Siouxland Magazine - Volume 4 Issue 5

Volume 4, Issue 5 

Starting Conversations 

20 

22 

presented by

The Destination 

for Dermatology 

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(L to R) Willy Garcia, RN; Raymond Kuwahara, MD; 

and Wilmar Garcia, ARNP 

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201 E 4TH ST, SOUTH SIOUX CITY 

Call (605) 217-2667 to make an 

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DERMATOLOGY • NEUROLOGY • NEUROSURGERY • ORTHOPAEDICS • PODIATRY 

SPINE • RHEUMATOLOGY • GENERAL SURGERY • GASTROENTEROLOGY 

CNOS.NET

Starting Conversations Podcast 

With Stacie and Tony 

New Episode Every Thrusday. 

Download on iTunes or your favorite platform. 

Presented by:

CONTENTS 

Conversing 

8-17 Ten Under 40 

BeComing 

20-21 Ask the Therapist 

22-23 Ask the Doc 

24-25 The Physiology of Breathing as Medicine 

26-27 Living Lumin – The Yoga Life 

29 Inclusive Peek – Tarsila Rameriz 

31 People of Siouxland – Semehar Ghebrekidan 

33 Future Foundation – Siouxland GO 

35 Leading the Way – Leadership Siouxland 

Collaborating 

38-39 Small Business Spotlight – Simply Celebrate 

40-41 Nonprofit Spotlight – Sioux City International Film Festival 

42-43 IWCI’s Business Feature – Hungry Canyon 

45 Experience Downtown 

47 Sioux City Scoop 

49 SBDC – Taking Care of Business 

53 Tony Michaels – 25 Years at KSUX 

55 Up From the Earth – Stories from Food Pantry Guests 

ON THE COVER 

Pictured, left to right, back row, front row Mike Tillo, Juan Munoz, Jack Ehrich, Ben Curry, William Bass, Meredith Treppa, Casey Mills, Megan Moore, Rachelle Rawson and 

Rob Valdovinos. Photo Credit Moon Media.

Welcome To siouxland magazine 

It’s in these pages we educate and inspire. Even more importantly, we 

create a community that thrives on connecting with one another. At our 

core, we all want to connect. When we seek to understand, by listening 

more intently, we find that our relationships deepen and our community 

strengthens as a result. With appreciation for the power of connection 

through meaningful conversations, it only made sense to name the 

business Empowering Conversations. 

Siouxland Magazine / 5 

Stacie Anderson, Owner 

It all starts with a conversation; with a desire to learn; 

to see things from another perspective; to seek 

truth. The truth is, we have more in common than we have 

differences. Well, maybe it would be more accurate to say, what 

brings us together is stronger than anything that divides us. 

We would never want to marginalize our differences. We love the words of Audre Lorde, “It is 

not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those 

differences.” We are unique in vast and complicated ways. It’s our hope that we can come 

together with our unique strengths, perspectives, and ideas to build a community with a 

powerful narrative of us. 

Through this humble publication, we will start having conversations. This is an ambitious and 

beautifully optimistic attempt to shine light on all the things that make our community strong, 

but also discuss, in a productive and compassionate manner, the challenges we face. 

We are doing our small part in building a cohesive community by creating conversations that 

refocus our attention on our similarities. We are bringing people together; replacing judgment 

with understanding. Perspective is powerful. 

We want to hear from you. At Siouxland Magazine, we feel it is imperative to understand what 

the community wants and needs. Share your vision and dreams for Siouxland. 

We want you to lean into the conversation and participate in the discussion. 

connect@empowering-conversations.com 

Facebook @siouxlandmag 

Want to be included in our November issue? Contact us soon! 

Deadline to reserve space is September 26th! Media Kit at siouxlandmagazine.com. 

E m p o w e r i n g 

Conversations, LLC 

siouxlandmagazine.com

Siouxland Magazine Writers 

Dr. Nesrin Abu Ata, 

Family Medicine 

Physician, Integrative 

Psychiatrist & Yoga 

Instructor. 

Tony Michaels, 

KSUX Morning 

Show Host with 

Candice Nash 

Alex Watter, 

Sioux City Council 

Brock Bourek, 

Brock Bourek, Vice President 

of SLGO 

Dr. Cyndi Hanson, 

Writer 

Carly Howrey, 

Business 

Development 

Coordinator for 

Downtown Partners 

Dr. Meghan Nelson, 

Licensed Physical 

Therapist, Professional 

Yoga Therapist & Co-owner 

of Lumin Therapy 

Jackie Paulson, 

Licensed Mental 

Health Counselor & 

Registered 500Hour 

Yoga Instructor 

Todd Rausch, 

SBDC Regional 

Director at 

WITCC 

Jetske Wauran, 

People of 

Siouxland - 

Portraits of the 

Extraordinary 

Up from the 

Earth Leadership 

Team 

Amy Buster, 

Writer & Editor 

Emily Larson, 

Licensed Massage 

Therapist & Private 

Yoga Instructor 

Peggy Smith, 

Executive Director 

for Leadership 

Siouxland 

Kari Nelson, 

Graphic Designer

Editors Note 

Siouxland Magazine / 7 

I’m proud to announce the new Top 10 Under 40 Winners! The sheer number of deserving nominees made the selection 

process challenging for the judges, as always. I can truly say Siouxland is fortunate to have so many talented young professionals 

that care so much for their community. 

Now to introduce our winners… 

William Bass Ben Curry Jack Ehrich Casey Mills 

Megan Moore Juan Munoz Rachelle Rawson 

Mike Tillo 

Meredith Treppa 

Rob Valdovinos 

Beyond sharing their stories, it is important to help them get as much traction as possible with the wonderful work that they 

are doing in Siouxland. In the following pages, you’ll find out how you can support their efforts and get involved. I encourage 

you to reach out to them. Share your thoughts and ideas. Maybe there is an introduction you can make or resources you can 

provide. Every little bit helps. Also, consider sharing their Facebook posts that will pop up over the next few weeks to help 

them, and the work they are doing, get even more exposure. Together, as a community, we can go further. 

I couldn’t be more grateful to have so many outstanding young people in our community that are dedicated to making this 

world a better place to live in. 

Congratulations to this year’s winners! 

Stacie Anderson 

Owner of Empowering Conversations LLC & Siouxland Magazine 

Certified John Maxwell Speaker, Trainer & Coach 

Passionate about Leadership & Communication 

Siouxland Magazine is owned and published by Empowering Conversations, LLC. All materials contained in this magazine (including text, content, and 

photographs) are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published, broadcast or modified 

in any way without the prior written consent of Empowering Conversations, LLC or in the case of third party materials, the owner of that content. You 

may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of this content.

William Bass 

Ho-Chunk, Inc., 

Community Impact & Engagement Manager 

presented by 

What would you like to see happen in Siouxland? 

I’d like to see an increase in diversity within our leadership. 

This will need to include people from diverse backgrounds 

to step up to leadership positions by volunteering for 

boards, councils, and committees and share their voices 

at the table. Siouxland is becoming more diverse and 

there is so much to celebrate when we come together to 

honor each other, learn, and embrace our differences. The 

world is a diverse place and Siouxland should reflect and 

celebrate that at all levels within our local systems. 

I would also like to see more recreational activities (such 

as a theme or water park, more concerts, attractions), 

investments into the arts, and stronger support for local 

entrepreneurs and small business owners. 

What are you working on now? 

I’m helping young people prepare for college and careers 

through internships for college students, apprenticeships 

for Winnebago high school students, and college and 

trade school scholarships. I’m also providing summer 

learning opportunities for high school and college 

students with business etiquette and soft skills workshops. 

I advocate for equal rights and representation for LGBTQ+ 

community members and help educate them about 

diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

What is your vision for the future? 

My vision for the Siouxland community is a safe place 

where our children and grandchildren can thrive in 

today’s ever-changing society and have opportunities to 

use their talents and passions to make the world a better 

place. This includes continued celebrations of diversity, 

creating a safe learning environment, peaceful civic 

engagement, increased time with family and promoting 

entrepreneurship and small businesses. I would like to see 

the community support this vision and get involved and 

participate in the many opportunities Siouxland has to 

offer. That includes attending community events, signing 

up for sports leagues or theater groups, offering business 

to a small or family-owned business, or volunteering at 

the many local non-profit organizations. I would like to see 

continued interactions amongst the community members 

and families from all walks of life in a respectful and openminded 

way. I believe that in doing so creates a stronger 

sense of community because at the end of the day we are 

all part of this greater family that we call Siouxland. 

What are you doing to make that happen? 

I encourage people to volunteer, speak up, serve, and 

take on leadership roles, especially when it involves 

using one’s strengths to contribute to a larger cause or 

greater good. I also try to lead by example by doing those 

very things. People from diverse backgrounds can be 

encouraged when they see people who look like them 

taking on leadership successfully. 

How can people help you make that happen? 

People can help make that happen by also getting 

involved in discussions, sharing resources, contributing 

their talents and networks, and stepping up to serve. 

Volunteer Organizations 

Leadership Siouxland (Vice Chair) 

Winnebago Two-Spirit Organization 

Winnebago Hemp Commission 

Winnebago Tax Commission 

Winnebago Curriculum Committee 

“Your talent determines what you can do. 

Your motivation determines how much you 

are willing to do. Your attitude determines 

how well you do it.”

Ben Curry 

Curry Floor & Acoustics Co., 

President 

presented by 

Sioux Chamber Board member. I cannot wait to learn from 

the other members of the board and implement my own 

ideas as well. 


By respecting our community and supporting local 

businesses, when Siouxland works together everyone wins. 

I am so blessed to have my girlfriend, Dawn Frein, and our 

five children supporting me along the way. Just to have 

the opportunity to make an impact on our community is 

a blessing. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all my friends 

and colleagues who have supported me and my visions for a 

better Siouxland. 


Curry Floor has teamed up with the Unity Point Foundation 

and Children’s Miracle Network to sponsor a fun, childthemed 

room in the pediatrics unit at UnityPoint Health 

St Luke’s. It has been such an amazing experience thus 

far planning exciting ideas for the theme. I do not want 

to spoil anything, so you’ll just have to wait until the BIG 

reveal! I can promise you that the Curry Floor room will be 

over the top! 


I have an incredibly positive outlook for the future. I see 

our community continuing to rapidly expand. Siouxland 

is growing so quickly. Just look at areas like Flatwater 

Crossing that Ho-Chunk and BluStone are developing. 

We must all continue to support, inspire, and motivate 

each other. 


South Sioux Chamber Board of Directors 

Unity Point Foundation 

Children’s Miracle Network 

Siouxland Miracle Riders 

South Sioux City School District 

Habitat for Humanity 

LaunchPad Children’s Museum 

185th ARW - Mosul Iraq Combat Veteran 2005-2006 

Sioux City Musketeers 

Morningside Little League Coach 

“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your 

business card, and the way you make others feel 

is your trademark!” 


I would like to see the community continue to support 

local small businesses. It has such a massive impact on 

our community. After all, they are the companies that are 

giving back–sponsoring our local youth sports teams and 

fundraisers. When you support small business you directly 

support the community where it is located. 


Helping others network with trusted contractors, architects, 

and designers to encourage that work remains local and 

of the highest quality. I am in love with the process of 

helping facilitate and foster these types of relationships. 

I am also excited about my latest commitment as a South

Jack Ehrich 

Ehrich Law Office, P.C., L.L.O., 

Attorney/Owner 

presented by 

ever remember. We need to continue to be innovative 

and willing to embrace change to attract businesses and 

young professionals to our community. I would like to 

see continued collaboration between city leaders and 

local developers, and entrepreneurs. I feel that Siouxland 

has a rich history. We should embrace that and help 

revitalize certain neighborhoods and areas throughout 

our community, which other cities in our area (Omaha and 

Sioux Falls, to name a few) have done to great effect. 


I have served on numerous boards throughout Siouxland 

over the past decade-plus, but currently, I am very involved 

with Camp High Hopes as a board member and the 

current board President. Camp High Hopes is a wonderful 

organization that provides meaningful recreational and 

social opportunities for children and adults with various 

special needs. I am also serving as a committee member 

for the Fire Foundation of NW Iowa, which seeks to make 

private, parochial education more inclusive for children 

with special needs. My wife and I have a daughter with 

special needs, so organizations benefiting those children 

and adults are particularly close to our hearts. 


For Siouxland to be a vibrant and exciting community, 

where the cost of living is affordable, there are numerous 

entertainment, social, and educational opportunities 

afforded to the citizenry. I hope that our downtown 

areas, in particular, can continue to develop and add 

even more unique and exciting businesses and urban 

living opportunities. I would also like to see a continued 

commitment to affordable housing so that those who 

want to live here are able to and we don’t lose valuable 

members of our community to larger markets. I believe 

we are fully capable of becoming one of the more 

dynamic communities in our region if we are all willing to 

work together. 


To see Siouxland continue to grow and prosper. As a native 

Siouxlander, I feel there has been more development 

in the past ten years since I have been home than I can 


I have served on economic development boards 

throughout the community and was part of the team that 

helped launch Marto Brewing Company in an area of 

downtown that had sat vacant for years. I love the rich 

history of Siouxland, so I am always particularly interested 

in projects that help to renovate and revitalize the historic 

buildings in downtown. As an attorney, I have had the 

great fortune to work with a number of entrepreneurs 

in our community and help them realize their dreams 

of business ownership and development. It’s also very 

important for me to continue to serve on boards and 

organizations that give back to our community, especially 

those organizations that work with special needs and 

underprivileged children. 


