Siouxland GO thrives thanks to its dedicated board. Led by a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, nine passionate individuals volunteer their time throughout the year. Each board member also chairs a key committee: Connect, Community Engagement, Innovation Market, Marketing, and Special Events. Together, they create and offer valuable opportunities for current members, attract new members, and partner with local businesses. From professional development workshops to engaging volunteer events, Siouxland GO remains a strong, stable, and vibrant organization thanks to the tireless efforts of its nine-member board.
Sidney Marks, President
Sydney McManamy-Hermann, Past President
Sydney McManamy Hermann is a Siouxland native and a graduate of Sioux City East High School. She briefly left Siouxland to earn a degree in business management and minors in accounting, marketing, and sales from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Sydney has since returned to Sioux City and works as the Escrow Manager and real estate closer at United Escrow, Inc. She is also a residential real estate agent at United Real Estate Solutions with licensees in IA, NE, & SD. When she isn’t assisting with home sales, Sydney likes to spend her time with her husband Tommy, family, and friends. She also enjoys giving back to her hometown through her involvement in Siouxland Growth Organization, River-Cade, United Way of Siouxland, and the Events Facilities and Tourism Advisory Board.
If you see Sydney out and about be sure to say hello! If you then want to avoid being trapped for hours in conversation, make sure to avoid discussing why Diet Coke is superior to Diet Pepsi or why everyone should know their top CliftonStrengths.
Brooke Daane, Vice President
Brooke Daane is a 5th generation Siouxlander. She graduated from East High School and went on to get her bachelor’s in Philosophy and Criminal Justice from the University of South Dakota (USD). At USD, she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and was involved in Dakotathon, a dance marathon organization that raises money for Children’s Miracle Network. After graduation, she moved back to Sioux City and worked as an Admissions Counselor at Morningside University for 3 years. Her last year and a half at Morningside, she spent working remotely in Fort Collins, CO where she loved getting the chance to get outside, rock climb, hike, and hammock. However, she missed her family, so she moved back home and got a job at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland. In 2023, Brooke left BBBS to return to Morningside University, loving the campus community and believes it’s one of Sioux City’s greatest assets (as are BCU and WITCC).
Brooke’s grandfather served on the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors for 34 years, the longest in Iowa history so she has grown up with a strong sense of pride in this community. She loves being a part of Siouxland GO to help share that pride with the rest of Siouxland and remind people of what we have to be thankful for. She wants to continue to build on our growth and encourage other young professionals to invest in the community.
In her spare time, you can find her playing board games, spending time with her nieces and nephews, doing puzzles, or being a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland.
Tommy Hermann, Treasurer
Leslie Sanchez, Secretary
Makaelyn Glienke, Marketing
Kristen Heimgartner, Special Events
Kristen Heimgartner is excited to serve on the Siouxland Growth Organization Board as the Special Events Chair. In this role, Kristen wants to help create fun and engaging events for all Siouxland GO members and guests!
Kristen grew up not too far from Sioux City in Le Mars, IA, and graduated from Le Mars Community. She then attended college at Iowa State University and received her bachelors degree in Event Management. After college graduation, she moved to Kansas City to work at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott in the Events department. After a short while there, she realized she missed Siouxland and being close to family. Kristen now works for Explore Siouxland, the Sioux City Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau. There you can find her assisting visitors with ideas for places to stay, visit, and eat while they’re in the city. She also attends many tradeshows and works to bring new events and conferences to Siouxland.
In her free time, you can find Kristen spending time outside kayaking or reading a book. She also enjoys quilting, baking, and spending time with friends and family!
Veronica Guzman, Community Engagement
Veronica Guzman is excited to serve on the Siouxland Growth Organization Board as Community Engagement Chair, being a member since 2014. Veronica is here to serve the Siouxland community and collaborate with area business, non-profits, and stakeholders. She is your go-to person if your organization needs volunteers. A native of South Sioux City, NE, Veronica is an alumna of Bishop Heelan High School and Briar Cliff University. She continued her education at University of Nebraska-Lincoln earning her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration/Student Affairs. During her time at BCU, she interned by teaching at Sioux City Community Schools and Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools. After graduating with her undergraduate degree at BCU she started a career in Higher Education at Wayne State College that gave her an opportunity to work in the Admissions Office.
After a short stint in Omaha, she returned home to Siouxland and is still working in higher education, now serving as Assistant Director of Admissions at Wayne State College and enjoys working with students in the college search process. Veronica is back in school studying for her Doctorate at the University of South Dakota (USD).
Joining Siouxland GO has played an important role in her appreciation for the Siouxland area and has discovered she loves giving back to the Siouxland community. Veronica gives back to the Siouxland community by volunteering her time as an Ambassador for the South Sioux City Chamber of Commerce, serves on the American Red Cross’s DEI Committee, the Advisory Board for the City of South Sioux City, as well as the South Sioux City Public Library board. You can find Veronica in El Proyecto Dramático de Siouxland (Bilingual theatre group). She enjoys spending time with family, especially her 8-year-old niece Sofia, baking, walking, Zumba, and listening to podcasts. Plus, ella habla español! (She speaks Spanish).
Marisa Grove, Innovation Market
Marisa Grove is excited to serve on the Siouxland Growth Organization Board as the Innovation Market chair. Marisa’s goal is to help Siouxlanders find like-minded individuals who want to invest in themselves and their community by getting involved.
Marisa is a Siouxland native and a graduate of Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School. She attended the University of South Dakota to pursue a Business Administration degree with a Mathematics minor. She currently works as the Operations Project Manager for Security National Bank. In her free time, Marisa likes to spend time with her fiancé, Cody, and their two giant schnauzers. In addition to Siouxland Growth Organization, she enjoys giving back to her community through her involvement in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland and United Way of Siouxland. If you see Marisa around Siouxland, make sure to say hi!
Diego Hernandez, Connect
Born and raised in Sioux Center, NW Iowa is what Diego has always called home. Upon graduating from Sioux Center High School, Diego chose to pursue a higher education at Western Iowa Tech where he was heavily involved with the Business & Accounting Club. Diego was elected president of the club from fall of 2021 to spring of 2022 and later received the Business Student of The Year Award. After receiving his associates, he knew he wanted to chase his dream of being a Realtor. He went on to get his real estate license and has been doing it since! His goal is to guide and help those who want to buy or sell a home while educating the clients to make the process as seamless as possible, and being a resource and trusted advisor.
When Diego isn’t busy with real estate he likes to stay involved by being a member of Siouxland Go and a current student of Leadership Siouxland. His hobbies include: Fishing, biking, traveling, and boating with friends. He also enjoys watching movies at home and looking after his pet cat named Theo.
Diego loves trying new experiences and meeting new people. Growing up constantly meeting new faces, he credits that for his extravert personality. When he was younger, his parents had a few businesses and was always helping them out. This exposed him to a ton of experiences and interactions that he is grateful for to this day.