The Black Hills business community greeted Ben Snow, new Rapid City Economic Development Partnership president, at a September 15 reception.
Those who attended met a man well-suited to sell his new hometown, because he himself is sold on the place.
“If you look around the country, you’d be hard pressed to find a community of comparable size with an amenity base and sophistication equal to Rapid City’s,” Ben says. “That’s largely due to our annual tourism numbers.”
And unlike communities of similar size that are near major metropolitan areas, he adds, “Rapid City has to be self-sufficient. So there’s a history of businesses rallying to work together, of collaborating.”
Ben replaces longtime president Bob DeMersseman, who retired after 21 years. The Partnership board conducted two national searches before selecting its new president.
An Arizona native and graduate of Arizona State University, Ben and his family moved to Rapid City from Parker, Colorado. He was executive director of the economic development council there, and president and CEO of the chamber of commerce.
