Hi, I'm Kecia Beranek
– By #MillerSD
Hi! I’m Kecia Beranek. As of May 6, I am the new Executive Director of On Hand Development. I am so excited to be here and get to work but first I want to take a paragraph to tell you a little bit about myself.
To set the record straight, I am not from Miller but everyone around town assumes that I am. I was born and raised in Freeman, SD and graduated from Black Hills State University. I worked in Deadwood for two years for the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce and then bought Willie’s Bar and Grill in St. Lawrence before calling Miller home. This is not my first time working for On Hand Development Corporation. I worked as the Assistant from 2012-2014 and my how things have grown. I call Miller home with my husband Joe, and our two busy boys Lincoln and Miles. I have been training with Tammy Caffee, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her support and knowledge.
Taking over for a director who has a background in education, you can imagine my training was thorough, and I suspect she had some sort of lesson plans and a red pen associated with it! Here are a few of my take-aways from my recent training:
- I am not alone! There are resource providers all around the state of South Dakota ready and willing to help me with projects that will benefit my community. The ones I can remember are GOED (Governor’s Office of Economic Development), NECOG (NE Council of Governments), Dakota Resources, SDHDA (South Dakota Housing Development Authority), Grow SD, USDA Rural Development and of course our own board and community members who are supportive and encouraging.
- The field of economic development has many aspects to it including business retention and attraction, small business development, housing, marketing communities, and youth involvement. Working in each of these fields and keeping projects going to me seems like a great juggling act! With honest hard work and lots of practice, I hope to be a great juggler that can take on a spinning plate or two and even a hula hoop all while juggling those clubs, rings and balls.
- Work is never done - - and always considers the future! I’m honored to be in a position that will help me reach into that future. While the work might seem daunting at times, it will be rewarding to see how On Hand Development continues to positively affect our community.
- Check out Miller soon and be a part of our fun summer activities such as drive-in movies, Wissota car races, lake adventures, and enjoy a great shopping experience.
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