Six candidates are running for two seats on the Hills City Council being vacated by Vickie Busswitz and Dennis Boese who are not seeking re-election.
The candidates are Deb Haak, Ross Metzger, Jeff Nelson, Allen Saakyan, Meghan Zylstra and Mitchell Ganun. (Ganun declined to share responses.)
Deb Haak
Tell us about your family.
I’ve been married to Larry for 44 wonderful years. We’re blessed with two sons, two daughters-in-law, and four beautiful grandchildren.
Education:
I have a high school diploma.
Current occupation?
Retired.
What is your professional experience or your awards lending to leadership?
I worked for Cargill Inc. for 23 years, followed by five years at New Vision Co-op. During that time, I held a variety of positions and especially enjoyed working with people and serving customers. At Cargill, I received several awards in recognition of my strong work ethic.
What is your civic involvement?
During my 40 years in Hills, I’ve been honored to serve my community and church in many ways. I served as a Sunday school teacher and Luther League leader, including taking 20 students to two national conventions. I was also a member of the Hills Community Club, where I helped organize community celebrations. In fact, the annual fall cook-off began in our backyard! I also served four years on the Hills City Council. I wasn’t able to seek another term after moving to a home outside the city limits.
Why are you seeking election to the Hills City Council?
I am seeking election to the Hills City Council because retirement has given me more time to serve the community. Having lived in Hills for the past 45 years, I know the city’s history and many of its residents. I believe those who know me would say I’m approachable and willing to listen to their concerns. I would be honored to serve and represent the people of Hills.
What do you believe to be the biggest challenge facing the city of Hills? If elected, what would your approach be to that challenge?
After talking with residents, I’ve heard that one of Hills’ biggest challenges is housing. There are very few lots available for new residents who want to build. I’m open to hearing ideas and would welcome the opportunity to bring thoughtful solutions to the table. With four positions on the city council, I believe that by working together, sharing ideas, and listening to one another, we can find solutions that benefit Hills and its residents.
What is your long-term vision for the city?
As we travel to sporting events and drive through other towns, we often notice ideas that could help make our own community more attractive. Many Hills residents already give their time to keep the park and other areas clean, and I’d like to encourage even more community involvement. We should take pride in Hills and look for practical ways to improve its appearance.
I’ve also heard residents express interest in having a grocery store in town. That would be a valuable service, but it can be difficult for a local store to compete when many residents work outside Hills and can shop while they’re away, while others have groceries delivered. Any effort to bring grocery options to town would need to consider whether it could be sustainable and successful.
Ross Metzger
Family:
I live in Hills with my wife Heather and our three sons. Heather is a sales associate for Farm Bureau Insurance in Rock Rapids, Iowa. My oldest son, Brayden, is finishing his last year of college and will graduate with a teaching degree in May. He is engaged to Lauren Hansen and they will be getting married in June. My middle son, Jamin, is a freshman at USF in Sioux Falls, where he is working towards a business degree and plays football. My youngest son, Karson, is a junior at H-BC.
Education:
I graduated from West Lyon Community School and earned an Associate of Science degree in Ag Business from Iowa Lakes Community College.
Current occupation:
I am a self-employed truck owner-operater of Metzger and Sons Trucking, which I have owned for 35 years. I am also co-owner of Hills Storage Center.
What is your professional experience or your awards lending to leadership?
I served on the Hills City Council from 2004-2024, completing full terms and filling the remaining terms of members who resigned or moved out of the community. I also volunteered with the Hills Community Club, volunteering my time to help create positive experiences for our community.
What is your civic involvement?
I have lived in Hills for almost 30 years and have volunteered with the Hills Community Club and H-BC school activities. In 2020, I also helped lead the effort to fix up the baseball field. I believe volunteering and getting involved are important ways to give back to the community and help make Hills a better place to live.
Why are you seeking election?
I am seeking reelection because I have many years of experience and want to continue helping make Hills a better place to live. I have always enjoyed giving back to my community and helping it prosper. I would like to continue working with fellow council members and community members to keep Hills moving in a positive direction.
What do you believe to be the biggest challenge facing the city of Hills? If elected what would your approach be to that challenge?
One of the biggest challenges facing Hills right now is finding ways to grow while maintaining the qualities that make our community special. We need to balance our current needs with planning for the future. This includes enforcing city codes and ordinances and encouraging community members to take pride in their properties.
If elected, I would work with fellow council members, city employees and community members to understand our needs and priorities. I would strive to make practical, financially responsible decisions that are in the best long-term interest of our city.
What is your long-term vision for the city?
My long-term vision for the city of Hills is to help the community grow, attract new businesses and maintain our small-town values. I want to help ensure Hills continues to be a community that people are proud to call home and a place where families want to return and raise their children.
Jeff Nelson
Family:
I am married and have two boys, with a baby girl on the way. Family is a big part of my life, and I enjoy spending time with them and being involved in our community.
Education:
I attended South Dakota State University after graduating from high school.
Current occupation:
I am a truck driver for Old Dominion Freight Line. I started on the dock and worked my way into driving through the company’s dock-to-driver program.