Be willing to serve if called upon, or simply volunteer 

your time and experience. Siouxland has an abundance 

of non-profit organizations always looking for willing 

individuals to serve. I have seen firsthand the impact that 

one can have and would stress that it doesn’t always have 

to be a financial contribution. We also need to continue to 

support our local businesses and promote new business 

development. Buy local, be willing to attend ribbon 

cuttings, and be willing to connect with other business 

owners at the chamber and social functions. We all want 

to see this community thrive and reach its full potential. 


Camp High Hopes - Board Member and Current Board 

President 

Fire Foundation of NW Iowa - Committee Member 

South Sioux City Chamber of Commerce 

Cardinal Christmas Baskets 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Siouxland - Past Board Member and 

Board President 

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is 

the courage to continue that counts.”

Casey Mills 

Mills-Shellhammer-Puetz & Associates, 

Principal 

presented by 

only on the border of three states but in the middle of two 

larger metros. We should avoid becoming Omaha or Sioux 

Falls “Lite” but instead think of how we can be different and 

specialized. This includes pursuing unique placemaking or 

quality of life amenities that very few have (The Chesterman 

mountain biking facility is a prime example of this). In terms 

of economic development, we should think of becoming a 

hub for specialized industry by leveraging our colleges and 

community college. For instance, Jefferson Iowa has the 

Forge, which is a training facility that partners with the school 

district, the community college, and Accenture to help train 

rural Iowans for in-demand software engineering jobs. The 

Chamber has advocated for Sioux City to have a Robotics 

and Automation Center of Excellence, given our community’s 

food manufacturing strength. These are the novel concepts 

that will help our community stand out and grow. 


Two things come to mind: Broadly, the focus of our family 

and our business is to help equalize opportunities for our 

community’s youth through both volunteer and financial 

support. 

The second was helping refresh the United Way of 

Siouxland’s funding model. The new model, which so 

many board members and volunteers helped shape, will 

help the United Way become more agile in meeting our 

community’s needs. 


Sioux City Public Schools Foundation - Past Chair 

United Way of Siouxland - Past Chair 

Boys and Girls Club of Siouxland 

Siouxland Chamber of Commerce 

“Northing in the world can take the place of 

persistence.” 


My biggest hope is to continue to grow our community. 

After graduating high school, I left Sioux City for 15 years 

for those perceived greener pastures. We moved back 

to Sioux City 6 years ago and haven’t looked back. Our 

community has so much to offer, and my hope is to play a 

small role in helping to continue to help it grow. 


My most direct work in helping is serving as the Government 

Relations Chair for the Siouxland Chamber. Our Chamber 

team works to advocate to legislative leaders for our 

community and highlight the unique challenges our 

border community faces. 


In terms of big picture support, I would ask community 

and business leaders to continue to think differently and 

pursue differentiated experiences to attract business and 

workforce. Our community is uniquely positioned, not

Megan Moore 

Sterling, 

Director of Strategic Programs & Partner Alliances 

presented by 


I would like to see the development of new businesses, 

events, and group activities in the area. This gives people a 

great opportunity to work together and meet new people 

they would not in their normal day to day. 


Siouxland has been my home for the past 30 years 

and has provided me with many opportunities, so I am 

passionate about giving back and helping Siouxland 

grow. Currently, I am a member of the North Sioux City 

Economic Development Council, helping strategically 

grow the North Sioux City area and working with the 

surrounding cities and the State of South Dakota to make 

Siouxland a better place to live, work, and visit. I volunteer 

with TeamMates Mentoring Program. I am in my 8th year 

serving as a mentor through Bishop Heelan Catholic 

School-Sioux City Chapter. This school-based mentoring 

program inspires students to reach their full potential by 

providing them support and encouragement to graduate 

high school and pursue post-secondary education. I also 

foster my 12th dog and volunteer for animal rescues 

to rehabilitate and rehome dogs in need. We work to 

minimize the issues of overflowing shelters and rescues, 

and to educate others about being responsible pet 

owners including the importance of getting your pets 

from a reliable source. I believe this will make life easier 

and happier both for pets and families, and in return will 

create a happier Siouxland community. 


In my role at Sterling, I create strong partnerships with 

1,500 global companies including Dell, Cisco, Hewlett- 

Packard, Amazon, and Intel. I bring those companies to 

Siouxland for events that highlight our local community 

and all that we have to offer. Other events I help coordinate 

includes local and national political fundraisers, local 

college recruiting events, hosting Dakota Valley Business 

Council meetings, and hosting Leadership Siouxland- 

Economic Development sessions. I also participate in 

Sterling’s community outreach program that works with 

the United Way and Siouxland Food Bank. 


I would love to see the community support local 

businesses, advocate for the projects you are passionate 

about, and participate in activities. The more we support 

each other, the more opportunities we can create. 


North Sioux City Economic Development Council - Board 

Member 

TeamMates Mentoring Program - Mentor 

SNAFU Rescue - Foster, transportation, and social media 

Alliance of Therapy Dogs - Pet Therapy Team Volunteer, 

handle, and train a certified therapy dog 

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” 


My vision for the future of Siouxland is to see it continue 

to grow and expand as a safe, diverse community that has 

many opportunities for employment and resources for 

families. I would also love to see the continuation of new 

businesses relocating here because of our Midwest work 

ethic, low cost of living, and friendliness.

Juan Munoz 

Inside-Out Family Chiropractic & 

Brightside Cafe & Deli, 

Owner 

presented by 

elementary schools. CEF can provide a safe environment 

for kids to hang out and learn about Jesus after school. CEF 

also sets up 5-day clubs like VBS Vacation Bible Schools. CEF 

can set up 5-day clubs in schools, churches, or even the local 

park or family home. I would like to get involved with other 

organizations like Youth for Christ or sports leagues, but I 

haven’t been able to make it fit into my already busy schedule. 


I get a lot of support from my community. Brightside Cafe 

is still around through a pandemic because of local support. 

Inside-Out Family Chiropractic has a very loyal base. I just ask 

for continued support and help us reach more people. Invite 

out-of-town family and friends to Brightside, or if someone 

needs Chiropractic care, refer them to my clinic. More support 

will help me leverage my time more and allow me to impact 

my community more. 


Brightside has seen a significant increase in the need 

for Feed it Forward Meals and increased difficulty with 

our Feed it Forward guests. We have had to get creative 

with some new ideas, but the most important thing for 

me is my team’s safety and well-being. At Inside-Out 

Family Chiropractic, we are doing an Undie 5,000 Diaper 

fundraiser for Her Health Women’s center. We hope to 

gather 5,000 size 2-4 diapers for the center. 


Child Evangelism Fellowship - Board Member 

“And above all things have fervent love for one 

another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 

– 1 Peter 4:8 


Sioux City has a lot to offer. More and more people are 

looking for the Big Town feel Sioux City has. We may not 

have all the entertainment options other cities offer, but 

with our complete riverfront remodel and our growing 

downtown area, we are about to have a major makeover. I 

think Sioux City will become more attractive to people tired 

of the big city living. I would like to see more businesses 

come downtown to drive more tourism, but more people 

live downtown than ever in my lifetime. 


Expansion and growth are things I see coming to Sioux 

City. I would love to see new businesses, entertainment 

venues, and growth in our music scene happen in Sioux 

City. My biggest hope is for more people to invest in our 

youth. Let’s get more after-school programs and classes 

for kids that can’t afford them. By investing in our youth, 

we can really change the trajectory of our community. 


I am currently on the board of CEF Child Evangelism 

Fellowship, which offers after-school programs inside

Rachelle Rawson 

Youth for Christ Siouxland, 

Juvenile Justice Ministry Director; 

Agape Community Services (Opening in 2-4 years), 

Co-Founder 

presented by 

if you are interested in helping others. Siouxland needs 

to continue to encourage the excitement felt by people 

under the age of 40. This in turn will ignite the interest in 

people of all ages. When members of our neighborhoods 

show creativity, it needs to be rewarded and nurtured. By 

sharing our vision for the community, we build interest 

among everyone to buy into their future. That, in turn, 

entices people to stay in this area. If everyone chose even 

one path towards bettering our society, the quality of life 

for all in Siouxland would increase tremendously. 


At Youth for Christ, we continue to expand services for 

children in Sioux City and the surrounding areas. My 

favorite aspect is the Advocacy Program which trains 

community volunteers to work as trauma-informed 

mentors for at-risk children. Connecting loving adults with 

children in need and seeing the relationships that are built 

is very rewarding. I also visit and provide services to youth 

at Juvenile Detention and the Eldora Boys State Training 

School. In addition, I am working with partners and a 

board of directors to create Agape Community Services, 

which will be built here in Sioux City. Agape’s faith-based 

format addresses the core issues of addiction. 


I believe many of the problematic issues facing Siouxland 

have their roots in addiction. Domestic violence, child 

abuse, poverty, and crime are often traced back to this 

affliction in our society. Developing Agape Community 

Services in Siouxland focuses my vision for how we may 

address this enormous problem as Jesus expects us to 

do. Agape tackles addiction with an innovative approach 

by expanding on evidence-based practices during the 

nine-to-twelve-month program. By providing resources to 

combat addiction, I believe we will make this a healthier, 

more productive place to live and raise a family. We all 

succeed when we value those who struggle most. 


I have always wanted to be a difference-maker in the 

lives of other people. When opportunities to do this 

have presented themselves to me, I try and not just 

take advantage of them, but look beyond to the next 

steppingstone. Creating these opportunities for others to 

make a difference in the lives of their fellow citizens is at 

the heart of what I believe God has chosen for me. 


People can help by choosing to be involved and giving 

back to Siouxland. For those who find in their heart the 

desire to heal the damage done to lives by addiction, 

consider joining the Agape Community Services initiative. 

For more information or ways you can help, you may 

email agapecommunityservices.ia@gmail.com. Yes, be 

involved in the lives of your own family first, but then step 

beyond and extend that love and caring to the life of our 

community. Choose to love the neighbor you don’t even 

know and may never meet. But believe that in choosing 

that path, you are fulfilling your purpose. 


Celebrate Recovery at Sunnybrook Church; Jail Ministry; 

Character Building Workshops at Jackson-Rosencrans 

and Juvenile Detention; “You Matter Siouxland” Suicide 

Awareness; Thriving Families; “Teen Dating Violence” 

initiative through SafePlace 

“Love thy neighbor as thyself. ” 


There are so many opportunities in Siouxland for people 

to contribute through volunteering. It just takes some 

initiative, determination, and creativity to find your niche

Mike Tillo 

West Middle School, 

Assistant Principal 

presented by 

This upcoming year I plan to get more involved with my 

church. I plan on participating in the family activities my 

church offers and having my own children attend Sunday 

School regularly. 

As a principal, I’m going to continue to be positive and 

encouraging toward our students and ensure our staff 

does the same. For some students, school is the safe place 

in their lives where they need that support, guidance, and 

encouragement. 


Each day I get the opportunity to positively impact the 

lives of children in the Siouxland area. Whether at school 

or on the practice field coaching, I do my best to set a 

good example for our youth and show them hard work, 

dedication and treating everyone with respect can help 

you accomplish any goals you set. 

As a parent of 3 young children, I am also working on 

raising my children to be kind, accepting of others, and 

hard-working. I want to instill in them the importance of 

doing for others and giving back to their community. 


People need to continue to volunteer to make sure we can 

provide these programs for our youth for years to come. It 

does take time to volunteer, but it is all worth it when you 

know you are making a difference in the lives of our children. 

If all parents would take an active roll in parenting their 

children to be responsible, respectful, hard-working children, 

the community would benefit greatly. Hopefully, as a mentor 

for a great number of youth, I am helping them do just that. 


Board Member at Headid Little League 

Volunteer Coach for the Future Stars Organization 

“The two things in life you are in total control 

over are your attitude and your effort.” 


My vision for the future is to help Sioux City continue to 

focus on family and activities for our youth. Family activities 

and youth programs provide our children with a safe, fun 

activity where they learn valuable life lessons. These life 

lessons include showing respect and being courteous 

towards others, being responsible for one’s own actions, 

developing self-confidence, and making good choices. 

The more activities and programs we can offer, the better 

it is for families in Sioux City. 


I am a volunteer coach for the Future Stars Organization 

and a Board Member at Headid Little League. I coach 

football, basketball, and baseball. When it comes to 

coaching, I teach the specific skills related to the sport, but 

I also teach the children how to be a good teammate, to 

show good sportsmanship, and to control one’s emotions 

when competing.

Meredith Treppa 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Siouxland, 

CEO 

presented by 

quite like Siouxland. Our people are the reason I stay in 

the area. I try to do everything I can to give back through 

my work and volunteering, creating opportunities for 

people to thrive. Because Siouxland has been so good to 

me, I want to ensure I’m doing all I can to pay it forward. 


The work I do in the community is focused around 

helping children and families. As the CEO of the Boys & 

Girls Clubs of Siouxland, I strive to provide safe spaces 

and great programming for kids after school and during 

the summer. It’s wonderful to empower kids and deliver 

experiences they may not be able to have elsewhere. We 

work hard to ensure they are on track to graduate and 

have a plan for their future. In my spare time, I volunteer 

as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for 

children. In this role, I advocate for reestablishing healthy 

family connections and providing a consistent presence 

in a child’s life while they are involved in the child welfare 

system. It’s an extremely rewarding and impactful way to 

volunteer. 


Keeping Siouxland great requires that we all pitch in. 

