We’d like to introduce you to another member of our team, Luke Bunkers. Luke is an Associate with Ernst Capital where he assists with analysis, data verification, financial models, and regulatory compliance. Luke is a graduate of The University of South Dakota with a Bachelor of Business in Accounting and Finance. Luke joined the firm in January of 2022.

What do you like most about your job?
I have really enjoyed helping put deals together. From financial modeling to legal prep and everything else relating to due diligence, it has been awesome to see the work come to life from the ground up.

What is on your bucket list?
As an avid football fan, it has always been a goal of mine to watch a game in every NFL stadium. To date, I have watched my Cincinnati Bengals play in 3 out of the 32 stadiums. I hope to check a few more off the list in the coming years.

You’re happiest when?
There’s nothing more enjoyable to me than golf on a sunny (no wind) day. During the summer, I find every chance I can to hit the course with some buddies. I’m still chasing that hole-in-one!

In May 2022, Nick Gates celebrated ten years with Ernst Capital. He joined our team in 2012 and became a partner in 2015. Nick heads the firm’s due diligence review process. He also assists with regulatory compliance, deal structuring and management of our investment partnerships.

What is the most important thing you have learned in your current role? I have learned a lot during my time at Ernst Capital.  In college and even before that none of my educational experiences went very far into commercial real estate.  Much of my knowledge was from hands on experience and learning from the ground up after starting as a financial analyst.   However, attention to detail is the most important thing I developed while at Ernst Capital.

What do you and your family do for fun? I enjoy time outdoors, golfing or hanging out with my wife, Jenn, and sons, Remington & Maverick.  Remington loves going to the pool, learning to swim, having squirt gun fights with Dad, and being a ninja.  Jenn is a Senior Client Advocate with Marsh McClennan Agency.  In her free time, she loves to exercise on her Peloton bike, spend time at the pool, or go for a walk with our two dogs Indie and Sophie.  

In September 2023, Emily celebrated ten years with Ernst Capital, she joined our team in 2013 and is a Senior Associate where she assists with human resources, accounting, asset management, marketing activities, data collection, analysis and investor relations.

What do you like most about your job?
The thing that I most enjoy about working at Ernst Capital is the ability to watch a project come to life. Each project that we raise capital for is unique. Considering our projects are all in the region and many right here in Sioux Falls, it’s easy to drive by them frequently and watch the progress. Over the past ten years, I have watched so many parcels of bare land develop into full blown communities.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Hands down, my favorite thing to do is spend time with my family. My kids, Braxton and Hadley are hilarious and watching them learn and grow is the most rewarding thing. My husband Paul and I stay (probably too) busy with house projects and travel when we can. The whole family also enjoys getting outdoors. My in-laws have a summer cabin in Canada, so we try to get up there to catch the really big fish at least once a year with the whole family. Even if they’re not biting, I’m more than happy relaxing with a good book.

Where is your hometown?
I moved to Mitchell when I was little and graduated from high school there, let’s go Kernels! My mom and most of her family still live in Mitchell, so it’s a quick trip to get back to visit when we can.

In January 2022, Karla Jackson celebrated ten years with Ernst Capital. She joined our team in 2012, starting in asset management and investment sales. She now runs our commercial real estate brokerage and works with many investors on their private equity investments.

What does a typical day look like for you?
Evolving! My husband John and I have two children, so our days have started very early for many years! Most days include school preparation, homework and school projects, tennis practice and whatever each new day brings. On my way into the office, I usually make a check-in call to our daughter who is in her first year of college. The office schedule is a blend of meeting clients and working on real estate transactions. After work activities include working out, walking our dogs and with any luck, an evening cocktail!

Where is your hometown?
My hometown is Herreid, South Dakota and is located seven miles from the North Dakota border. With a population of 300 people, life moved at much slower pace! Herreid is also my dad’s hometown, so I grew up surrounded by a lot of family. My graduating class consisted of fourteen students – eleven boys and three girls. I learned how to fish and shoot a gun, which I still enjoy doing both. I don’t get back to Herreid very often but am thankful for the memories of growing up in a small town.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?
There are a few things that come to mind with this question. My favorite aspect of my role is meeting and working with clients over the years. I have had the privilege of meeting some great people. I also enjoy working on the real estate transactions. Each deal presents variety and obstacles to challenge me to look at things in a different way. Lastly, I enjoy being part of a small office surrounded by sincere, hard-working people. We support each other and make each other stronger and am thankful to be a part of this team!

We’d like to introduce you another member of our team, Tami Broekemeier. Tami is an Associate with Ernst Capital where she assists with investor relations, data collection, and clerical support for the office. Tami is a graduate of Northeast Technical Community College with an associate degree in Criminal Justice. Tami joined the firm in August and brings with her many years of administrative assistant experience.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?  The people.  I enjoy meeting new people from all walks of life and look forward to greeting many more new faces when they visit our office.  I’ve only been here a short time but can confidently say we have a great group of hardworking people here at Ernst and its inspiring to see how many friendships our Representatives and Associates have built with our clients.

What are three career/life lessons you’ve learned thus far?  As a 50+ year old woman three lessons I’ve learned over the years of working/living is to never judge a book by its cover, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, and you can grow up but don’t grow old.

What do you like to do in your spare time?  I’m most at peace when I’m outside in nature whether that’s hiking, biking, kayaking, archery, clay target shooting, reading, or working in the garden.  I also love spending family time with my husband Greg, our four children, their significant others and most importantly, our grandson.  A rousing game of croquet amongst competitive loved ones really makes the bond of family stronger!

Where do you see yourself in five years?  Right here at my desk hopefully surrounded by a few more photos of grandkids.