Notes from a Farm Kid Turned Strategy Pro
If you ask Jolene Rieck what she does for a living, don’t expect a short answer. She’s a licensed landscape architect, a certified leadership coach, a strategic planner, and the founder of Emergent Strategies Group in Bismarck. But her real job? Helping communities organize their people and their potential into something remarkable.
“I’m a farm kid from South Dakota,” she said. “My family still farms down there. And I think that upbringing gave me a certain independence and a willingness to jump into new things.”
After earning her degree in landscape architecture from NDSU, Jolene spent two decades in Billings, Montana, where she ran her own design firm, Peaks to Plains Design. She focused on parks, transportation planning, community development, and anything that needed someone to connect the dots. In 2018, she was recruited to join North Dakota’s state government as the deputy director of parks. It took three tries to get her to say yes.
“Eventually, it felt like the right time to move closer to home,” she said. “But after a few years, I knew I missed calling my own shots.”
From Blueprints to Big-Picture Strategy
Last spring, she launched Emergent Strategies Group, a consulting firm with a broader mission than traditional landscape architecture. Yes, she still does design work when needed, but her focus now is helping organizations build clarity and momentum.
“A lot of communities think they need a master plan,” she explained. “But really, what they need is someone to help them talk to each other, get aligned, and figure out what steps to take next.”
To support that work, Jolene is certified in CliftonStrengths, change management, and Patrick Lencioni’s working genius framework. She works with nonprofits, tribal governments, local agencies, and private companies to help leaders step up and organizations move forward.
And if that wasn’t enough, she recently started teaching studio courses for sophomore landscape architecture students at NDSU. “It’s full circle,” she says. “Giving back to the profession that gave so much to me.”
Challenges in the Field
Jolene’s work is complex, and it doesn’t always come with an easy label.
“Even now, people don’t always know what a landscape architect does,” she laughed. “I had someone once lean in and say, ‘Electricians wire buildings. What do you do?'”
She does plenty. But the mix of creative and strategic work can be hard to summarize on a business card.
“I always say I’m a jack of all trades, master of a few,” she said. “And that’s both the joy and the challenge of it.”
Advice for Others
Starting a business didn’t feel like a leap to Jolene, more like a natural progression.
“I think that farm kid mentality plays a big part,” she said. “You’re always diversifying, trying something new. So starting a business felt pretty natural.”
She also has sound advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
“Take the first step. Fill out the forms. Ask for help. There are resources out there between economic development entities and your peers. Use them. And then be patient. The clients don’t always show up overnight.”
The Road Ahead
While her earlier businesses had employees and a growth mindset, Emergent Strategies is intentionally lean.
“This time around, I want to stay small but go broad,” she said. “We have so much talent here in the Upper Midwest. I want to bring that to a bigger stage.”
That means expanding her client base outside the region and taking lessons of small-town resilience and smart community design to other parts of the country.
Not Just Work
Outside of consulting and teaching, Jolene is outdoors as much as North Dakota weather allows.
“I love being outside. I go back to the farm whenever I can. There’s a particular pasture I love. I lay in the grass and watch the clouds. It’s my reset button.”
She also loves gardening (her yard is a mix of wildflowers and pollinator-friendly grasses), boating, and vacationing back to Montana.
The Bottom Line
Jolene Rieck helps people bring their best ideas to life. Whether she’s teaching students or mapping out a vision for a nonprofit, her ultimate goal is to help her clients be the best they can be
“Being an entrepreneur is hard,” she said. “But the rewards? They’re beyond worth it.”