I would love to see more people get involved in the 

community. There are many ways to volunteer on small and 

large scales, all of which make a difference. Volunteering 

is a very personal journey, and it can take some time to 

find a place that’s a perfect fit. Giving back is great for the 

community and can be very personally fulfilling. When I 

first moved to town, I came across VolunteerSiouxland, a 

website that can connect you with different opportunities 

and needs in the area. It’s a great way to get matched up 

with causes and organizations that are important to you, 

as well as expand socially. Volunteering helped me start a 

connection with the community when I arrived. 


Iowa Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program 

Women United 

100+ Women Who Care Board of Directors 

Sioux City Cosmopolitan Club 

“If you want to go fast, go alone. 

If you want to go far, go together.” 


My personal vision is to spend more of my time on things 

that are meaningful to me, slow down and enjoy the 

journey, and empower others to live their best lives. 


I would love to see Siouxland continue to grow while 

maintaining its hometown feel. I envision Siouxland as 

a place that hosts more events and festivals and attracts 

more tourists and businesses. The river has been an 

untapped resource, and it’s exciting to see the riverfront 

development progress. Expanding airport services would 

make it easier for people to enjoy Siouxland. 


The people are my favorite part of Siouxland. I’ve lived in 

many places over the years, and none have welcomed me

Rob Valdovinos 

CENTURY 21 ProLink, 

Realtor® & CRS 

presented by 


Supporting the local businesses that are already in the 

downtown area I believe is a great way to show the need and 

want for local businesses or larger businesses. That’s why I 

like supporting the Innovation Market held by the Siouxland 

Growth Organization. Innovation Market is a business idea 

competition for entrepreneurs giving them a chance to win 

startup funds for their new business idea. I feel that new locally 

owned small businesses are usually the start of new ideas. A 

new business draws the attention of people to a specific area 

that possibly had little to no foot traffic. With more people, 

that could lead to more innovative ideas to our downtown 

area. 


Earlier last year, I learned about a professional organization 

called the Siouxland Growth Organization. I started 

attending meetings and fell in love with their mission, and 

wanted to get more involved. At the beginning of 2022, 

I was nominated to be on the board as their Marketing 

Chair. We focus on volunteering and networking to help 

shape the future of our communities in Siouxland. What I 

love about the Siouxland Growth Organization is that we 

are always looking for fun and innovative ways to make 

Siouxland a better place for everyone, as well as finding 

ways to retain and bring more young professionals to 

Siouxland. 


My vision for the future of Siouxland is something I get 

excited about contemplating! I love seeing Siouxland 

continue to grow, and I love hearing about all the new 

businesses and corporations that are coming to our area. 

It’s also great seeing all the new and expanding housing 

developments, and the unique events that put Siouxland 

on people’s radar. I envision Siouxland continuing to 

grow and create new and unique opportunities for our 

community. 


With the citizens of Siouxland, and the local businesses 

showing their support for new businesses, events, or causes 

is how we can all individually do our part. The support of 

others inside and outside of the community is what makes 

our communities grow. 


C21 ProLink Neighbors Helping Neighbors 

Siouxland Growth Organization - Board Member, 

Marketing Chair 

Litter Quick Pick 

Sioux City Litter Dash 

“The greatest risk in life is never taking one.” 

I would love to see Sioux City’s downtown area be a bit 

livelier during the day and family-focused as we have built 

more apartments and other housing opportunities for 

citizens. Something that comes to mind would be adding 

a grocery store, bagel and pastry shops, and more green 

spaces for kids and walking pets.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Congress passed the new three digit 

number 988 for any suicide & crisis lifeline needs. The 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) number is still in existence, 

but now this new 988 number will be easier to remember to help our loved one who are currently 

struggling with thoughts of suicide. The texting crisis number is any word texted to 741741. We don’t 

need to keep losing anyone to this disease of depression. Please reach out for help. You are not alone. 

It’s OK to When not be OK. it Talking comes DOES to save death lives. We and need grief, to stop I’ve the stigma experienced 

and taboo surrounding the 

topic of suicide. 

Donna Wolff 

my fair share of both. I’m sure I’m not the only 

person that’s heard of the phrase “check on your 

strong friend”. Even though I heard of it after losing 

a very important person in my life, it’s a phrase that 

will always stick with me. Latisha Denise Graham 

committed suicide on March 15, 2021. My best 

friend fought the great fight of depression alone. 

Unlike others she didn’t ask for help, nor did she lay 

her burdens on those closest to her, although I wish 

she had. Instead, she suffered in silence. Despite 

her unspoken trauma, she was a loyal friend and 

caring person. Latisha was the protector. I wish now 

more than ever that I could have protected her. I’ve 

accepted the fact that her physical absence from this 

world is permanent. However, her spirit will live on 

Prevention Specialist, YCIC (Youth Crisis Intervention Center)/Youth Shelter, Winnebago Tribe of NE 

September is National Suicide 

Prevention Awareness Month. 

Congress passed the new threedigit 

number 988 for any suicide 

& crisis lifeline needs. The 1-800- 

273-8255 (TALK) number is still 

in existence, but now this new 

988 number will be easier to 

remember to help our loved ones 

who are currently struggling with 

thoughts of suicide. The texting 

crisis number is any word texted 

to 741741. We don’t need to 

lose anyone to this disease of 

depression. Please reach out for 

help. You are not alone. It’s OK to 

not be OK. Talking DOES save lives. 

We need to stop the stigma and 

taboo surrounding the topic of 

suicide. 

Donna Wolff 

Prevention Specialist, YCIC 

(Youth Crisis Intervention 

Center)/Youth Shelter, 

Winnebago Tribe of NE 

Latisha Denise Graham 

forever. Suicide is an epidemic in this generation. In remembrance of her, I will be a consistent 

contributor to YANA which stands for “You Are Not Alone”. I wish above all that those who are 

struggling with depression and mental health issues know that they are not alone. 

- Olivia Ray

Siouxland Magazine is Encouraging 

Collaboration to Support Our Youth 

iouxland Magazine is Encouraging 

llaboration to Support Our Youth 

Join us in the discussion. Find out when we are meeting 

Join next us by in visiting the discussion. Siouxland Find Magazine’s out when we Facebook are meeting page next 

by visiting Siouxland Magazine’s Facebook page 

@siouxlandmag 

@siouxlandmag 

Siouxland Magazine | BeComing / 19 

Live Event 

Thursday, October 20 - 5:30-7:00 pm @ South Sioux City College Center 

Tuesday, October 25 - 5:30-7:00 pm @ Boys & Girls Club of Siouxland 

sday, October 20 - 5:30-7:00 pm @ South Sioux City College Center 

day, October 25 - 5:30-7:00 pm @ Boys & Girls Club of Siouxland 

O 

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O 

W 

Y E 

OR 

U I 

T N 

H G 

O 

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O 

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Two Two opportunities to to attend and and spend an an evening 

with with your your middle schooler learning about: 

• • Safe use of of technology 

• • Effective communication between family members 

• • Anti-bullying strategies 

• • Coping techniques around around bullying bullying and and aggression aggression 

Register for this FREE event by visiting: 

Register for this FREE event by visiting: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FeelingSafe2022 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FeelingSafe2022


Ask the Therapist 

By Jackie Paulson 

Send Your 

Questions 

to the 

Therapist. 

heard this in a Podcast recently and wanted to know a little bit more 

about it. I am trying to understand the difference between abuse and 

Q:“I 

neglect and that sometimes the neglect can be hard to validate?” 

Dear Reader, 

Before I dive into this question, I preface all of the 

readers to be mindful of the sensitive nature of this 

topic. Abuse and neglect are both delicate and 

intricate subjects. By no means will I be able to give 

full justice to the breadth of information that these 

topics truly require in this one small article. In the 

end, several resources will be referenced so you can 

access more information if desired. Please remember 

that the information provided is by no means offering 

advice related to pursuing decisions related to legal 

concerns or personal matters. 

To put it simply, the contrast between abuse and 

neglect is that one is an ACT, and the other is a LACK 

OF ACTING. Abuse is when something is done to a 

person, and neglect is when there is a lack of doing 

in regard to the care of someone that is dependent 

on another. In that way alone, neglect can be more 

challenging to acknowledge or even know about 

because (especially if you are very young) when 

the neglect is happening, you may not know that 

anything is abnormal or missing in how you are being 

cared for by someone. It may also be that there are 

varying degrees of neglect; including something 

called “Unintentional Neglect,” which I will not be 

able to go into for this particular subject but can be 

a more widespread and culturally normalized pattern 

of neglect that can be very challenging for caregivers 

to see and admit. 

Abuse is often thought of as physical, but there are other 

ways someone can be abused. These include financial, 

sexual, emotional, and verbal abuse. The impact of 

abuse is serious and detrimental. It’s easy to look at the 

definition of abuse and think of the gross and serious acts 

of it; but please note that just as we will explore neglect; 

parents, spouses, employers, etc. may be acting out 

more “normalized” forms of abuse (i.e., teasing, bullying, 

making someone uncomfortable sexually, etc.) and 

particularly if it is ongoing - can be just as detrimental 

to a person’s well-being. In many ways, our nation has 

a history of abusive behavior related to power, and just 

because people in authority normalize it does not make it 

right. It continues to be pervasive and impacting. 

Neglect is oftentimes more difficult to see. The Center 

for Disease Control describes neglect as “the failure 

to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs. 

These needs include housing, food, clothing, education, 

access to medical care, and having feelings validated and 

appropriately responded to.” The unmet emotional needs 

of children tend to be the primary form of neglect that is 

skimmed over in today’s overarching industrious culture. 

Other adults in children’s lives may not overtly see this 

neglect occurring. This makes it hard to identify. Forms of 

neglect include (but are not limited to); physical (i.e. failure 

to provide adequate shelter/food), medical (i.e. failure to 

seek medical, dental, or psychological care), supervisory 

(i.e. leaving the child unattended at an inappropriate age 

or leaving them with an unfit caregiver), environmental 

(i.e. exposing the child to toxins (including smoke and

unsanitary conditions), educational (i.e. failing to give 

the child a proper education), emotional (i.e. when a 

caregiver is not giving the child the attention, love, care, 

and affection) that they need to develop. 

Due to the fact that one of the main effects of neglect 

on children is that they ultimately have a hard time 

recognizing, owning, accepting, and knowing how to 

cope with their feelings, it can be difficult for one to 

validate their experience of it. So, when they become 

adults, they do not trust their own perception or sense of 

what is/was “wrong.” They do not know how to identify, 

acknowledge, and assert their needs. In struggling to 

even recognize and accept their own feelings/desires 

(or even that they are worth the space to have them 

and be held in them) how can one validate their own 

experience of it? 

This is why we need others to heal. It took a relationship 

to create the fragmentation within and it will take a 

relationship to create the wholeness that is possible 

when one embarks on the healing journey. We need 

a healthy and supportive person who can help us 

acknowledge the pain and present themselves with us 

in feeling it. Attachment ruptures that happen due to 

neglect and abuse can be addressed with the right help. 

In the case of abuse and neglect on any level, accessing 

the right professional support is highly recommended, 

especially if you find that you are having trouble trusting 

or allowing yourself to be vulnerable in asking others 

for help. There is a way back to feeling safe and whole. 

With love, 

Jackie 

Resources: 

If you are concerned about abuse or neglect of a child, 

you can contact our local MercyOne Siouxland Medical 

Center for guidance, support, and further resources: 

712-279-2010 

Or visit their website for more numbers related to 

reporting suspected child abuse to the right authority: 

https://www.mercyone.org/siouxland/find-a-serviceor-specialty/child-advocacy-center/reportingsuspected-abuse 

Citation: 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, 

April 6). Fast facts: Preventing child abuse & neglect 

|violence prevention|injury Center|CDC. Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 20, 

2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/ 

childabuseandneglect/fastfact.html 

Siouxland Magazine | BeComing /21 

You can submit your question for “Ask the Therapist” 

by visiting jaclynpaulson@gmail.com and sending 

your question through the contact page. Please put 

“Ask the Therapist” in the subject line. 

Jackie Paulson is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor 

in the state of Iowa. It is her belief that every person 

has an innate intelligence within them and can “whole” 

themselves with the right support. Jackie offers a 

holistic and somatic based therapy practice in Sioux City, 

IA. Ultimately, she humbly sits with others in hopes to 

empower them to seek and connect into their own deep 

and sacred wisdom that resides within. You already have 

the answers, it is with the right witnessing and curiosity 

that the truth is revealed.


Q: 

Dear Reader, 

Ask the Doc 

By Dr. Nesrin Abu Ata 

Send Your 

Questions 

to the 

Doctor. 

“My 12-year-old daughter struggled with being overweight until 

she hit a growth spurt. Her weight stayed the same, but she grew a 

few inches. No one has ever mentioned her weight, but she recently 

became obsessed with her looks, constantly feeling that she is fat, 

reading food labels, and skipping meals. She eats minimally. She 

started exercising several times a day and avoiding carbs. In two 

months, she lost 20 lbs. We have encouraged her to eat, but she 

says she gets full quickly and is not hungry. We suspect she may be 

purging, as she immediately goes to the bathroom after meals. She 

no longer joins us for mealtime and seems to come up with excuses. 

We fear she has developed an eating disorder. What should we do?” 

It sounds like you are in tune with 

your adolescent and have recently 

become aware of the changes in 

her eating behaviors. While this 

article provides general information 

about eating disorders, it is not 

medical advice. Please have your 

daughter see a trained mental 

health professional to assess her 

further for an eating disorder to 

provide you with specific treatment 

recommendations. The sooner your 

adolescent gets help, the better. 

