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2025 Employee Appreciation
Posted on February 09, 2025,
HR News
2025 EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION - SIOUX FALLS
The party may be over, but every day can be Employee Appreciation Day with these pictures!
It was so much fun getting to sing, dance and laugh with you. Even though the celebration is over, know that we appreciate all you do for our clients and CHS every day! Huge congratulations to all our door prize winners, service award recipients and our new Employee of the Year and Rising Star. Check back here to see all the nominations that were submitted.
DOOR PRIZE WINNERS:
Three lucky employees won door prizes at the CHS Employee Appreciation event in Sioux Falls.
CHS $100 Merchandise Certificate
Salma Sharif
Abbi Zuehlke
8 HOURS PTO
Layne Lewis
Photos
3-Years Service Award: Myles Szabo, Lyndsay Pruss, Desiree Wolf and Karen Snyders (center) were all recognized for completing three years of service at CHS. Missing from the photo are Olivia Boese, Kim Brahmer, Noah Brown, Amanda Ludwig, Blake McCoy, Danial McIntyre, Jennifer Stavenger and Madi Waugh.
5-Years Service Award: (Front row) Mike Groher, Michelle Lavallee, Jen Crisp-Griebel, Karissa DeWeerd, Erin Kapsch and Kaela Larkin all received their five-year service award last Thursday. Missing from the photo are Lauren Blue, Melissa Joachim and Tabetha Leonhardt.
10-Years Service Award: Mark Sigette, Janet Andersen and Ross Leonhardt received their 10-year service award last Thursday. Missing from the photo is Blake Bennett.
15-Years Service Award: Tammy Johnke (center) and Donna Springman received recognition for 15 years at CHS. Way to go ladies!
20-Years Service Award: We had two employees who have reached 20 years of service! Congratulations to Jesse Groeneweg (center) and Kristy Hazel (not in the photo) on this amazing achievement!
35-Years Service Award: We have two 35-year service recipients this year. Congratulations to Jody Carpenter and Kay Francis on their achievement!
Rising Star
This year’s Rising Star is Shelter for Family Safety Housekeeper Chaley Lindner. Mark Sigette and Keanna Hubner read from her nomination for everyone to hear. Michelle Lavallee and the Executive Team presented Chaley with a $1000 check, but that wasn’t the only surprise! Some of Chaley’s family members made a special guest appearance.
Employee of the Year
The 2025 Employee of the Year is Loving School Classroom Teacher Intern Kaela Larkin. Mike Groher and Ericka Bohle read from the nomination, submitted by Paige Knuth, before Michelle Lavallee and the rest of the Executive Team presented Kaela with a check for $2,000. Kaela’s family even made a surprise guest appearance and a few of them traveled from Oregon.
Group
Faron Lais, Andrew Hewitt, Ross Leonhardt and Tammy Huntimer were having a great time catching up with one another!
Austin Winter (center) photo-bombed Layne Meyers and Terry Knutson.
Ballie Sandbulte, Siri Wollmann, Myles Szabo and Molly Howard took a break from dancing to share a few laughs and chat with each other.
Even though Kaela Larkin was named Employee of the Year, the real star of the show was her nephew, Eli. Also in the photo are Erin Schons (back right), Jessica Huisman and Jen Crisp-Griebel (front row).
Haley Groeneweg, Karissa DeWeerd, Breckin Steilen, Aaron Vaul, Erin Kapsch, Michelle Carlson and Shelby Altfillisch were all having a good time catching up and listening to JUST DUET!
Before heading out to the dance floor to sing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” Kiah Norby-Gehl, Rylee Lehmkuhl, Emma Neu, Callie Hruby, Ericka Bohle, Aunnie VandeGriend, Tammy Johnke, Lyndsay Pruss, Tagyn Larson and Bryn Fykstr snapped a quick picture.
Fun Gallery Photos
Sioux Falls employees enjoyed a delicious taco bar and enjoyed each other’s company before heading out to the dance floor for JUST DUET’s wild performance.
2025 EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION - Black Hills
Judging by these pictures, it looks like Black Hills staff had a wonderful time at last week’s Employee Appreciation celebration. Congratulations to all the staff who received awards!
3-YEAR SERVICE AWARDS: Nicola Boylan and Greg Carbone (center) posed with members of the executive team after receiving their three-year service award. Missing from the photo is Joshua Porto and Samantha Stoertz.
5-YEAR SERVICE AWARDS: Abby Sharp, Chase Hunter and Jenica Faal (center) received their five-year award at this year’s Employee Appreciation celebration. Missing from the photo is Jace Jackson.
15-YEAR SERVICE AWARD: This year we had two 15-year service award recipients from the Black Hills. Candi Eaton and Theresa Schreiner (center) posed with members of the executive team after receiving their awards.
DOOR PRIZE WINNERS:
Three lucky employees won door prizes at the CHS Employee Appreciation event in Rapid City:
CHS $100 Merchandise Certificate:
Brandon Wonnenberg
Melanie Coleman
8 HOURS PTO:
Becky Jackson
Jenica Faal, Melanie Coleman, Michelle Soberalski, Amy Marker, Alayna Basham, Jenny Wallace and Freddy Maseman are all patiently waiting for JUST DUET! to start.
The Foundation and CAC team took a pause from dancing to take a group photo. (Left to right) Theresa Schreiner, Brandi Tonkel, Jennifer Arnold, Kara Flynn, Jon Mammenga, Monica Eaton-Harris, Rachel Perkins, Abby Sharp and Jessica Broullire.
Michelle Bintliff, Coral Hein and Sabrina Johnston enjoyed each other’s company during a delicious taco dinner.
Nicola Boylan, Jacob Hiebert, Chonticha Hodges, Greg Carbone, Lakota Carbone, Jason Huwe and Susan Cone took a quick picture before hitting the dance floor.
Shelbi Kaul, Allison Sanderson, Gillian Spiva, Amber Bissey, Tammy Huntimer and Destiny Wolbrink.
Janet Andersen, Allison Sanderson and Tammy Huntimer snuck away from the dance floor to take a quick selfie.
Back row: Tim Ward, April Roselles, Ryder Gary, DJ Toczek and Stephen Field. Front row: Rachel Walton, Traci Bates, Chase Hunter and Andrew Truitt.
Staff enjoyed a delicious taco bar and had time to catch up with other colleagues before the party really started.
JUST DUET! Dueling Piano show was a major hit with Black Hills staff! People could sing and dance their hearts out, and we can confirm a conga line was started!
