The concept of “home” is something that is redefined for all of us throughout our lives. Whether “home” is changed by a childhood move, a relocation for post-secondary studies, or a new setting for launching a career, what remains the same is this: everyone desires to cultivate and experience a sense of home, and as Dorothy said so many years ago, there’s just no place like it.

For Nick Fosheim, Dakota Resources’ new Client Relationship Director and Community Coach, his sense of place began as a child growing up in Webster, SD, where his family has farmed for decades.

Nick Fosheim, pictured, joined the Dakota Resources team at the end of August.

“During the pandemic, when we were working from home, we just had this realization that we could work from and live anywhere,” Fosheim said. “We’ve always had this tug back to Webster, so we knew that we might end up there eventually, but when we were seriously weighing the decision, a lightbulb moment for me was realizing that being part of that farm legacy and keeping that land in my family was really important to me.”

And although they called Sioux Falls home for nearly a decade, when Fosheim and his family – including wife Amanda, their three sons, and another little one on the way – recently felt the tug toward a small town and more rural life, they returned home this fall to the place where Nick grew up and that was the backdrop to his courtship with his wife.

Another aspect of his family’s homecoming to Webster directly intersects with Fosheim’s work in cultivating a thriving rural in his new position with Dakota Resources. Fosheim pointed to his desire to “walk the walk” when it comes to living out Dakota Resources’ mission.

“While I wouldn’t recommend a new job and a move at the same time, what was important to me is that I wanted to walk the walk – I didn’t want to say ‘a thriving rural is important,’ but live in Sioux Falls,” Fosheim said. “It’s another layer to why this move was also so important to do now.”

Webster was also the birthplace of Fosheim’s career as an economic development practitioner. After college, Fosheim found a job as the Executive Director of the Webster Area Development Corporation. Two years later, he and Amanda relocated to Sioux Falls, and he took the helm of the Lincoln and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations (now Sioux Metro Growth Alliance), where he worked for seven years.

“When I look at the future of Dakota Resources, I want to help ensure that we’re queued up with that next generation of powerhouse leaders,” Fosheim said. “The Dakota Resources staff is trusted throughout South Dakota, and I want to be a part of that. I want to learn from the staff who have been working in these communities for years and make sure that there’s continuity into the future.”

Fosheim’s background in economic development prepares him well for his work at Dakota Resources, says Joe Bartmann, President of Dakota Resources, who has known of Nick and his work experience for a decade. His keen understanding of the role that economic development plays in communities of all sizes, as well as his work with both leaders and volunteers, particularly with young professionals and millennial rural shapers, make him an ideal fit within the Dakota Resources staff.

“Bringing Nick to the DR team is something that we’ve been excited about for a long time,” said Dakota Resources President Joe Bartmann. “His deep experience in economic development and his knack for helping people from different communities to work together will push us all toward our vision of thriving rural communities across South Dakota and beyond. This will be fun!”

TAKE ACTION: Please join us in welcoming Nick Fosheim to the Dakota Resources staff! Reach out to him here.