Honoring dreamers: Arc of Dreams names first Community Dreamer winners

The Arc of Dreams is more than a signature sculpture in downtown Sioux Falls.

It’s a symbol that this is a place where dreams can become realities.

The gap in the middle of the arch represents the leap of faith needed to make it happen.

“Dream Big, Live Big,” is the Arc of Dreams’ motto.

And today, the Arc of Dreams organization, which is part of SculptureWalk, recognized people who live that message with its inaugural Community Dreamer Awards.

Their personal plaques will be displayed at the SculptureWalk Visitor Center at the Washington Pavilion for the next year and a stainless plaque with all their names will be installed at the Arc of Dreams. New recipients will be announced next year.

We think you’ll agree, the first Community Dreamers are inspirations for all of us!

The Dreamers: Loren H. and Mavis Amundson

The Leap of Faith: For Loren and Mavis, moving to Sioux Falls in the first place was a leap of faith. They left close friends in Webster in northeast South Dakota as they moved to the “big city.” But it sent them toward a journey of medical service and philanthropy.

The Legacy: The Amundsons were an incredible couple. Loren passed away in 2018, and they both leave a powerful legacy of service. Loren was an accomplished physician who became the founding chair of the department of family medicine at the USD School of Medicine. Mavis served as executive director of the South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians. The couple enjoyed publishing books to share their passions with the community, including a cookbook from Mavis that is widely used today and six books in a family history series that Loren wrote through his study of genealogy. Their philanthropy lives on through the medical community, Children’s Home Society and many other nonprofits statewide.

The Dreamer: Candy Hanson

The Leap of Faith: While operating a consulting company and commuting between Sioux Falls and Washington, D.C., Candy Hanson was asked to apply for the role of vice president of development with the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. Despite having little experience in fundraising, something told her to take the leap and apply. Within three weeks of starting her new job, the Community Foundation was awarded a $10 million grant that propelled Candy toward a role as CEO and a career of community service.

The Legacy: Hanson leaves a legacy of leadership and mentorship. Her time at the Community Foundation led her to become president of Sioux Falls Thrive, which is a nonprofit dedicated to removing obstacles to student success. She also developed an effective workshop-style approach to teach community volunteers, ensuring Sioux Falls will be served by like-minded people for years to come.

“Even your smallest leaps of faith have the potential to create ripple effects that touch more lives than you will ever imagine,” she said. “You are powerful and you have so much to give when you give yourself a chance and take the leap.”

The Dreamer: Rich Merkouris

The Leap of Faith: In 2019, Rich Merkouris was asked to take on a big challenge: Change the former South Dakota School for the Deaf campus into a place that helps people in poverty by bringing together area ministries that can help. It led to the Empower Campus, which will house more than 10 nonprofits and become a one-stop approach for those in need. When Merkouris agreed to take this leap, he achieved something that will make Sioux Falls better for all.

The Legacy: As the president of Kingdom Capital Fund and senior pastor of King of Glory Church, Merkouris has learned “God produces beautiful results, and at the same time, the greatest breakthroughs come just after the biggest breakdowns.” Thankfully, he’s still building his legacy, and now Sioux Falls will continue to be better for it.

The Dreamer: Ronald Mielke

The Leap of Faith: Ronald Mielke first took a leap of faith in college. Despite little knowledge or background in the military, he decided to join the advanced Army ROTC while at SDSU. It sparked a passion for military service that has lasted throughout his life and led to a record of service and achievement that spanned decades. As a civilian, he has spent more than 50 years at TSP, including two decades as CEO for the architecture, engineering and planning firm.

The Legacy: Mielke’s military and civilian careers both resulted in long records of accomplishment, including only the second “excellent” rating ever given to his civil engineering squadron in the 12th Air Force. His long history of community involvement has lifted up the military within the broader Sioux Falls community, including leadership in the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce military task force and the Sioux Falls Air Show.

The Dreamer: Kasey Olivier

The Leap of Faith: As a senior in high school, Kasey Olivier made the bold leap of faith to leave an abusive foster care home and take control of her own future. Despite sleepless nights and working up to six jobs as a teen while still in school, she found a voice that told her to keep moving forward and help other young people like herself. It led her to Augustana University, which brought her to Washington, D.C., and connected her with former Sen. Tim Johnson, where she began to work on foster care and adoption issues and was inspired to pursue law school. Olivier’s next leap of faith came years later when she founded her own law firm, Olivier Miles Holtz LLP, which advocates for injured people and business in Sioux Falls and beyond.

The Legacy: Olivier is still building her legacy, but she’s already on a strong path to leadership and service, currently serving as president of the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association and continuing to support kids in crisis legally and philanthropically.

“While there were many times my dreams felt far out of my reach, it was through the kindness of South Dakotans, especially Augustana University, that helped create a pathway for me to keep pushing forward, regardless of the odds placed against me,” she said.

“In life, we must face uncertainty to persevere. It’s OK to be afraid and to make mistakes, but it’s not OK to stop believing in yourself. I am truly honored and grateful to the city of Sioux Falls for recognizing the milestones I have reached. My dreams are far from over, and I will continue to work every day to inspire and encourage those that will follow in my footsteps.”

The Dreamer: Jeff Scherschligt

The Leap of Faith: It definitely takes a leap of faith to streak naked across the Sioux Falls Arena, but that’s Jeff Scherschligt. After gathering what he calls “a great deal of funds from friends to do the stunt,” he broke a time record and gave all the money to charity while still in high school. His next leap of faith was thanks to a high school English teacher, who kicked off a series of events that led Scherschligt to join the College of Insurance at St. John’s University in New York, despite no contacts and little money. Scherschligt has taken multiple leaps in the years that followed, from taking on leadership of Howalt-McDowell Insurance to transforming the Sioux Falls community both through development and philanthropy.

The Legacy: Scherschligt’s legacy lives all around us. It’s in Cherapa Place, which he developed downtown after demolishing the Zip Feed Mill, bringing the city’s first LEED-certified gold building. It’s in numerous nonprofits and charitable projects that have benefited from his support, including Great Bear Recreation Park, Good Earth State Park, the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum, SculptureWalk and the Arc of Dreams itself, which he supported from the start.