Meet the newest addition to SDSU’s Ness School – based in downtown Sioux Falls

This piece is sponsored by South Dakota State University.

Look for more programs and events in downtown Sioux Falls soon from the Ness School of Management and Economics at South Dakota State University.

That’s Paul Rann’s role — and he’s excited to get started.

Rann recently joined the SDSU Ness School of Management and Economics as the program manager for urban economic development. His office is at Startup Sioux Falls in downtown Sioux Falls.

“The core idea is connecting the Ness School, its work, expertise, resources and thought leadership to the Sioux Falls community and the surrounding area,” said Rann, who compares the office to “an embassy or outpost, allowing us to be a resource and a part of the conversation around urban economic development in the area.”

Rann’s role includes planning, coordinating and leading programming for the outpost.

“The outpost affords the Ness School and its stakeholders — existing and prospective — opportunities to engage in the Sioux Falls metro area,” said Joe Santos, who directs the Ness School.

The engagement will take many forms designed for sharing and exchanging knowledge with the broad and growing metro area, he added.

For example, the school could host seminars, workshops and panel discussions, as well as summits and listening sessions for employers. The outpost could offer career coaching and career fairs for existing students who seek careers in the Sioux Falls metro area, as well as academic advising and career planning for prospective students who seek postsecondary education.

“The school’s outpost in Sioux Falls will serve as a discovery space, a club space, a growth space and an information space,” Santos said.

“As a discovery space, the outpost will allow us to share what we know and what we learn in the Ness School and allow us to learn what we must from the metro area.

“As a club space, the outpost will engage the community, connecting with those who know us and with those who wish to know us.

“As a growth space, the outpost will connect our learners to rewarding career paths, reducing the time and effort our learners and their potential employers expend getting to know each other.

“And as an information space, the outpost will support learners in the metro area, sharing plans of study the school offers them and, importantly, identifying what the school must improve to best serve them.”

Rann, who grew up just outside of Sioux Falls in Lennox, has built a career that has included leadership roles in public policy, nonprofit and business. He led the foundation for the Huron Regional Medical Center for six years and spent the past almost six years in leadership roles at a global human resources consultancy, Talent Plus Inc., in Lincoln, Nebraska, with oversight of business optimization, client operations and strategy.

The role at SDSU excites him “because I had a draw to really be connected to and to impact the future of the community,” he said.

“My work was taking me across the country, but I was missing the local impact work, plus I knew I wanted to return to Sioux Falls. I wanted a role that would immerse me in the community and allow me to work for a great organization. This opportunity with the Ness School at SDSU checked all those boxes as I love helping put structure around something new and bring it to life.”

Look for the Ness School to address topics ranging from housing to rural revitalization, ag and land policy, banking and finance, economics, trade and innovation — including emerging technology and artificial intelligence, for example, Rann said.

“The content and format will depend on what people want and which topics will advance the conversation around economic development in the region,” he added. “It might be a multi-series conversation, a monthly speaker series, a podcast-style combination or workshops if people want a deeper dive.”

Launch event

Get to know Rann and the SDSU Ness School at a reception starting at 4 p.m. Oct. 1 in the MarketBeat Theater at Startup Sioux Falls, 100 E. Sixth St.

The reception follows the South Dakota Land and Lending Conference on the same day at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. For information, visit the conference webpage. While the conference requires registration, the reception is open to all.

RSVP for the reception to [email protected] by Sept. 29.

“While there won’t be a formal program, it’s a chance for folks to connect with the Ness School — me included — to hear how we are bringing together research, practice and community voices to spark fresh ideas and strengthen South Dakota’s economic future,” Rann said.

Businesses or professionals who would like to connect with Rann can reach him at 605-359-9186 or [email protected].