Types of Eating Disorders 

There are different types of eating 

disorders based on the Diagnostic 

and Statistical Manual of Mental 

Health Disorders (DSM5). Patients 

often have symptoms from different 

categories of eating disorders and 

don’t fall into one category, at least, 

not all the time. Still, these eating 

disorders pose similar dangers to 

patients’ health. Eating disorder 

symptoms also may change over 

time. 

Before we go into the types of eating 

disorders below, it is important to 

assess the adolescent for any other 

mental health disorders. They may 

also be struggling with depression, 

anxiety, obsessive compulsive 

disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress 

disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, 

and self-injurious behavior.. 

Bulimia Nervosa 

Patients have obsessive and irrational 

thoughts about their body, food, 

and exercise. They will start with “a 

diet” but then compulsively binge 

eat. They set very rigid standards 

against certain “bad foods”. As 

they feel pressure from these selfimposed 

standards, they violate 

their own rules and binge. They 

then feel distressed due to having 

“overeaten” and compensate by 

vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise, 

laxative, or diuretic use. 

Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D.) 

Patients engage in episodes of eating 

large amounts of food in a short 

period of time, accompanied by 

feeling out of control, and continuing 

to binge eat despite feeling overly 

full. For example, they may eat 

several large pizzas in one setting. 

Patients typically think of constantly 

dieting while feeling a compulsion 

to constantly eat. Patients typically 

struggle with shame, anxiety, and 

guilt around eating. B.E.D. can be 

found in people with bodies of any 

size. 

Anorexia Nervosa 

Patients have a distorted view of 

their bodies, obsessive and illogical 

thoughts about food and exercise, 

and an irrational fear around eating. 

Their irrational fear also involves 

fear of weight gain. They eat too 

little and are likely to have low body 

weight as a result. However, there 

are some patients who have normal 

or larger body weight. Patients eat a 

narrow range of food and become 

extremely anxious around eating 

high-caloric food. 

Avoidant/Restrictive Food 

Intake Disorder 

Patients eat too little to maintain 

their nutritional needs, but do not 

have the body image concerns seen 

in anorexia nervosa.

Other Specified Feeding and 

Eating Disorder 

This diagnosis covers eating 

disorders that do not meet specific 

criteria for anorexia nervosa, binge 

eating disorder, or bulimia nervosa, 

but cause significant distress and 

impairment. 

Orthorexia Nervosa 

It is not listed in DSM5 but has 

been proposed as a diagnosis. 

The individual strictly adheres to 

certain practices of “eating healthy,” 

so much that it negatively impacts 

health, schoolwork, and social life. 

S/he restricts food in order to “to be 

healthy,” and not for fear of gaining 

weight in patients with anorexia 

nervosa. 

Muscle Dysmorphia 

While this is not recognized in DSM5, 

some researchers believe that it is a 

manifestation of anorexia nervosa 

disorder, and is more common in 

males. Patients have similar rigid 

thoughts about food and body, 

but they desire a bigger and more 

muscular body. They are likely to 

focus on weightlifting, eating high 

protein foods, and use supplements 

or steroids. 

Common Challenges faced by 

Parents 

Parents face challenges when 

supporting adolescents in recovery. 

Parental Overwhelm 

Taking care of a child who 

has an eating disorder can be 

overwhelming. Your role as a parent 

didn’t stop when the additional 

responsibility of supporting your 

adolescents with an eating disorder 

got added to your plate. Ensure you 

do self-care and reach out to your 

support system and other parents 

who have been there. Asking for 

professional help when you need it 

models a healthy behavior for your 

adolescent. 

Tolerating a Teen’s distress 

Helping your adolescent with their 

recovery means requiring your teen 

to repeatedly face the very situation 

that distresses them. You will find 

your comfort level of what needs to 

be done for your teen and when. 

Remember that your teen’s distress 

is temporary. 

Fear of Ruining your teen’s 

spirit 

Prioritizing recovery in the long 

run brings long term gains, in the 

face of temporary discomfort. 

Remember that an untreated eating 

disorder may permanently cause 

irreversible physical and emotional 

consequences. 

Fear of Destroying your 

relationship with your teen 

Keep your eyes on the prize and 

long-term goals. Relationships are 

damaged when parents and children 

remain chronically ill and don’t go 

into recovery. Once your adolescent 

is in recovery and becomes an adult, 

your child’s outlook on what you 

did for them will be positive and 

appreciative of parental support. 

Coping Strategies 

It is important as parents support 

their adolescents in their recovery 

that both parents and adolescents 

build distress tolerance. Below are 

some techniques that parents can 

try to help themselves and their 

children. Remember that the best 

way to teach your adolescent new 

skills is by modeling the behavior. 

Identifying and labeling 

feelings 

Acknowledging and labeling a 

feeling makes it more manageable. 

You can model that behavior to your 

teen. 

Talking to someone 

Talking to another parent who has 

been in your same boat is a great 

source of support. Don’t keep your 

problems and thoughts to yourself 

and reach out to your community. 

Journaling 

Writing can help you get thoughts 

off your chest. It doesn’t have to be 

long. You can start by doing it for a 

few minutes a day. 

Relaxation and Meditation 

You can find several meditation 

exercises online and can do them as 

a family. 

Music 

Listening to music helps calm the 

nervous system and promotes 

social engagement. 

Stress Balls 

Using stress balls provides 

distraction and sensory input to the 

body to relax and release physical 

tension. 

You can submit your questions 

f o r “A s k t h e D o c t o r ” t o 

drnesrinabuata@gmail.com. 

Please put “Ask the Doctor” in the 

subject line. 

Dr. Abu Ata is a board-certified 

psychiatrist and family medicine 

physician in private practice, providing 

holistic care for the mind, body, and 

spirit in the context of personal growth 

and relationships. Offers a mindfully 

cultivated practice of presence and 

expertise. Her healing practice draws 

on her mindfulness, yoga, family 

medicine, and integrative psychiatry 

training to weave a unique tapestry 

supporting your YOU-nique journey. 

Connect at www.nesrinabuatamd. 

com or drnesrinabuata@gmail.com. 

Resources 

w w w . n e w h a r b i n g e r . 

com/40439 to find supplemental 

materials, including forms, 

worksheets. 

When Your Teen has an Eating 

Disorder 

8 Keys to Recovery From An 

Eating Disorder 

Siouxland Magazine | BeComing / 23


The Physiology of Breathing as Medicine 

By Emily Larson 

Our bodies do so much for us under the radar and 

without a dependency on our conscious control. 

These automatic systems do not need a single, conscious 

signal from us. The heart pumps 6,000 liters of blood per 

day; the lungs move our breath in and out 22,000 times 

in the same period, and the nervous system sends signals 

upwards of 50 meters per second. These anomalies are, in 

fact, quite challenging to interact with on a conscious level. 

We could not simply tell the heart, “Slow down, I’m trying to 

sleep,” or the nervous system, “Speed up! I’m falling asleep 

at my desk.” One of the only ways we can interact with these 

automatic systems is through breathing. 

The Anatomy of Breathing 

To understand how we can develop conscious control of 

the breath, please allow me to introduce (or re-introduce, 

for those familiar with the inner workings of the human 

body) a bit about the anatomy of breathing. The lungs are 

the star of the show, of course, and the diaphragm is the 

working muscle. A domed sheet of muscle at the base of 

the ribcage, the diaphragm, creates a container out of the 

ribcage for the lungs to do their duty. As we inhale, the 

diaphragm dome contracts downward, expanding the 

space in the ribcage for the lungs to fill their balloon-like 

tissues with oxygen. The air we breathe includes millions 

of tiny oxygen molecules, one of our environment’s most 

life-supporting and necessary chemicals. The oxygen 

finds its way through intricate channels called bronchioles 

to yet more balloon-like structures called alveoli. These 

microscopic balloons at the end of the bronchiole channels 

are just one-cell layer thick, making gas exchange to our 

bloodstream a breeze. Oxygen enters our blood cells 

through capillary vessels that snake themselves right up 

against the alveoli balloon, again, easing that transition 

of gas particles. Blood cells inside these capillaries then 

load up with oxygen for delivery to our other vital organs 

and muscles. As we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes back 

to its original dome shape, the chest and belly release 

back toward the spine, and our blood cells, now full 

of oxygen from the inhale, simultaneously release 

toxic carbon dioxide (a by-product of many naturally 

occurring chemical reactions in the body) back into the 

alveoli, through the bronchioles, and out the mouth or 

nose. 

Behind all this chemical exchange and muscular 

contraction, the body’s nervous system is taking note. 

Our breathing patterns play a huge role in how our 

brains take in and respond to different stimuli, such as 

the sound of a party with large groups of friends, the 

smell of a campfire, or the sight of a brilliant orange 

and pink sunset over native prairie in Iowa. If we are in a 

primarily stress dominant state, the sympathetic nervous 

system will prime the body to fight, run, or freeze, which 

is typically associated with fast, chest-breathing. In such 

a state, a party may feel uncomfortable, and the smell 

of fire may cause feelings of fear. If we are in a primarily 

relaxation dominant state, the parasympathetic nervous 

system will prime the body to relax, digest food, and take 

in its surroundings. This state is typically associated with 

slow belly breathing and supports the brain in taking 

in the beauty of the surrounding sunset or enjoying a 

conversation with a new friend at a party. 

A Breathwork Meditation to Both Invigorate and 

De-Stress 

These days, it seems inevitable to experience stress, so 

much so that it can be difficult to relax tension, or it may 

even cause depression symptoms. The breath is a keyway 

we can interact with the stress response and even balance 

it with intention. Ancient medicine provides us with an 

array of breathing techniques with specific intentions 

for the practitioner, such as to invigorate, relax, or even 

awaken the Kundalini serpent that lies coiled at the very 

center of the body. For example, the ancient Indian 

medicine of Ayurveda describes Kapalabhati breath as 

the “skull-shining” breath. This rapid yet disciplined style 

of breathing invigorates the mind, warms the body, and 

is a helpful tool for any depression-related symptoms, 

such as sluggishness, negative thought loops, or lack of 

motivation and inspiration. It does this by: 

Hands on the belly and chest help guide the breath 

deeper tapping its healing qualities.

• First, it helps to begin any breathwork practice with 

a brief meditation in order to unite the mind with 

the body (rather than with the to-do list). So, find a 

comfortable seat, whatever that might mean for you, 

whether that be sitting upright in a chair, cross-legged 

on a pillow, or perhaps on your shins with the legs 

folded up underneath you. 

• Next, as long as it feels safe to you in this moment, 

remove any external visual stimuli by closing your eyes. 

This helps to de-stimulate the nervous system and 

prime the body for a few moments of inner exploration. 

Relax the space between your eyebrows; let your 

eyes and brain float in space. As long as your level of 

nasal congestion allows, close your mouth and lips 

so the tongue can rest against the roof of the mouth. 

This helps seal and strengthen your breath cycles, and 

coincidentally combats mouth-breathing. 

• Now, as you breathe in and out through the nose, draw 

your attention to your own natural breath cycle and 

observe it. No need to change anything just yet simply 

pay attention on purpose to the subtle sensations that 

accompany the breath, perhaps the cool air entering 

your nose; the stretching of your chest and belly with 

the expansion of the inhale and release of the exhale; or 

even the gentle whooshing sounds the breath creates 

within you. Take five to ten breath cycles just like this. 

• Once you have settled into your cycle, begin to take 

intentional breaths deep in the belly as if you are 

breathing through your belly button, keeping the chest 

relaxed and pointing slightly skyward. Take several 

rounds here. 

• With your next exhale, you will begin the Kabalabhati 

cycle by taking a forceful exhale, pressing the diaphragm 

into the lungs for a full release of carbon dioxide. Allow 

the inhale to come naturally as the diaphragm contracts 

and the lungs fill with oxygen. 

• Keep taking deep, sharp exhales with full, natural 

inhales. Continue with this cycle. You can do this for a 

specific count of breaths; perhaps five, ten, or even one 

hundred rounds. You can also practice the Kapalabhati 

cycle for a specific amount of time for your meditation 

practice; start with one to three minutes and work 

your way up as it suits you. Kapalabhati is especially 

beneficial in the morning to invigorate and prepare you 

for the day. 

• You may feel a slight buzzing in the head space or a 

wakeful pulsing throughout the body and fingertips, 

making the moniker “skull-shining” breath quite fitting. 

This flood of oxygen and potential energy to the cells 

helps prepare the body for action while also detoxifying 

it and combating excessive stress. 

Breathe to Relax 

Rather than stimulate the body like Kabalabhati, some 

breath techniques are designed to de-stimulate. For 

example, simply taking the previously mentioned 

meditation then focusing on the exhale, will both 

detoxify the lungs and down regulate the nervous 

system. Spending time in the exhale in this way sends 

a parasympathetic-dominant signal through the nervous 

system channels to the muscles, vital organs, and even 

our eyes. So, even when we are filled with anxiety and 

find it hard to “just relax,” simply changing our breathing 

pattern can help us find balance and biochemically shift 

gears to a more relaxed yet alert state. 

Discover Your Breathwork Techniques 

The range of ways to breathe has been expanding since 

ancient medicine introduced breathing meditations 

hundreds of years ago. Today, we understand the 

physiology that may have been quite a mystery to 

our ancestors, and we can use this understanding to 

derive specific benefits for our bodies. So, whether 

you need energy and strength, a sense of compassion 

and heart, or calming and tranquility, you can turn to 

and explore the medicine of the breath for the specific 

healing you seek. 

Emily Larson, a Licensed Massage Therapist, Private 

Yoga Instructor, Bachelor of Science Kinesiology & 

Human Performance, Instructor of Anatomy and 

Pathology for massage therapy students at the Bio 

Chi Institute, mother to Noah. 