What is your professional experience or your awards lending to leadership?
I have worked my way up from the bottom at Old Dominion, which has taught me the value of hard work, teamwork and understanding different perspectives. I have maintained a clean driving record while working through challenging driving conditions and was named Rookie of the Year at the 2025 South Dakota State Truck Driving Competition.
What is your civic involvement?
I serve on the Hills Volunteer Fire Department. I believe being involved and giving back to the community is important.
Why are you seeking election to the Hills City Council?
I am running because I care about Hills and want to help keep it a great place to live, work and raise a family. I want to be a voice for residents, listen to their concerns and help make decisions that benefit our community.
What do you believe to be the biggest challenge facing the city of Hills? If elected, what would your approach be to that challenge?
I believe one of the biggest challenges is balancing the needs of our growing community with responsible spending. I would focus on understanding the issues, listening to residents, and making practical decisions that use taxpayer dollars wisely while maintaining the services our community depends on.
What is your long-term vision for the city?
My vision is for Hills to remain a safe, welcoming, and affordable community where families want to live and businesses can succeed. I want to help preserve what makes our town special while making thoughtful decisions that keep Hills moving in a positive direction for future generations.
Allen Saakyan
Family:
I am of Armenian descent and first-generation American. I was born in Sioux Falls, grew up there until 17, then lived in Minneapolis and San Francisco. My mother and uncle live in Sioux Falls and helped raise me, along with my late grandmother.
Education:
I studied entrepreneurship, science, and spirituality. In California, I interviewed more than 1,000 experts and shared those conversations online to make high-level ideas accessible.
Current occupation:
I produce educational content, work to reduce inflationary pressure and build healthier communities, and maintain a psychotherapy practice helping people through difficult seasons.
What is your professional experience or your awards lending to leadership?
My leadership experience comes from building independent media, studying systems across cultures, and mediating conflict. I am comfortable asking hard questions, organizing information and staying calm when entrenched power does not want challenge.
What is your civic involvement?
Since March 2026, I have recorded and posted city council meetings so residents can see local government. I have requested public records, organized them, and built cityofhillsmn.com to make city information easier to access. I have worked with the Hills Area Chamber of Commerce on Main Street beautification, business growth, and Rez Park funding, while studying how to fix the sewer-capacity bottleneck and correct the Rural Service District issue threatening 22% of Hills' land.
Why are you seeking election to the Hills City Council?
I am running because Hills needs to be baptized into transparency, accountability, and real growth. Too many decisions are shaped by insider culture instead of open public deliberation. Residents should not have to fight City Hall to understand records, spending, ordinances, or development decisions. The taxpayer purse and future of Hills belong to everyone, not a select few.
What do you believe to be the biggest challenge facing the city of Hills? If elected, what would your approach be to that challenge?
The biggest challenge is restoring trust after years of gatekeeping and back-channel decision-making. The repair is simple: put records online, keep meetings recorded, end shadow governance, and move resident-backed priorities into action like Main Street, Rez Park, housing rehabilitation, sewer capacity, fair treatment for edge-of-town farmers, and growth. Government should serve residents, not gatekeep them. Make Hills public for all people.
What is your long-term vision for the city?
My long-term vision is a transparent, growing Hills connected to the Sioux Falls metro while keeping its small-town soul. I want Hills to love its farmers, families, businesses, newcomers, and children equally. No more bullying. No more gatekeeping. No more hiding basic information from residents. This election is a choice between managed stasis by insiders and accountable renewal for everyone. Justice, growth, and transparency will radiate together. If these ideas resonate, vote Allen Saakyan. Thank you, Star Herald, for organizing this.
Meghan Zylstra
Family:
I’ve been married to my husband Chris for almost 10 years and have three boys: Mason (8), Owen (5), and Boden (3).
Education:
I went to HBC K-12 and then received my Undergrad degree from the University of Sioux Falls in elementary education and I also received my master’s degree from there as well.
Current occupation?
I work part time teaching in the afternoons at Hills Christian School in third through fifth grade and do payroll for my dad’s trucking company.
What is your professional experience or your awards lending to leadership?
I’ve been a teacher for eight years and was a volleyball coach for 10 years, with six of those years being as the head coach at H-BC and Southwest Minnesota Christian School.
What is your civic involvement?
I am on the H-BC’s committee that helps plan community events for Hills, Beaver Creek and Steen. I also volunteer at my church in various different roles.
Why are you seeking election to the Hills City Council?
I really love living in Hills and raising my children in a small town. I want to help Hills continue to be a wonderful place where people want to live and move to.
What do you believe to be the biggest challenge facing the city of Hills? If elected, what would your approach be to that challenge?
I think the biggest issue is having available land for housing development. Families want to move here and there aren’t many options for available land to build homes. I also think that if you buy a lot from the city, you should have to develop it within a reasonable amount of time. My approach would be to assess the available land options we have and how we can utilize it to grow the city for future development.
What is your long-term vision for the city?
To make Hills clean, visually appealing, safe for families and a community that new families would want to call home.
