Megan Jansick

Experienced community development professional Gabriel Steinmeyer has been announced as the new Director for the Hartford Chamber of Commerce and Hartford Area Development Foundation. The bustlin’ community of Hartford has witnessed tremendous growth in housing and business development projects within recent years. Community leaders look to capitalize on this momentum through the new chamber and economic development director.

A thought leader in the area of Workforce Development, Community Branding, and Community Development; Steinmeyer brings a diverse experience and innovative approach from his history of working with communities in rural Nebraska and the international arena. As the Director for the Hartford Chamber of Commerce and Development Foundation, he will work with local leadership to continue building a vibrant community with emphasis on quality of life initiatives and the expansion of local industry and business opportunities.

“We are so excited to have Gabe join our team,” expressed Hartford Mayor Jeremy Menning. “He’s experienced, he’s talented, and he’s eager to do great work for our community. I am completely confident that matching his experience and our economic momentum will bring Hartford to a new level.”

Steinmeyer brings a varied experience that includes past positions as the Director of Workforce Development, Director of Economic Development, and Regional Coordinator for Development with the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce (Norfolk, NE), City of Neligh (Neligh, NE), and BGA Management America (Tel Aviv, Israel) respectively. In his most recent role with the Norfolk Chamber, Steinmeyer spearheaded workforce recruitment efforts; provided strategic insight into community branding and marketing campaigns across social media channels, which included the launch of a podcast on local workforce topics; worked with secondary and collegiate educational institutions to build workforce pipeline programs; and represented Norfolk in the National League of Cities initiative on the development of Early-Childhood Care and Education systems as an aspect of economic development.

As a panelist for statewide conversations, Steinmeyer has spoken on the economic impact of wind and solar energy projects on rural communities; Methods for effective community brand building and social media content creation; and the role of early childhood care and education within economic development.

For his part, Steinmeyer is excited to return to his home state and work with the community of Hartford.  “I am thrilled to be joining the team here in Hartford and I look forward to the innovative ways we can continue sustainably growing this amazing community. Being a son of South Dakota, I’m happy to be bringing my talents and experience home. I am very thankful for the leadership here in Hartford. It is evident by the growth already experienced that the leadership of the chamber, development foundation, and city are passionate about moving the community forward; It’s an honor to join a team of such passionate individuals, and to be given the opportunity to help lead this community into the future.

For those seeking more information on moving to Hartford or starting their own business, please visit our website at hartfordsdchamber.org/hartford-area-development-corporation. Or contact Gabe Steinmeyer at gabe.steinmeyer@hartfordsd.us or (605) 528-3338.