Photo Credit Kessel Kreations. 

Siouxland Magazine | BeComing / 25


Living Lumin 

By Meghan Nelson & Ryan Allen 

The Yoga of LIfe 

We’re here to play the long 

game, I hope. We need to have 

time to figure things out, make 

sense of the world, and come to 

understand our place in it. This 

path, we know, is rarely, if ever, 

linear. We wobble, and we weave 

and get lost. It feels like a labyrinth 

or maze. 

I feel the most lost when I’m 

disconnected from God, from 

Source. When I value the wrong 

stuff, when I put things over people, 

when I take more than I give, when 

I talk more than I listen, when I’m 

stuck inside more than free outside, 

and when I tune my frequencies to 

bobbling talking heads rather than 

to the Source of my love and light 

and Being. I’m learning to become 

more aware of where, when, and 

how I feel it, but it’s crooked travel, 

and sometimes it hurts. 

The hardest step is the first. How 

long do we allow ourselves to suffer 

until we finally leap from thought 

to thing, from idea to action, from 

desire to momentum? The short 

and easy answer is too long. There’s 

got to be an easier way. 

Brothers and sisters, I have to 

believe that we are not here to 

suffer. We did not come into these 

bodies for pain, and our souls 

aren’t meant for torment. We did 

not come into this life to toil. 

One of my greatest teachers 

was Brian McCormick. He once 

posed the question: What if this is 

heaven? Recognizing, believing, 

and understanding the infinite and 

eternality of the individual Soul 

and its connection to the universal 

Source, is it not this span of our 

creation that is perhaps most 

holy? Certainly, it’s what might be 

most unique. Where else but here 

will we experience a sunset, fall in 

love, hold our newborn babies, hit 

home runs, and dance until dawn? 

What other span of our existence 

will we have these senses—to 

visualize the manifestation, taste 

the ecstasy, feel the delight, and 

know the joy and awareness of 

reality in the most personal ways 

possible? 

This is the place for light. 

This is the place for love. 

When we once again transform 

into pure positive vibration, we will 

be many things. Physical is not one 

of them. 

Translation: this is the 

place for fun! 

This is the place to feel it. 

Meghan & Ryan share Savasana. 

All we get are these few precious 

years. And we feel this time 

through our experience of space. 

In this space where all the cosmic 

goo gets mixed. The joys and the 

sorrows, the triumphs and travails, 

the movements here there and 

back again. I feel all this the most 

in my life with my kids. I experience 

it coaching basketball and baseball 

and witnessing young people lose 

their minds and spirits on missed 

shots and groundouts. Whether it’s 

in my own home, or on the court 

or field, I struggle to find new ways 

to motivate the young people I 

love and serve to love and serve 

themselves, struggle to model the 

patience needed for resilience, 

struggle to see things through

their eyes instead of my own. How 

do I convey the idea that to play 

is far greater than the play itself? 

What I want to share with them 

is that the failures are not losses, 

the losses are not defeats, the 

defeats are not destruction. Until 

and except for the night before, 

success doesn’t happen overnight. 

Enlightenment takes a little time. 

Bliss, a little practice. And it’s never 

over. Climbing to the top of the 

mountain only reveals another 

mountain. Our work is never done. 

There will always be contrast. There 

will always be reminders of what 

we don’t want so that we can better 

tune our frequencies to what we 

do. Thank God. I can hear Jimmy 

Cliff singing “Many Rivers to Cross.” 

A young Liam helps his mom Meghan relax into awareness. 


So, our efforts, my friends, are to 

soften the hard edges of our past 

traumas and the emotions and 

feelings that attract the thoughts 

and beliefs of negative self-worth, 

shame, and isolation. We can’t get 

‘better’ until we arrive at some 

‘good’ and we can’t become our 

best unless we heal. Our duty is 

to the Self. Here the enduring 

centuries-old wisdom of the 

Bhagavad Gita shines through 

when Krishna tells Arjuna that when 

beholding the self in the Self, the 

self is content. That’s what I want to 

feel — santosha (contentment). It’s 

why we do what we do. We practice 

because of how we want to feel; we 

teach because we want to share the 

good vibrations with you. The yoga 

of life is an eight-limbed practice 

calling us to live well, to move 

mindfully, to breathe intentionally, 

and to experience, through focus 

and concentration, and through 

meditation, the divine connection 

between our Self and pure Source 

energy—to know God, to feel God, 

and to become one with God. What 

a glorious opportunity we have 

been given! 

So, how do we do it? Much easier 

done than said, but in short, we 

chill out. We relax. We slow our 

brainwaves down. We release. We 

open. The Chandogya Upanishad 

unveils the path: 

“As a tethered bird grows 

tired of flying 

About in vain to find 

a place of rest 

And settles down at last 

on its own perch, 

So the mind, tired 

of wandering about 

Hither and thither, settles 

down at last 

In the Self, dear one, to which it is 

bound.” 

It is a journey home to the SELF 

calling us navigate the layers of 

our Being as we travel through the 

koshas and the akashic field and 

explore the experience of the most 

sacred internal wisdom, that “we 

live not by the breath that flows in 

and flows out, but by [the One] who 

causes the breath to flow in and 

flow out” (Katha Upanishad). It is a 

practice of knowing the Knower, of 

creating the dream. 

We need this connection now 

more than ever. The way out of the 

madness of the modern world is 

to journey in. Yoga nidra is one of 

those ways in, one of those keys 

that can unlock a great many doors. 

Yoga nidra is a systematic method 

of inducing complete physical, 

mental, and emotional relaxation. 

It is a threshold state of psychic 

sleep between the conscious and 

subconscious. Patanjali’s eightlimbed 

path speaks of pratyahara, 

sense withdrawal, the ‘process’ of 

the mind and mental awareness 

disassociating from the sensory 

channels. Yoga nidra facilitates 

pratyahara and is a gateway to 

higher states of consciousness 

and to samadhi, the experience of 

enlightenment in the now. Rumi 

says, “What you seek is seeking 

you.” The yoga of my life is a 

journey home to my Self. The road 

to being good is paved by feeling 

good. This is what I seek. Yoga 

Nidra is the practice that helps me 

get there. It’s what I want to share 

with you. Join me. 

Lumin Therapy provides integrative 

health and education for the mind, 

body, and spirit to those who are 

suffering or struggling to step into 

and live their heartfelt mission and 

purpose. Through the practice of 

physical therapy, medical therapeutic 

yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and 

resiliency mentoring, Dr. Meghan 

Nelson, DPT, and Dr. Ryan Allen, PhD, 

bring their over forty-plus combined 

years of knowledge and experience 

serving others to learn and heal and 

live without boundaries. 

The link to the practice: 

https://youtu.be/FzWSgdyPmvM 

Photo Credit Ryan Allen.


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Inclusive Peek – Interview with Tarsila Rameriz 

What challenges have you experienced in Siouxland? 

When I first integrate into a community that was more familiar 

to me which was the Latino community, then the Siouxland 

community became easier for me to adjust. 

Secondly, it was difficult to adapt to the place of this area, 

due to size. Prior to moving here, I was living in a bigger city. 

However, employment was a challenge to adapt to since jobs 

were different from place to place. 

Lastly, finding activities that are interesting, and fulfilling was 

a challenge but new, because I had never lived in in this part 

of the country or climate. 


How has Siouxland been welcoming? 

I was drawn into Siouxland. The community was pleasant for 

me as a newcomer, making me feel a part of the community 

by greetings and waves. I was invited to community events, 

people’s homes and families shared personal moments, or 

special events. 

What do you want the people of Siouxland to know? 

Siouxland is a great place to raise a family, with the ideal size 

of urban development, not so huge like cities, (i.e. Chicago, 

New York, etc.), nevertheless with most of the amenities, 

and services that you need. Living in Siouxland, you can live 

without the inconveniences of pollution, noise, long daily 

commutes, and all the violence that bigger urban areas 

experience. 

Tarsila Rameriz 

Inclusive Peek – En Espanol 

¿Qué desafíos ha experimentado en Siouxland? 

Cuando me integré por primera vez en una comunidad que 

era más familiar, que era la comunidad latina, la comunidad 

de Siouxland se volvió más fácil para mí. 

En segundo lugar, fue difícil adaptar al lugar de esta area, 

debido al tamaño. Antes de mudarme aquí, vivía en una 

ciudad más grande. Sin embargo, el empleo fue un desafío 

al que adaptarse, ya que los trabajos eran diferentes de un 

lugar a otro. 

Por último, encontrar actividades que sean interesantes y 

satisfactorias fue un desafío, pero nuevo, porque nunca 

había vivido en esta parte del país o clima. 

¿Cómo ha sido la acogida de Siouxland? 

Me atrajeron a Siouxland. La comunidad fue agradable 

para mí como recién llegado, haciéndome sentir parte de 

la comunidad a través de saludos. Fui invitado a eventos 

comunitarios, casas de personas y familias compartieron 

momentos personales o eventos especiales. 

¿Qué quieres que sepa la gente de Siouxland? 

Siouxland es un gran lugar para formar una familia, con el 

tamaño ideal de desarrollo urbano, no tan grande como las 

ciudades (es decir, Chicago, Nueva York, etc.), sin embargo, 

con la mayoría de las comodidades y servicios que necesita. 

Al vivir en Siouxland, puedes vivir sin los inconvenientes de 

la contaminación, el ruido, los largos viajes diarios y toda la 

violencia que experimentan las áreas urbanas más grandes.


CongratuLations 

t o t h e t o p 1 0 u n d e r 4 0 w i n n e r s 

Megan Moore 

Director of Strategic 

Programs & Partner Alliances 

Congratulations, Megan! Thank 

you for being a trailblazer in the 

industry and charting the course 

for Siouxland and Sterling. You 

are the epitome of a leader — 

and a shining example of 

"The Sterling Way." 

Client. Data Center. Security. Managed Services. Cloud. 

www.sterling.com connect@sterling.com 877.242.4074

Building Our Community and Bringing People Together 

By Jetske Wauran 


“I’ve always cared about diversity and inclusion. 

I grew up with Ethiopian and Eritrean parents, so it 

started as a kid, and I wanted to keep fostering that as 

an adult.” Semehar Ghebrekidan recalls her passion for 

community-wide collaboration, inclusion, and diversity. 

She is Sioux City’s very first Community Inclusion Liaison. 

“I’m seeing the connections being made. I was always 

told there’s a time when you gotta get up and move, but 

when you do, make sure you encourage other people 

to take your place. When you empower other people 

around you, they step up to the plate.” 

Semehar serves as the point of contact providing 

support for underrepresented individuals with concerns 

or questions about equity and inclusion in local 

government. “I was the first in my entire family to go 

to college. As I went into grad school, I kept sitting in 

student advocacy. I advocated in ESL programs at South 

Dakota State. Advocacy has always been important to 

me. The vice president there said I occasionally prodded 

the bureaucracy system because they sometimes 

did things without being mindful of the minority or 

marginalized students there, so I was always the person 

asking questions and advocating. I feel like that led me to 

this path today.” 

Before working as the Community Inclusion Liaison, the 

Sioux Falls native worked as an HIV case manager at the 

Siouxland Community Health Center. Semehar said it was 

an eye-opening role. “I’d never worked in the medical 

field before, and I had a really gracious team who showed 

me my biases as well. I feel that I know about diversity 

and inclusion in the sense of race, culture, and sexuality. 

Still, I didn’t understand that things like drug use and HIV 

affect different communities differently, so learning that 

and noting my biases, 

and confronting them 

head-on. I learned a lot 

in that role. Some days 

it was really easy in case 

managing, but some 

days, it was really difficult 

searching these systems 

and advocating for 

people fiercely because 

they didn’t have anyone 

to advocate for them.” 

Semehar said this was 

the role that changed 

her as a person. “I 

learned to also advocate 

for myself just as much 

as I advocated for my 

patients.” 

Semehar Ghebrekidan 

Nowadays, you can find Semehar all over our community from 

city meetings to local events and forums. “There’s a lot of work 

to be done in this role and I’m excited for what’s to come on 

different platforms too. Be on the lookout as I’ll be teaming up 

with Siouxland Public Media to create podcasts to help folks get 

connected with our city and our city officials get connected with 

our community members.” 

Three interesting facts about Semehar: 

1. Semehar listens to three songs before she goes to work. 

Amazing, by Kanye West, Industry Baby, by Lil Nas X and 

Brighter Day, by Kirk Franklin 

2. Semehar and her fiance, Logan, live in Sioux City. 

3. Semehar’s parents own an Ethiopian restaurant in 

Sioux Falls, SD. 

I’m thrilled to share my passion project, “People of Siouxland - Portraits of the Extraordinary,” through Siouxland 

Magazine. As a visual storyteller, my mission is to highlight the hidden gems and underrepresented individuals who 

enrich our lives, show ongoing leadership, and are outstanding community role models. I hope your inspired. 

Jetske Wauran-Castro is a community activist, professional photographer, and Emmy award-winning journalist. She 

and her husband, Rueben, live in Sioux City.


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Siouxland Growth Organization is celebrating its 

20th year as a non-profit organization, and we love 

celebrating- especially with events! From our monthly 

GO PRO(fessional) and GO SOCIAL events for our members 

to make connections and grow their professional skills to 

our larger-scale events like the Golf Classic or Innovation 

Market, we love to bring people together to celebrate 

young professionals getting involved and investing into the 

future of our community. 

