Vanessa Gomez

Chief of Staff

Vanessa joined the Mayor’s Office in December 2022 as the Public Relations and Communications Officer and was appointed Chief of Staff in 2025. She serves as a strategic partner to Mayor Paul TenHaken and his administration to advance the city of Sioux Falls. With a focus on communications and a One Team mindset, she collaborates with all City teams to share impactful initiatives and work through complex problems to best serve the community. Vanessa leads communications strategies alongside several team members to highlight the stories of Sioux Falls and its incredible employees.

Vanessa has more than a decade of media, communications, and leadership experience in front of and behind the camera. Before joining the City, she was a senior media relations specialist with Sanford Health. Prior to that, she worked at the ABC/NBC television affiliate in Sioux Falls in multiple roles, including morning anchor, multimedia journalist and executive producer. Growing up in Sacramento, she worked in several capacities at the CBS affiliate there before moving to South Dakota. Her bachelor’s degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism was granted by the University of Southern California.

Professional passion: “I thrive in a team environment that is fast paced while making an impact. I strive to ensure people of all backgrounds and ages are informed because the more we know, the more we understand and feel part of the community.”

Best part of my job: “I get to brag about our amazing community, share people’s stories, and work with the best team.”

Personal interests: “I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, cooking, and working out.”