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TEXT BY HOLLY MATKIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARA YOUNG SiG MT 18 URBAN AFFAIRS WORKING LIFE YOU'D BE HARD-PRESSED TO FIND ANYONE WHO LOVES HER JOB AS MUCH AS SOREN CHARGOIS. IN FACT, SHE'S SO WELL-MATCHED FOR HER POSITION AS THE GREAT FALLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY'S TALENT ATTRACTION DIRECTOR, IT'S AS IF THE JOB WAS CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR HER. "I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE JOB," SOREN GUSHES. "WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY RESEARCHING AND LEARNING, AND I GET TO BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN WITH MY WORK." Soren, who was born and raised in Great Falls, graduated from Duke University and spent a year traveling before she decided to return to her hometown. "Family and friends are main reasons why people come back," she explains. "I am the exact target of everything we do." e Great Falls Development Authority is essentially the economic development firm for Great Falls and the Golden Triangle, Soren says. ey provide a slew of services in a wide variety of areas, such as food and agriculture development, government contracting, building the downtown area, business planning and strategy, small business development, social media and marketing, and brownfield cleanup resources. "We are in the business of growing businesses," Soren says. Her position was recently added to the lineup at the request of those local businesses. "I work closely with recruiters and HR recruiters in the city to find out what the gap is between what employees are looking for and what employers are offering," she explains. "We not only want to aract talent who live here, but talent that have moved away and we want to bring back." She also helps supply employers with tools and resources to make their businesses more effective and aractive to potential employees. "My job is to listen to recruiters, to hear their needs, and to see what the Great Falls Development Authority can provide to aid in aracting talent to the city," Soren says. Soren is "helping people to find their people" by comprehensively highlighting aspects of everyday living, such as school ratings, recreation, clubs, shopping, real estate, and healthcare online and on various social media platforms. "is job has allowed me to see a side of Great Falls that I never saw when I was in high school," Soren explains. "Great Falls is in constant change, and I'm excited to be a part of that." BACK HOME BRINGING GREAT FALLS' TALENTED WORKERS S MT

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