Future Foundation – Siouxland GO 

By Brock Bourek 


Suppose you’ve been a part of Siouxland GO (formerly 

Sioux City GO) or been a community member for the 

last 15-20 years, you’ll likely remember another, popular 

event, the Murder Mystery Dinner. After a hiatus from the 

event, we thought there’s no better way to celebrate the 

milestone of 20 years than by bringing it back! On Friday, 

December 30th from 5:30-11:00 p.m., Siouxland GO is 

hosting a 1920’s themed Murder Mystery Dinner with live 

music to follow at the South Sioux City Marriott Riverfront. 

We’re excited to partner locally with LAMB Theatre for the 

event. Tickets will be $75/person, $100/two tickets or $400 

for a table of eight. Sponsorships are also available. For 

more information on sponsorship, the event, or to order 

tickets visit our website: siouxcitygo.com or follow us 

on Facebook and Instagram. We hope that this event may 

pay homage to those that helped start this organization, 

while allowing room for us to grow as we usher in a new 

generation of Siouxland GO members. 

Never been to a Murder Mystery? It is all about solving a 

murder, the storyline created by professional actors hired 

for the evening. As a guest, from the moment you arrive 

you become a detective. The goal by the end of the night is 

to solve the case and figure out who is the murderer. There 

are a few different formats for Murder Mysteries. For our 

event we’ve chosen a more work-at-your-own-pace format, 

making it inclusive to all guests- from the seasoned Murder 

Mystery veteran, the newcomer, or the one attending for 

the social atmosphere. You get to be as involved as you 

want, although we recommend digging into your detective 

spirit to have the best experience! 

That experience includes “suspects” (paid actors from 

Lamb Theatre) stationed around the Marriott ballroom, 

with a leading detective filling everyone in on the details 

pertaining to the “murder” that just occurred. Guests will 

receive a map of the crime scene, and a suspect list with 

Murder Mystery Dinner in 2017. 

room for notes. Guests are then responsible for approaching 

each murder suspect to hear their testimony, using their 

deductive reasoning to piece together the clues, and find 

the murderer. Guests will submit their guess of the murderer 

into the suspect’s ballot box. The leading detective will 

announce the murderer and their motives to the guests at 

the end of dinner, enlightening everyone to who was able 

to successfully crack the case. Do you think you have what 

it takes to catch the killer? Join us for our 1920’s Murder 

Mystery Dinner in celebration of our 20th Anniversary in the 

Siouxland Area! 

Want to be involved in planning the return of the Murder 

Mystery Dinner? Our events committee is looking for 

members to help! If you are a young professional interested in 

joining our organization, check out our website: siouxcitygo. 

com/join-us. Memberships are only $75 for a year. For more 

information about Siouxland GO, other upcoming events, 

volunteer opportunities and more, follow us on Facebook 

or Instagram. 

Siouxland Growth Organization welcomes progressive and 

innovative ideas. As a group, we work to put these ideas 

into action and build the momentum to take Sioux City into 

the future. 

Brock Bourek, Vice President of SLGO. 

Photo Credit Siouxland GO.


Congratulations to all the 

10 under 40 winners. These 

people are a testament to the 

quality of business in Siouxland. 

I am proud to be part of this 

group of young professionals 

making a difference in our local 

business community. 

We hope that you will 

“bookmark” each of the 

businesses these winners 

represent and call on them the 

next time you need the products 

or services they offer.

Leading the Way – Leadership Siouxland 

By Peggy Smith 

I always love this issue of Siouxland Magazine 

that highlights ten young people who are 

dynamically impacting our community. 

Communities, like bread, become stale from 

just sitting there. It is new ideas, energy, and passion 

that keep our community vibrant and ever fresh. 

People by nature are fearful of change and tend to 

resort to “how it’s always been.” There is a comfort 

in the tried and true, even if the tried and true is not 

really working any longer or doesn’t make sense. 

Here is a great story that has been passed around for 

years and not attributed to any one individual. The 

story points out how tried and true sometimes should 

be questioned… A woman was preparing to cook a 

ham for the holiday meal. Her son was helping and 

watched his mother cut off a couple of inches from 

each end of the ham. He asked why she was wasting 

good ham, and his mother replied, “Well, this is the 

way my mother taught me to make ham.” The son 

questioned the reason and called his grandma, who 

replied, “Well, that was the way my mother taught 

me.” The great grandma had passed away, but greatgrandpa 

was still living, so the son called his great 

grandpa and asked, “Why did Great Grandma cut off 

the ends of the ham before cooking it?” Great Grandpa 

was silent as he thought about it for a moment, then 

he replied, “So the ham could fit in the baking pan.” 

community for today and tomorrow. The program 

focuses on instilling and enhancing leadership skills, 

including gratitude, initiative, mindfulness, positivity, 

emotional intelligence, and self-awareness. Our program 

is dedicated to helping grow leaders with the goal of 

creating an even better Siouxland. 

Congratulations to this year’s “10 Under 40” recipients – I 

am excited to see what each of you will accomplish and 

the positive changes you will initiate! 

Leadership Siouxland is an organization dedicated 

to developing diverse, informed leaders who shape 

our community positively for today and tomorrow. 

To learn more about this organization, contact info@ 

leadershipsiouxland.org or call 712-898-8594. 

Peggy Smith, the Executive Director of Leadership 

Siouxland. 


Sometimes, as a community, we tend to continue to 

do things the way they have always been done, even 

if that process no longer makes sense. Changing 

things up is uncomfortable for most people, primarily 

because we do not know what to expect. There is 

comfort (and control) in knowing how things will go, 

and what happens next. When we change and shake 

things up, we no longer can control the outcome. 

Taking a chance and doing things differently will result 

in a different outcome, which can be worse, similar, 

better, or WAY better! People, and communities, that 

embrace new ways of tackling old problems thrive. It 

is not easy to do, and most people don’t realize that 

managing change effectively is a skill that can be 

learned. 

Many of the “10 Under 40” recipients over the years 

have been graduates of Leadership Siouxland, a 

program that is dedicated to a simple, but important 

mission: Leadership Siouxland develops diverse, 

passionate leaders who positively impact our

Lily Frank is the owner and operator of The 

Sonography Studio, a 3D/4D/HD ultrasound 

and hydration studio for expecting mothers. 

The Sonography Studio is located on 

beautiful, historic 4th Street in downtown 

Sioux City, at 1119 4th Street, Suite 220. 

“I’ve worked in all different specialties, 

including ICU, ER, and Labor and Delivery. 

But I fell in love with my job when I worked 

in maternal-child, and I knew that I wanted 

to advance my degree to keep me around 

mothers and their babies,” explained Lily. 

She decided to obtain the necessary educational requirements to work as a 

Nurse-Midwife. She is now an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner – Certified Nurse 

Midwife. 

“I was pregnant in grad school, and I got to peek at my baby via ultrasound from the 

time he was barely visible, all the way to the end. Watching him grow from the inside 

was absolutely incredible. Connecting, growing, and bonding with your baby is a huge 

part of the process. That was when the 

idea for The Sonography Studio was 

born,” stated Lily. 

Through utilizing her ARNP-CNM 

degree, Lily received extra training as a 

Midwife Sonographer in California that 

allowed her to become certified by the 

American Registry for Diagnostic Medical 

Sonography. 

“I am able to diagnose, which means

if I encounter something wrong via the ultrasound, I can ensure that they receive 

expedient follow-up care. I will 

provide a courtesy call to your 

physician or refer you to the ER if 

I find something detrimental. You 

still need to see your OBGYN or 

physician for proper prenatal care, 

this studio does not take the place 

of any appointments that you need 

to have scheduled throughout your 

pregnancy,” explained Lily. 

A standard insurance policy will only 

cover the cost of two ultrasounds 

during a woman’s pregnancy if 

everything is normal; one in the 

very early stages of pregnancy to 

confirm due date and viability then 

one in the middle of the pregnancy (usually around week 20) to see all of the baby’s 

anatomy. 

“The Sonography Studio can provide you with scans at any time throughout a woman’s 

pregnancy, as many times as the mother would like. An ultrasound is a noninvasive 

procedure, and has no harmful effects to the fetus,” stated Lily. 

However, ultrasounds are not the only service The Sonography Studio provides for 

expecting mothers. 

“We also offer IV hydration and essential IV vitamin add-ins. This sets us apart from 

anything offered at the OBGYN offices or hospitals. This service is very beneficial if a 

woman is sick at any time during her pregnancy and unable to keep hydrated”, stated 

Lily “We also have fun baby boutique items and prenatal/postnatal items for purchase.” 

In order to have scans taken at The Sonography Studio, a woman needs to be at least 

six weeks along in her pregnancy, which can be determined and verified at the studio. 

You don’t need to be expecting in order to come in for hydration. There is an array of 

services provided via the website, www.thesonographystudio.com. 

The Sonography Studio 

1119 4th street, Suite 220 

Sioux City, IA 51101 

712-509-3153 

www.thesonographystudio.com 

The Sonography Studio 

@thesonographystudio

Siouxland Magazine | Collaborating / 38 

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Spotlight? 

Small Business Spotlight 

Simply Celebrate 

By Dr. Cyndi Hanson 

Celebrate Good Times! 

Shayla Krantz has always loved a good celebration. 

“Pre-kids, I was a graphic designer and event planner,” 

she explained. “I always dreamt of finding a way to 

combine the two things I love to do – and now I get 

to do that!” 

Shayla’s enthusiasm is reflected in her business, 

Simply Celebrate Siouxland, which she founded in 

April 2022. She loves to celebrate life. “I tend to 

throw parties for my kids or family, whether the event 

is big or small. I just love to have a party!” 

Taking the time to pause the rush of life and be present 

at a party is important to enjoying the moment, and 

it’s exactly what Shayla’s business supports. For some 

people (like this author), throwing a party can be 

stressful – decorations, invitations, and party favors 

are all details that take time and creativity. That’s 

where the “Party Box” comes in. Shayla will work with 

the theme you have established (or create one for 

you), do all the planning and shopping, and package 

everything you need for the party into a box. “You just 

open the box, and everything you need is there. The 

Birthday gift package. 

decorations all coordinate, 

you set them up and your 

party is ready to go,” she 

said. 

“Sometimes party themes 

can be harder than you 

think when you start,” 

Shayla noted. “I recently 

did a party box for a family 

who wanted a firefighter 

themed party for their oneyear 

old daughter. They 

Shayla Krantz 

were having trouble finding things that were ‘girly’ 

and fire fighter. I got to custom design invitations 

and decorations - it was so fun!” 

Even if you aren’t a party-thrower, you probably 

get invited to parties now and then. Whether it’s a 

birthday party for your child’s friend, a baby or bridal 

shower, figuring out what gift to buy, then locating 

it can be time consuming. Never fear - Simply 

Celebrate can help you there too! “I can work within 

your budget,” Shayla explained, “let me know what 

you are looking for and I can get it for you, wrap and 

deliver it to you. Or if you don’t know what you want, 

give me a little information on the event and I’ll find 

just the right thing.” In addition, for those showers 

where the honoree is registered, Simply Celebrate 

can take your gift giving to the next level. “I will 

search the registry to find items that go together 

within your budget, purchase them and put them into 

a neat basket decorated to match the shower theme,” 

Shayla said giddily. 

You’d think Simply Celebrate has everything covered 

at that point, but Shayla thought of one more place 

where gift giving can be an extra task on a busy 

parent’s (or teacher’s) to-do list. “Teachers often want 

to get little gifts for their students at special times, 

but finding something within budget, wrapping, 

putting personal labels on, and all those things

20 student gifts with personalized tags, a meet the 

teacher printout for each student, and a printed 

wish-list of items they need for the classroom.” It’s a 

great way for teachers to welcome students and ask 

for parental support at the same time. 

To learn more about the services available 

at Simply Celebrate, visit the webpage at: 

simplycelebratesiouxland.com, or view the Small 

Business Spotlight on Siouxland Magazine’s 

Facebook feed. 

Now. . . . let’s party! 


Birthday party supplies. 

have to happen outside of work time along with all the 

other things they do,” Shayla commented. “I can do 

that for teachers – find custom gifts, wrap them, make 

personalized notes, and then the teacher just has to 

hand them out.” Parents stressed about Valentine’s 

Day or other special days at school are covered by 

Simply Celebrate also – the same services are available 

to parents tasked with providing gifts to all students in 

the class. 

“Right now, I’m also doing a Back-To-School box, for 

teachers,” Shayla described with excitement. “It includes 

Dr. Cyndi Hanson, Executive Director for Northeast 

Community College’s Extended Campus. 

Siouxland Magazine is Committed to 

Supporting Siouxland’s Local 

Small Businesses and Nonprofits. 

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and we want to share it with you. 

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Nonprofit Spotlight 

Sioux City International Film Festival 

By Leslie Werden 

The Sioux City International 

Film Festival is the longest 

running, short-film festival 

in Iowa. Now in its 17th year, 

the festival has become an event 

recognized for bringing quality films 

from all over the world to the area. 

Hosted at the Promenade Cinema 14 

in two theaters (with plush seating), 

festival attendees can select a genre 

(choose from comedy, documentary, 

drama, sci-fi/fantasy, or horror/ 

thriller) and watch 8-10 short films 

adding up to two-hours’ worth of 

inventive, unique, and engaging 

entertainment. Past festivals have 

included Oscar nominated films 

along with work from up-andcoming 

filmmakers, some of whom 

attend the event. 

This year’s festival theme is Music 

in Film and will feature events and 

workshops showcasing this unique 

aspect of the industry. Thursday, 

September 29 kicks off the festival 

when we open the doors at 5:00 

p.m. to a free selection of films from 

regional artists. At 7:30 p.m., we 

show the only feature-length film 

Matt Schrader 

of the festival, Score, directed by 

Matt Schrader. This award-winning 

documentary features some of 

the most influential names in film 

music, including Quincy Jones, 

Randy Newman, and James 

Cameron. After the film, director 

Matt Schrader will be in-person 

to answer questions from the 

audience. 

