Gary Glissendorf has worked at SDN Communications longer than his adult son Ethan Glissendorf has been alive. About a year ago, the father-son duo added the word “co-workers” to their familial relationship when Ethan joined the SDN team in accounting.
Family members as co-workers? It’s not a new occurrence at SDN Communications, said SDN Director of Human Resources Amy Preator.
“We’ve had at least 10 sets of family members working for SDN that I can remember — some married couples, some parents and children, three sets of siblings, one brother-in-law and sister-in-law, one uncle and niece, and we’ve even had one divorced couple. They’ve all worked out incredibly well,” she said.
Gary came to SDN in 1999 via the credit card industry, where he also worked in IT. He also spent a year in a similar position in Minneapolis — which he says he doesn’t like to claim — but that company’s culture and living in a bigger city wasn’t what he expected so the Glissendorf family returned to Sioux Falls and Gary came back to SDN. Ethan was born in 2000 and only remembers his father working for SDN.
Gary got into IT when the internet was starting to boom, he said. He had a unique background in server and PC networks as well as phone switches. Today he’s a network engineer. The evolution of technology and the ability to learn and grow is what keeps him at SDN Communications after 25 years. For Gary, having a great company culture also plays a role.
“The flexibility you need when kids are sick, when your spouse is out of town, or the ability to participate in those hobbies outside of SDN, was always very important to me,” Gary said. “SDN was open and willing to let people have other lives outside of work.”
The Glissendorf family is an active family and growing up, Ethan witnessed that flexibility firsthand. Occasionally he spent time at his dad’s desk in between First Tee golf lessons or soccer practices and games. Perhaps subconsciously, Ethan picked up on a positive work culture while he was in the office or at home around the dinner table.
Ethan graduated from O’Gorman High School in 2019, where former SDN Communications CEO Mark Shlanta, then a member of the Sioux Falls Catholic Schools Advisory Council, handed Ethan his diploma. Ethan then went to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., where he started studying physical therapy and played on the soccer team. He switched majors and eventually graduated with a degree in economics. He still didn’t know exactly what kind of job he wanted after graduation, however. It was Gary who shared the job position with Ethan.
Today Ethan has more appreciation for and understanding of the role his father plays in the company.
“In the past when he’d talk about it, I’d tell him I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ethan said. “Now I’m learning about his job and what he does and how it’s all connected.”
While they work in the same building, their work areas are very different but they may bump into each other a few times a day. Ethan lives at home, too. The family, which also includes Susie, Gary’s wife and Ethan’s mom, and Kendall, Ethan’s older sister, enjoys activities like hiking, biking, frisbee golf, golf, pickleball; they just enjoy doing things together, Gary said. Gary and Susie watch a lot of movies and Ethan will sometimes join in — “Stepbrothers” is a favorite. During soccer season they may not see each other too often as they both coach and Ethan plays with the Sioux Falls Thunder Men’s Soccer team.
“I value family a lot and time to enjoy things I want to do makes me happier and more engaged at work,” Ethan said. “The flexibility to do things outside of work creates a happier environment and gives employees satisfaction.”
But they avoid talking about work while at home.
“I made a point when he was first interviewing and got the job — we can’t talk about shop at home, you have to have that separation. If it’s a mentorship question, I’m all on board, but otherwise we have to be careful,” Gary said.
It’s similar to how the father and son approach soccer — Gary has coached competitive and high school soccer for more than a decade, including some of Ethan’s teams. Being involved in soccer together had to include a separation of home life and soccer life, Gary said.
“While some companies are cautious about hiring family members, SDN has found great success with it” Preator said. “Employees like the Glissendorfs exemplify how maintaining a healthy balance between work and home life can lead to strong, professional collaboration.”
“I believe we’ve had success with it because we try to vet out the situation thoroughly before hiring the second family member. We make sure they aren’t in the same department, there isn’t a conflict of interest, they don’t report to each other and that they can get along.” Preator said.
“Having a good culture can keep people around and helps bring new people and young people into the mix,” Gary said.
Gary referenced employee benefits like the Great Ideas Group (GIG), which is responsible for organizing workplace activities throughout the year like bean bag tournaments, volunteer opportunities and annual parties. Gary said he now has more appreciation for them after seeing them through his son’s perspective as a newer employee.
“It helps bring new people in and introduces them to things, which is helpful. That’s not why I’m here but I understand not everyone’s like me. I do value that and can see it from a new person’s perspective. I’m less crotchety and do less pooh-poohing of that,” he said.
