The Butterfly Effect: How One Alumnus is Shaping the City of Sioux Falls
For example, Beck’s next-door neighbor met his wife while working at Avera – a job Beck had offered him. If Beck hadn’t built a relationship with him and hired him, the couple might never have met.
It’s stories like this that fuel Beck’s passion for the work he does and remind him that hiring is about more than filling a role; it’s about shaping lives, families and futures.
“Thinking about the influence that I potentially have over the butterfly effect of somebody falling in love or somebody getting promoted – over somebody buying the house or the car they’ve always wanted or somebody calling Sioux Falls home, that goes a long way for me,” said Beck. “That’s the biggest thing for me, just knowing the impact my work has on people’s lives.”
His passion for talent acquisition began far before he pursued a career in it. As an undergraduate student at the University of South Dakota, Beck’s eyes were opened to the world of recruitment through his position as the recruitment chair for his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta.
It was in that role that he discovered an affinity for building relationships, being an effective communicator and tailoring communication for each person he meets – a skill set that would later become the foundation of his career.
“It was direct foreshadowing to what I’m doing now,” said Beck.
Beyond Greek life, Beck immersed himself in campus life, getting involved in intramurals, the Honors program, the Health Executives Advancing Leadership (HEAL) club and Dakotathon. He also took a study abroad trip to Africa and served as a student ambassador for over three years. All these experiences gave Beck a strong skill set that supplemented what he learned in the classroom.
Beck earned his bachelor’s in health service administration in 2019 and his MBA in 2021 – both from the USD Beacom School of Business. While he originally came to USD to pursue a degree in medical biology, he felt confident that whatever he decided to pursue, USD would be the right fit for him.
"One of the things that really stood out to me about USD was the fact that whether I stayed with medicine or not, there were a lot of certified programs that only USD could offer," said Beck. "Whether it was medical long term or pivoting into something else, which I inevitably did, I felt like USD had the right resources for me on whichever path I chose."
Beck’s chosen path led him to a role as an onboarding coordinator at Avera Health and eventually as the lead talent acquisition recruiter for the regional hospital system’s Sioux Falls location.
After a few years in health care, Beck pivoted into his current role as a talent acquisition coordinator for the City of Sioux Falls, where he’s responsible for full-cycle recruitment for the City of Sioux Falls Police Department and Metro Communications (911 Dispatch).
In his role, Beck manages every step of the hiring process, from the first point of contact to a candidate’s first day on the job. On any given day, he can be found reaching out to potential candidates, sourcing promising leads or tracking hiring trends to attract the best fit. Beck handles everything from screening to onboarding, ensuring that all touchpoints positively reflect the agency he serves.
"There’s something new every day, but within those processes, I want to be a constant for people with every phone call, every email and every follow up,” said Beck. “I want to make sure I’m bringing my A-game for every candidate to ensure we can get them to the finish line.”
In everything he does, Beck focuses on leading a candidate-centric process, meeting people where they are and creating a comfortable, honest environment.
“I’m the representative of the agency they get to meet,” said Beck. “I’m not the frontline officer. I’m not the chief of police. But I very well might be the very first person they talk to, and I want to set the tone that I’m an effective communicator, I’m excited and I’m passionate.
“I want them to know that what they’re getting from me is what they’re going to get from their employment,” he continued.
Beck’s role is extremely multifaceted, but thanks to USD’s liberal arts approach and his heavy out-of-classroom involvement and internship experiences, he developed a suite of skills that empower him to find success.
“My well-rounded background at USD taught me attention to detail,” said Beck, who earned a minor in chemistry alongside his business degree. “It taught me where to be meticulous and how to be an effective decision maker.
“Just having that base skill set allows me to do this job really well,” he continued. “USD prepared me for this work. Whether I took a class on it or not, I’m able to apply my skills and do it effectively.”
And effective he has been. In only three short years, Beck has played a key role in several notable wins for the City of Sioux Falls, including the largest officer recruit class in department history. The agency is also now fully staffed, an uncommon accomplishment for agencies of this size across the nation.
“I’m privileged to be able to serve this team,” said Beck. “We recently had orientation for our 26 new recruits, and one of our learning and development coordinators mentioned to me that probably half of the room mentioned me specifically as being a key reason why they chose our agency. That definitely fills my cup.”
Born and raised in Sioux Falls, Beck is particularly proud of the hand he has in shaping the community he loves.
“I would have never thought this is what I would fall into, but it’s a privilege to be able to serve public safety agencies like the Sioux Falls Police Department,” said Beck.
Looking back, it’s clear the path Beck’s on hasn’t been random – it’s been shaped by a series of small, meaningful moments that built on one another. From leading recruitment for his fraternity to hiring some of the City of Sioux Falls’ most critical employees, it’s all connected.
Now, as an alumni mentor for the Beacom School of Business, Beck shares his lived experience as guidance for current students.
“My biggest advice is to strike a good balance of enjoying their time at USD – making connections, building relationships, having fun – but at the same time, realizing that things are going to come at you fast,” said Beck. “Graduating and being caught without a plan is not where you want to be.
“Life hits like a truck,” he continued with a smile. “But my time at USD did a really good job of preparing me to get behind the wheel.”
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