Our first workshop presenter at 

the festival is Sioux City native, 

Sioux City International Film Festival 

September 30 thru October 2, 2022 

Kick-off event • September 29 

Jordan Dykstra 

Jordan Dykstra, a “Brooklynbased 

violist and composer 

exploring the performer-composerlistener 

relationship through the 

incorporation of conceptual, 

graphic, and text-based elements” 

(jordandykstra.com). Dykstra will 

present a workshop on Friday, 

September 30 at 6pm for those 

interested in learning more about 

his work, with a focus on the 

differences between collaborative 

and solo composing. Most recently, 

Dykstra worked as a composer for 

Frontline. 

The second workshop presenter 

is Bri Holland, a “songwriter, 

music producer, audio engineer, 

singer, and vocal production 

specialist based in Los Angeles,

CA” (briholland.com). 

Holland’s hands-on 

workshop will explore 

vocal processing, from 

recording through 

mixing, for live-action 

and animated film music 

on Saturday, October 1 

at 11am. Most recently, 

Holland has worked 

on the films tick, tick… 

Boom!, Vivo, and Dear 

Evan Hansen. 

Additionally, several 

filmmakers whose work Bri Holland 

was selected for the 

festival will be in-person and will participate in a Filmmakers 

RoundTable Q&A session on Saturday, October 1 at 3pm. 

Selected films will begin showing on Friday, September 30 

at noon with alternating start times in two separate theaters 

(for example, one block will run from 12-2 and another 

from 1-3). A full schedule will be available on the website at 

siouxcityfilmfest.org. 

Here’s where we need help from the audience: each block 

of film will have a “premiere” and an “encore” showing. 

See as many as you like, but if you want your voice heard, 

we are inviting you to help us choose Audience Favorite 

awards for each category by attending the premiere blocks 

and voting for your favorite. If you love sci-fi/fantasy, make 

sure you come to that first showing of films, watch them 

carefully, then cast your vote for your favorite. If you want 

to do the same for documentaries, go right ahead! In for 

comedies, too? Great!! On Saturday night at 7:00pm, come 

to the awards ceremony where we present your Audience 

Favorite awards and reveal the juried award winners from 

each category. At this event, you will get another chance 

to help us pick Your Top Film from all the juried winners! 

Here are some details about how to get 

tickets (go to siouxcityfilmfest.org to 

purchase online): 

• Free: All workshops and the Filmmakers 

RoundTable 

• Free: The Regional Film block on Thursday, 

Sept. 29 at 5pm 

• $5.00: The kick-off documentary, Score, 

on Thursday,Sept. 30 at 7:30pm (200 tickets 

available) 

• $10.00: Single Screening Ticket (entry to one 

block of films) 

• $25.00: Day Pass (entry to all films on one day) 

• $50.00: All Festival Pass (entry to all films for 

the entire festival) 

• $100.00: VIP Pass (entry to all films, two VIP 

after-parties, the Rick Mullin Filmmaker’s 

Lounge, and a Friday night trolley ride • 25 

passes available) 

As a reminder, many of the filmmakers will be in the 

audience with you, so you could see the winners get 

their awards live! 

Major funding for SCIFF programs comes from 

Humanities Iowa. Major sponsors include Hard Rock 

Hotel & Casino, the City of Sioux City, and Produce Iowa. 

Additional sponsors include Warrior Hotel, State Steel, 

Jolly Time Pop Corn, Bluestem Fund, RTI, Downtown 

Partners, Great West Casualty Company, and Wayne 

State College. 

Leslie Werden, President of Sioux City International Film 

Festival 


SCIFF President, Leslie Werden, with Art Cullen of Storm 

Lake 2021. 

Siouxland Magazine is Committed to 

Supporting Siouxland’s Local 

Small Businesses and Nonprofits. 

We have a platform, 

and we want to share it with you. 

Get in front of the community by joining 

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Get all the details by emailing 

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Hungry Canyon 

Iowa’s West Coast Initiative Feature 

Short description of your business: 

My name is Melissa Nelson, and my business is Hungry 

Canyon. I create authentic and accurate agriculturerelated 

cards, gifts, and home decor from the farm and 

beef cattle operation my husband and I are so proud of 

owning and operating. 

What motivated you to start your business? What 

drives you each day? 

I started Hungry Canyon to solve a problem I had. Nine 

years ago, I was dating my now husband, and it was 

almost Valentine’s Day…so I started to look for a card to 

give him. We were both farm kids through and through, 

ag majors at Iowa State and Nebraska, and had a future 

in the ag industry. It only made sense to me that the card 

for a day celebrating love would match the very things 

*we* loved. I started to look…and I found my problem. I 

was disappointed with what I saw. Everything online and 

in the card aisles was fine…but it didn’t speak to Mark 

or me. Dairy cows are cool, and I love a glass of milk 

and a cheese stick as much as the next Midwestern farm 

gal...but that’s not what we raised on our farms, but it’s 

what I found on any card depicting cattle. And I felt like 

it would be grounds for a break-up if I had given him a 

card with a green tractor on it. So I started making my 

own cards, and then friends started asking if they could 

buy them for their significant others. What began as sort 

of a hokey hobby turned into a full-fledged business, 

making greeting cards and gifts for all walks of life in 

our industry. 

What’s unique about your business? 

My target market for Hungry Canyon is the tiny, 

little percentage of people involved or interested in 

production agriculture. According to the USDA, only 

about 1.4% of employed Americans work directly on 

Hungry Canyon greeting card. 

farms or ranches. There are only so many people out 

there who can appreciate a greeting card with a manure 

spreader on it, but I’ve found those people. I also have 

an arm of my business that focuses on community 

events and projects for small, rural communities and 

organizations. 

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to 

overcome as you’ve grown your business? 

The biggest challenge I’ve faced from the beginning of 

my business is the evaporation of time each day! I’ve 

juggled a full-time job since the beginning of Hungry 

Canyon and have added children, farm responsibilities, 

and community events here and there throughout the 

years. 

What has been your greatest reward? 

I love knowing that my customers and those who receive 

my products smile or chuckle to themselves when they 

open a Hungry Canyon card. They truly speak directly 

to those of us in agriculture, and I enjoy feeling the 

secondary joy of those who receive a Hungry Canyon 

product. 

How have you benefited from the startup 

community in Sioux City and the region? What 

resources did you use? 

I am continually inspired by the small business owners 

in this region…they’re everywhere! The network I’ve 

been able to build has been beneficial in many ways. 

Siouxland Magazine has also been a big supporter of 

the Rural Route Ramble event, which I helped co-plan. 

They help promote it through their channels each year. 

Are there any experiences that were particularly 

influential in that regard? 

I’ve also benefited from conversations with the Iowa 

West Coast Initiative over the years about how to 

grow my business and the resources available to 

entrepreneurs in the region. It’s always nice to be 

able to brainstorm with someone who has a different 

perspective than you. 

Why is it essential for the community to support 

startups and small businesses? What more can 

be done to help them? 

Small businesses are run by folks just like you and 

me. Your neighbors, friends, family members, and 

others who make up your community need support 

to continue being successful. Next time you need to 

purchase something, take a second to think about if 

you can purchase that locally or from a small business. 

It makes a big difference!


Melissa, Roy and Charlie Nelson. 

What is one thing you know now that you wish you 

knew when starting your business? 

I wish I would have known how important it is to keep track of 

your bookwork and accounting processes. After all, you are 

running a business! 

What advice would you give to someone looking to 

start a business? 

My biggest piece of advice for those looking to start a business 

is to simply start. I think so many ideas get tossed to the side 

because the fear of starting something new or fear of failure 

overcomes. Just begin and worry about the details as you go. 

How can the community continue to help your 

business? 

The community can continue to help Hungry Canyon by being 

supporters of small, local businesses. I co-plan an event each 

year called the Rural Route Ramble with my friend, Marissa 

Molland of Hardly General. This event highlights 50+ local 

businesses in Rural Siouxland and encourages shoppers to 

shop local before the holiday season. This event has become a 

super fun way to support locals and enjoy a weekend in Rural 

Siouxland! 

What are some future goals for your company? 

My current goals are related to community projects in rural 

areas. I find great joy in planning and hosting events in small 

towns that can run with the likes of events in larger cities. My 

hope is that I can help inspire and teach others in small, rural 

communities that we can do really cool things where we live if 

we just do them. 

Iowa’s West Coast Initiative (IWCI) is a collaboration 

between the economic development organizations in 

Plymouth, Monona, and Woodbury counties, and includes 

the following organizations: City of Sioux City, Siouxland 

Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council, Siouxland 

Economic Development Corporation, The Siouxland 

Initiative, Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation, 

Woodbury County, and Monona County. Learn more 

about IWCI at www.IAWestCoast.com. 

Photos Contributed by Hungry Canyon.

For More Information & Tickets Visit:

Experience Downtown 

By Carly Howrey 

The weather is cooling off, but things are heating 

up downtown! Starting this fall, the Alley Art Festival 

returns on Saturday, September 24! Watch as muralists 

complete their one-of-a-kind pieces, listen to live music, 

and support local vendors by purchasing art for your 

own home. Then, stick around to see which muralist is 

crowned Best in Show. This is definitely a fan favorite 

event downtown that you won’t want to miss! 

We are kicking off the football season with a new 

downtown event! In collaboration with RE/MAX Preferred, 

the Sioux City Convention Center, and various nonprofits 

within Sioux City, we are excited to present the first 

Downtown Tailgate, which will take place on October 

1st on Fourth and Jones Streets! We invite everyone to 

watch their favorite college team on big screens, enjoy 

a locally crafted beer, and chow down on classic tailgate 

food. There will also be a live performance by Damon 

Dotson and a cornhole tournament going on throughout 

the day. This event’s activities will benefit Children’s 

Miracle Network of UnityPoint and FORSiouxland. Free 

will donation opportunities will be presented throughout 

the day. We hope to see you Downtown on October 1st! 

City. Hundreds of people come together to celebrate the 

coming holiday season on the Monday before Thanksgiving! 

This year, the parade will take place on the evening of 

Monday, November 21. You are invited to grab your mittens 

and a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the beautiful show! We 

are so grateful to IBEW for sponsoring the parade year after 

year. The celebration concludes with Santa Claus lighting 

the big tree in the greenspace of the Public Museum to 

commemorate the beginning of the season. Downtown 

Sioux City’s atmosphere during the holidays is truly magical 

and we invite you to experience it all! 

Whether it’s the start of a new hockey season, a live band 

at the Anthem, or a new exhibit in the Art Center--there is 

always something going on downtown! As we transition into 

the holiday season, you won’t want to miss a beat. Sign up 

for our weekly E-blast to stay in the know and avoid F.O.M.O. 

(fear of missing out). To catch up with the latest events, or 

to post one of your own, visit www.downtownsiouxcity.com. 


It may be a bit early, but anticipation for the holiday season 

has already started! We are excited to announce the 

return of the Holiday Storefront Decorating Competition 

and encourage any businesses interested in competing to 

reach out to us! Last year, 20 storefronts were decorated 

using lights, trees, snowflakes, and more, and the 

people of Siouxland voted for their favorite! Businesses 

compete for a chance to win a $500 prize donated to the 

winner’s nonprofit of 

choice. Don’t have 

a storefront? Let us 

find one for you! 

There are plenty of 

vacant storefronts 

we’d love to see 

brought to life this 

season! 

The Holiday Lighted 

Parade is a staple 

in Downtown Sioux 

Contributed by Downtown Partners, a non-profit 

organization that works with downtown stakeholders to 

create a vibrant, expanding downtown. To learn more about 

Downtown Partners and to stay up to date on downtown 

projects and events, visit www.downtownsiouxcity.com.

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Sioux City Scoop 

By Alex Watters 

Living in the Midwest means that we get to enjoy all four seasons and all of their glory. I love the warmth of 

summer, the colors of fall, comfort food during the winter, and new growth in the spring. However, it also means that as 

a city, we must complete as many road construction projects as possible while the weather allows. 


You probably have noticed some detours and possibly had delays in your daily commute. That’s because the engineering 

division for the city of Sioux City currently has approximately $55 million worth of projects being constructed, designed, or 

finished. On average, the city will resurface approximately $2.5 million worth of roadways and reconstruct approximately 

$8.5 million worth of roads, including new water mains, sanitary sewer, and storm infrastructure. Other projects this 

year will include a new rail spur in the Southbridge area south of the airport, new sidewalks, bridge repairs, drainage 

improvements, and repairs, just to name a few. 

Thankfully the city has received $40 million in the federal CARES Act funds for utility infrastructure projects. One of these 

projects is the water main replacement in Pierce Street from 5th Street to 7th Street. This watermain was installed in 1886, 

making it 136 years old! I would say we certainly got our money’s worth out of that water main, but it is time to replace it. 

It has had numerous breaks and caused a number of headaches. However, unknown to many, the CARES Act requires all 

materials for the project to be American made since it is a federal program. Due to this requirement the project has been 

delayed until the middle of next year due to the current supply chain issues. 

Needless to say, there are always potholes to fill and roads to improve. Be patient with our road crews and know that we 

live in a climate that forces us to complete as many projects as possible in a short time span. That can mean delays and 

detours. However, it also means improvement and progress. Smoother streets and better days are ahead of Sioux City. 

