With sunglasses on, a tank top, and the lake breeze in her hair, Mackenzie Turner lounges in a patio chair—eyes scanning the dock as boats glide in and families haul coolers and lake toys toward the shore. Just as quickly, she’s on her feet again, greeting guests, answering questions, and solving problems with a practiced ease.
This is Mackenzie’s world—an energetic mix of summer fun and behind-the-scenes coordination that she’s been orchestrating for nearly five years.
Mackenize and her husband, Jessie, own the Marina at Sheridan Lake, a perfect complement to their other business Black Hills Outdoor, a full-service marine and powersports dealership. While Jessie handles daily operations at Black Hills Outdoor, Mackenzie dives into marina life—combining her love for the water with a gift for connecting with people.
“I feel really lucky to be the hostess of the Hills,” she said. “I tell all my employees that our No. 1 priority is safety, and No. 2 is we are the fun facilitators.”
Mackenzie grew up in Florida but has had a lifetime connection with South Dakota and the Black Hills. Both her parents, Todd and Sally Kenner, are from South Dakota so she spent her childhood making memories in the Hills.
“I never lived here growing up, but my grandparents and parents are from South Dakota. I just always felt really connected to the area,” she said.
Her parents moved back to South Dakota in 2010 when her dad joined RESPEC as president and CEO. Mackenzie returned to Florida after graduating with a biology degree from John Caroll University in Cleveland. Fate stepped in when she met Jessie, a Florida native who owned a MasterCraft dealership in Tampa.
But their story actually began much earlier. When the Kenner family first moved to Florida, Jessie had unknowingly crossed paths with them at his first job at a powersports dealership, selling jet skis to Mackenzie’s mom—for her dad. The connection resurfaced years later while the family was packing to move. Sorting through old drawers, her mom pulled out a Rolodex and found Jessie’s original business card, complete with a handwritten cell number—still the same one he uses today.
“That was pretty crazy,” she recalls.
The couple got engaged and moved to South Dakota to be closer to Mackenzie’s family and in 2017 they opened Black Hills Outdoor.
Jessie ran the dealership while Mackenzie worked as an ophthalmic technician for Slingsby and Huot Eye Associates. Their life, like many during 2020, took a slight detour when the pandemic hit. With everyone wanting to be outside, Black Hills Outdoor remained open. However, the couple, who were expecting their first baby in October, decided they wanted something different.
On December 26, 2020, Mackenzie and Jessie made an offer to purchase the Sheridan Lake Marina. “It was one of those gut feelings,” she said. “We realized this was exactly what we’d been envisioning—something that could complement the boat shop while creating a new income stream. It’s been a perfect fit.”
The Marina rents pontoons and fishing boats, kayaks, paddle boards, jet skis and bikes. Mackenzie has 100 boat slips she rents to locals, many of whom also service with Black Hills Outdoors. Slip holders don’t even touch their boats. The couple winterizes, stores and returns the boat to the lake when the season begins. “Our season is short, so a lot of folks don’t use their boat because it is so much work. This allows people to enjoy their boat a lot more because they don’t have to think about logistics,” she said.
With two little boys now, Tristan 4 and Troy 3, Mackenzie and Jessie are navigating the crazy summer season while still enjoying time as a family. They recently built a tiny house in the Blue Wing community past the lake’s south boat launch. “This has allowed us for when we are finished for the day to enjoy the summer ourselves,” she said.
During the off-season, Mackenzie and maintenance manager Charlie Edmonds focus on upgrades and renovations. This past winter and spring, they transformed the marina’s upstairs into a lakefront vacation rental.
A 2024 Elevate Leadership Institute graduate, Mackenzie looks forward to having more time for community involvement—something her family values. “My dad always stressed the importance of giving back—I want to follow that example,” she said.
For now, Mackenzie is right where she wants to be—anchored at the marina, balancing business ownership with summer moments, and building a life that blends hard work, happy people, family and a love for the Black Hills.
This story was originally published in the August 2025 issue of Elevate Magazine.
