a Certified Residential Specialist at CENTURY 21 ProLink for 3 years. Rob considers his Real Estate career more than just a career, it’s a great way for him to help people and his clients in achieving their big goals of homeownership. Whether it’s their first home, next home or forever home Rob is always happy to help. When Rob is not working in real estate you can usually find him with a camera shooting weddings or elopements alongside his husband. Taking photos has given him opportunity to travel to numerous places in the US like California, Oregon and Colorado but also abroad like recently traveling to France, Mexico and Iceland. When Rob is looking for relaxation or for a slower paced day, he loves spending time with his husband and their dog (Coco) by either going to the dog park or a nice long walk at one of the many parks here in Sioux City. He also enjoys having having Saturday brunch or a cocktail night with friends. Rob loves meeting and talking to new so if you see him while you are out don’t hesitate on stopping him to saying hello. Angela Rogers, Special Events Siouxland Chamber of Commerce Angela Rogers is thrilled to be the board of Siouxland GO and plan all of the fun Special Events for the organization. Angela’s goal in the position is to provide engaging social outings and offer unique ways to grow members professionally through several events held each month. Angela joined the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce in August of 2021 as the Manager of Membership Retention. In her role, Rogers is responsible for building strong relationships with members and to help them understand the value proposition associated with membership in the organization. She quickly realized joining Siouxland GO was a key way to get involved with young leaders in the area and couldn’t wait to join.Angela is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and attended Drake University in Des Moines where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in Broadcast News and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Her professional background includes television journalism, public relations, and marketing.You’re likely to catch Angela at either a coffee or ice cream shop outside office hours. She enjoys being a “foodie” and cooking, playing with her dog Cooper, and going on adventures with her boyfriend who is a pilot with Siouxland’s own 185th Air Refueling Wing. Jacey Hanna, CIVIC Jacey Hanna was born locally in Sioux City, Iowa and she is so excited to be elected Civic Chair for such an impactful organization within the Siouxland community. She was given the opportunity to travel extensively as a child, living in a variety of different places as far as California, to South Dakota, various places within Iowa, and back to her hometown. After graduating from high school she pursued athleticism and human services at a local community college, remaining a member of multiple cheerleading teams for approximately 10 years through her entire high school and college career. After completing her Associate's Degree at Iowa Central Community College in 2015, Jacey moved to Lamoni, Iowa to attend Graceland University, where she graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services with a Psychology Emphasis and a Spanish Minor. After graduation, Jacey moved back to Sioux City to be closer to friends and family and found a job working at a local Autism Clinic where she discovered her passion for serving others on the Autism Spectrum. She graduated in 2020 with her Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis – with an Autism emphasis, of course - and continues to serve the community as one of only four active Board Certified Behavior Analysts in the Siouxland area. Jacey is an active participant in the community, using her free time to teach yoga classes on the weekends and coach cheerleading and gymnastics to young children during the week. In her remaining free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, and spending time with her three cats. Nick Drenth, CONNECT Rawlings Law Nick is excited to serve on the Siouxland Growth Organization Board as the Connect Chair. Nick’s goal is to continue to promote the benefits of the Siouxland area to local students in order to retain the talented workforce. Working closely with the high schools and universities, Nick plans to continue to provide opportunities and develop local students to grow our existing local industries and encourage new businesses and innovation. Nick was raised in Hartley, Iowa. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and political science from Morningside College, class of ‘15. Nick stayed in the area to attend the University of South Dakota for law school before continuing for his Master’s Degree at Northwestern University in Chicago. Nick started his professional career in Chicago as a tax staff at Crowe LLP representing buyers in mergers and acquisition deals, but moved back to Sioux City because he always considered Siouxland his true home. He is now working as an associate attorney at Rawlings Law, where he practices business, real estate, probate, and family law. In his free time, Nick enjoys travelling, reading, competing, training for his next marathon, and spending time with his wife, friends, and family. Ashley Vande Brake, INNOVATION MARKET Northwest Bank Ashley is eager to serve on the Siouxland Growth Organization Board as the Innovation Market leader. Ashley’s goal is to help Siouxland find the needs to make it an even better place to plant your roots and grow! She looks forward to meeting new people around the area and know what’s currently happing in Siouxland. Ashley Vande Brake was born and raised here in the Siouxland area. Graduate of East High School in 2014. She furthered her education at Western Iowa Tech community college studying Photography with a degree in Applied Science & Minor in Professional Photography. During her time in college, she started her Banking Career with Wells Fargo back in 2015 as a Bank Teller and then at Northwest Bank as a Personal Banker in 2018 to(current). In Banking she strives to build relationships and help customers reach their financial goals. When Ashley isn’t in the office, she enjoys supporting local businesses and attending events in the community. She even finds time to use her photography skills with her own small business and helping other well-known photographers in Siouxland. Also enjoys traveling to Breweries with her Boyfriend Sam and when finally at home, snuggling up with their Dog, Barnabas. Her Family and friends are a huge support in her life and motivate her main goal- To make a difference in Siouxland! |