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Customer Discovery: We’ve all heard about it 

and may even have done it. The question is, was 

it done in such a way that you got accurate information 

that led to your business success? I am a huge fan of the 

Business Model Canvas and Customer Discovery. I also 

realize that if I ask my friends, relatives, and network 

open ended questions, that unintentionally they may 

tell me what I want to hear. If I ask total strangers those 

questions, I may still get answers that are not accurate 

as they may tell me what they think I want to hear. That 

is why so many people who did customer discovery 

and launched seem to struggle to get the anticipated 

results. So, what is the answer to this? Truthfully, more 

customer discovery… 

In other words, Customer Discovery never really ends. 

If we bring a product or service to the market, we 

must have a mindset of constant improvement. Oh 

great, there goes that boomer talking about 1990s 

business practices. The reality though is that constant 

improvement has been around as long as there has 

been free commerce between people. Constant 

improvement implies that we listen to our customers 

and improve our products or services based upon their 

feedback. By customers I mean those who actually paid 

money for what we have to offer. Potential customers 

should not carry the weight that paying customers 

do. You should consider their thoughts but paying 

customers have already confirmed that they would take 

action on their feedback. The short of it is, keep the 

customers happy and they will come back again. If they 

are not happy, they will share it with the world. 

There are a couple of types of Customer Discovery. 

There is the initial or pre-launch Customer Discovery. 

This is what yields information that may or may not 

be entirely accurate but is the basis for our baseline 

of launching our product/service. Then there is the 

post-purchase Customer Discovery that can be found 

in reviews by paying customers. Amazon does a great 

service by only allowing those who have actually paid 

for a product to do a review. This is not perfect but does 

give a business a good idea of how to improve service 

to their customers or to improve a product. 

I simply want to confirm that Customer discovery is 

important and it never ends. Continued improvement 

keeps us relevant to our customers. The best feedback 

comes from paying customers. 

The world is your oyster, go out and find your pearls. 

SBDC – Taking Care of Business 

By Todd Rausch 

Kalins Indoor Comfort is proud to be a Premier 

Lennox® Dealer offering reliable, quality services. 

Let the experts at Kalins help you with the 

following: 

-Heating & Cooling Sales & Service 

-Fireplace Sales & Service 

-Indoor Air Quality Systems 

Todd Rausch, Regional Director for the Small Business 

Development Center at Western Iowa Tech Community College. 

712-274-6454 | Todd.rausch@witcc.edu 

America’s SBDC Iowa provides free, confidential, customized, 

professional business advice and consulting in all 99 Iowa 

counties to entrepreneurs. 

Kalins Indoor Comfort is proud to be 

a Premier Lennox ® Dealer offering 

reliable, quality services. 

Let the experts at Kalins help 

you with the following: 

• Heating & Cooling Sales & Service 

• Fireplace Sales & Service 

• Indoor Air Quality Systems 

• Aeroseal Duct Sealing 

• Whole Home Diagnostic Services 

• 24/7 Service on all Makes & Models 

712-252-2000 

kalinsindoor.com 


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No, Your Boss Isn’t Messaging You About 

a Gift Card. 

You would never ignore a message from your boss, right? That’s exactly what scammers are 

counting on. The FTC is warning people about a type of “boss scam” where scammers trick 

employees into buying gift cards by pretending to be their supervisor. Fake boss scams have 

already cost U.S. companies thousands and thousands of dollars, and this particular gift card 

version could be on the rise as so many employees continue to work remotely. In this article, 

we’ll talk about the fake boss gift card scam, along with ways you and your business can 

protect yourself. 

WHAT IS A FAKE BOSS SCAM? 

A fake boss scam is a text or email scam in which fraudsters pretend to be a supervisor and 

request gift cards (or some other payment) to be sent to them, for a variety of made-up reasons. 

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: 

STEP 1 - The scammer scours the Internet for names and emails of a company’s high-ranking supervisors. 

They’ll also search for job titles, telephone numbers and other important information about the company, 

to help disguise their request. 

STEP 2 - The scammer hacks into the supervisor’s business account, or spoofs a similar email domain that’s 

hard to notice (for example “boss@microsoft.com” becomes “boss@micr0soft.com”). Or, they could 

create a fake email account through GMail, Yahoo or another service, and make an excuse for sending 

something from their “personal” email. Finally, they could spoof a phone number from your area code and 

send a text message instead.

STEP 3 - The scammer sends the request to a lower employee, asking to buy gift cards for a random 

reason and send the gift card numbers or PINs back via email or text. 

Maybe the scammer needs a gift card to pay for an upcoming “office party.” Maybe it’s to support 

a “charity” of some sort. They might even ask the employee to foot the bill, and promise to pay it 

back later. But once someone hands over a gift card or PIN number, the money will be gone and 

the business — or even worse, the employee — will be on the hook. 


EXAMPLES OF A BOSS GIFT CARD SCAM: 

A 

B 

A-An example of an email from a fake supervisor’s “personal” account to an employee. Source: The Ohio 

State University Cybersecurity. 

B-Real example of a 2021 text message from a fake employer to an employee, seeking Target gift cards. 

Source: New York Attorney General’s Office. 

The scammer might sound just like your boss, and may even know details about you or your 

company that you’d never expect a fraudster to know. But remember, that’s what professional 

“phishers” do — they gather enough information to convince you they are someone they’re not. 

WHY WOULD A SCAMMER WANT GIFT CARDS? 

Criminals love gift cards, because they’re like cash — only without the money trail. Once the 

money is used, it’s gone. Gift cards also don’t offer the same protections as other payment 

methods, like credit or debit cards. 

Remember, gift cards are for gifts — not payments. No legitimate business or government 

agency will ever insist that you pay with a gift card.


HOW TO AVOID A FAKE BOSS SCAM: 

There are some common-sense measures you can take to protect your business from a boss 

gift card scam. 

Pause and verify. Scammers create a sense of urgency to prey on your emotions — especially when a 

boss is involved. Do NOT reply directly to the text or email, instead reach out and confirm the request 

with your manager through a different email or phone number you trust. 

Spoof-proof your company’s email. Work with your IT department to set up security and spam filters 

on your company email. You should also configure an “external email warning” that will add a warning 

message to the top of any emails that come from someone outside of your organization. 

Have a robust phishing training program. Google “phishing training” to find a variety of phishing 

awareness and training programs out there to help protect your business. Through tutorials, tests 

and fake phishing emails, you can gradually train employees to better spot and respond to 

dangerous threats. 

If you happen to spot a fake boss scam, or your business is targeted by one, notify your real supervisor 

right away and report it to ReportFraud.ftc.gov 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Michelle Hacker is the Digital Services Officer at Security 

National Bank, overseeing all personal and business digital 

platforms for customers. She is a graduate of Iowa State 

University and has nearly a decade of experience in the 

technology and financial service field. 

Member FDIC 

SNBonline.com

25 Years at KSUX 

By Tony Michaels 

Life can take you down some interesting paths. 

In 1997, I was convinced that Stone Park would be the 

ideal location to ask my girlfriend to spend her life with 

me. Plans changed, and I decided to pop the question 

where we met in Lincoln. It may have happened in front 

of a drug deal on the streets. Not ideal. She did say yes, 

but the location was not as picturesque as my original 

plan. 

I just celebrated my 25th work anniversary at KSUX 

105.7 with a heavy dose of nostalgic vibes. When 

I look back at the recent college grad moving into a 

small one-bedroom apartment, I had clear intentions 

of how I wanted life to go. I dreamt of listeners hanging 

on every one of my words. My goal was to make an 

impact like Siouxlebrities Cowboy Bob, Johnny Walker, 

Jeff Miller, and Chris Thomas. My lovely wife would 

have told you my goal was to hop to a big metro, and 

Siouxland would only be a two-year commitment. She 

was with me for the journey. Man, I married well. 

We were blessed with a son in 2003. Another one came 

along in 2005. Those two miracles would shape our 

lives in ways I hadn’t considered. Autism would alter 

our mission. Siouxland became the “Stone Park” setting 

for a meaningful life. The area has grown so much in a 

quarter of a century, and I’d like to think I have grown 

as an individual in many ways as well. I accepted many 

new challenges at work, started work as an adjunct 

professor at Morningside University, and made so 

many connections. I’m very thankful to those that made 

the choice to turn on the radio station. 

The concept of compassion brings us back to Stone Park. 

As I write this on a Sunday afternoon, I am very thankful 

for the worldview my oldest son Trey has brought to my 

life. Walking through the wilderness of autism was not 

at all in my plan when I planned to propose marriage in 

1997. My 19-year-old has taught me the talent of seeing 

another worldview. His life is a celebration for me and 

a blessing I did not ask to receive. He may not have the 

gift of vocal words, but his smile communicates love. His 

squeals of delight at Stone Park mean more to me than 

chatting with Garth Brooks on-air. You can learn a lot 

when it’s not about you. 

Howard Stern may have hundreds of millions of dollars in 

the bank. I learned the value in cherishing life on a quiet 

Sunday afternoon at my favorite park. All without saying 

a word. 

Now, that’s a situation I could not have imagined 25 years 

ago. I learned to embrace the quiet. 

Tony Michaels has been at KSUX since 

August 1997. He is also the Program 

Director at the radio station and adjunct 

professor in the Mass Communication 

department at Morningside University. 

In his free time, he takes long hikes and 

wrote his first book, “Tacos and Beer Atmosphere.” 

Paid advertisement. 

Siouxland Magazine | Collaborating /53 

My plan was to be a bombastic on-air personality like 

Howard Stern. The funny thing is I learned a new talent 

over that span of time, listening. Weird, right? The truth 

is I love it when I have a compelling on-air moment. But 

I’ve learned to take great joy in HEARING the talents of 

others on the radio like Josie Cooper, Chopper Scott, 

Candice Nash, Big Daddy, Charlie Stone, and Moose. 

Additionally, when I hear students broadcast live with 

confidence from the Doc Heistad studio on campus, I 

feel like the art of radio is alive and well. I beam with 

pride and joy. 

On the podcast front, I’ve learned so much from the 

individuals you see in this magazine. Topics on the pod 

include the importance of self-care, mentoring, taking 

a chance, and compassion. 

#KchevTurns100

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YOUR TICKET TO INSPIRATION 

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Food Pantry Guests Share Their Stories With Up From The Earth 

By Up From The Earth 

Up From The Earth applauds our community’s efforts to increase local food security on many levels. This is 

the third article in a trilogy of personal experiences and perspectives, concluding with that of the food pantry guest. The 

first was that of the growers and the second that of the food pantry volunteer. 

A Tribute to the People Who Volunteer 

at the Food Pantries 

Written by two grateful food pantry guests. 

Have you ever been hungry and didn’t have money to buy 

food? It’s becoming more difficult to buy food, cool your 

home, and put gas in your car. 

Growing up, there were a lot of kids in our family, so our 

folks planted a garden. There was always plenty, and they 

shared with people who didn’t have a garden. 

Getting older, we planted a garden and gave a lot of it to 

the nursing homes. We knew they could no longer plant 

their own, and they knew what fresh vegetables taste like. 

Their faces lit up when we came. 

Now, we’re at the point where we can no longer plant 

a garden. But we thank God every day for the men and 

women who volunteer at the food pantries. They do a lot of 

hard work setting up the tables and carrying things inside. 

They always greet you with a smile. Even though they may 

hurt, they smile, knowing they gave good food to those 

who didn’t have any. 

If you ever had a garden, you know there was work to 

make it grow. 

God bless all the people that donate their time so that 

others can have vegetables and food. 

Most people grow a garden to sell. These people don’t 

sell it to you. They give it with a smile. Life is better having 

good food. 

Without the food from the food pantries, a lot of people go 

without the food they need. They don’t complain because 

they figure it would do no good. 

We just want to thank everyone who has put in their time and 

hard work so we could have a little extra food that otherwise 

we wouldn’t have. It makes life a little easier knowing you 

have a little more. 

May God bless all of you. There will be many blessings in the 

hereafter. Thank you all. 

Another Thankful Story 

Written by a pantry guest facing many financial challenges 

with creativity and faith. 

I started using the food pantries around four years ago. 

I realized that I needed the extra food and support after 

a breakup with my then-fiancé. I had to think on my feet 

quickly, finding a new home and more income (I currently 

have four jobs). It was hard to admit to myself at first, but I 

needed help in ways I never had before. 

When I looked to find help out there, I realized that I made 

too much money to qualify for any assistance with housing 

or food. This is where the food pantries have come into play. 

I use them weekly to help supplement my children and my 

meals. Often, I shop in stores around what I have received 

that week from the pantries-nothing goes to waste. 

One of my favorite things about the pantries are the fresh 

produce and garden plants that I take home and add to my 

own garden. On rare occasions, if I cannot find anything to 

create with the products I have received, I will pass them on 

to others in similar situations of need. 


Over the years of getting help from these pantries, I have 

seen and spoken with the volunteers and seen the good 

Christian works that they are doing. The story of the Good 

Samaritan has always touched my heart, and these people 

helping to feed the poor are today’s Good Samaritans. 

Overall, the most important thing that has come out of using 

the pantries for me has been my renewed faith in Christ. I 

appreciate the living example these people volunteering 

give for all of us to follow. Thank You. 

UFTE extends a sincere thank you to all our produce growers, 

pantry volunteers, and pantry guests who have shared their 

thoughts, their experiences, and their kind words. This movement 

continues to be an amazing community effort on many levels 

from so many individuals in our community. 

Donated produce for the food pantry. 

Up from the Earth exists to connect extra produce from 

home gardens to people in need.

Siouxland Magazine - Volume 4 Issue 5

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