June 17, 2020
Leadership South Dakota Welcomes 7th Class
Leadership South Dakota has selected 41 class members to participate in an 8-month leadership program, which begins in September. Leadership South Dakota is a statewide program with a mission to engage citizens from across the state. It provides participants with the background, unique experiences and insights necessary to be successful in leadership positions.
Leadership South Dakota helps homegrown leaders expand their knowledge of the state. Participants learn from extraordinary people who have contributed to the fabric of our state. In the program, the 2021 class will gain leadership and organizational management skills, helping them shape the future of South Dakota.
There are currently 249 alumni of Leadership South Dakota and many of them share high praise for their experiences in the program. Here are a few comments from previous class members.
Leadership South Dakota provided me a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect with leaders from all over the state and a deeper knowledge of our State’s history, communities, cultures and local economies. Michael Kaiser, First Premier Bank (Class 2019)
My Leadership South Dakota experience was hands-down the best development opportunity I have ever experienced. Leadership SD’s multi-faceted approach gave us access to high powered individuals, the opportunity to openly discuss South Dakota challenges and network with talented classmates. Mike Zacher, Raven Aerostar (Class 2019)
Leadership South Dakota offers an unparalleled opportunity to deepen understanding, debunk misconceptions, break open new interests and develop extraordinary relationships. Jennifer Weiss, Sanford Health (Class 2019)
A full list of class members is provided below and can also be viewed at: https://leadershipsouthdakota.com/participants/class/2020-2021/. Participants were selected from a diverse background of occupations and locations throughout the state. During their time in the program, the 2021 class will travel across South Dakota and study topics specific to each region.
September 16-18, 2020 – Pierre: Orientation and State Government
October 14-16, 2020 – Brookings: Agriculture and Education
November 11-13, 2020 – Rapid City: Tourism, Military and Natural Resources
January 13-15, 2021 – Yankton: Rural Initiatives
February 10-12, 2021 – Kyle: Native American History and Culture
March 17-19, 2021 – Sioux Falls: Health Care and Financial Services
March 27, 2021 – Chamberlain: Graduation
Class of 2020
Taniya Bethke – South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
Amy Bialas – Sanford Health
Kjerstin Blotske – Sammons Financial
Michele Boy – PREMIER Bankcard
Ryan Budmayr – Lawrence & Schiller
Drew Christensen – POET
Angie Christiansen – NorthWestern Energy
Callie Curley – Valley Queen Cheese
Mark Daniels – Sanford Vermillion Clinic
Rebecca DeGroot – Raven Industries
Ryan Donovan – Avera PACE
Tamien Dysart – Think 3D Solutions
Jesse Fonkert – Lincoln & Minnehaha County Economic Development
Jess Gromer – John T. Vucurevich Foundation
Brad Hearst – March & McLennan Agency
Chris Huber – Monument Health Foundation
Lynne Hunter – Avera Cancer Institute
Ann Hyland – Heartland Consumers Power District
Lisa Irvine – PREMIER Bankcard
Joe Kippley – Sanford Imagenetics
Nancy Kunz – First PREMIER Bank
Susan Kyte – SDN Communications
Glen Marshall – Boys & Girls Club of Rosebud
Kristi Metzger – Great Western Bank
Ginger Niemann – South Dakota Community Foundation
Caroline Nyberg – South Dakota Trust Company
Rick Olivier – SBS CyberSecurity, LLC
Tracy Pardy – Horizon Health Care/Horizon Health Foundation
Sarah Pierce – NDN Collective
Dusty Pinske – First Interstate Bank }
Mike Pogany – Black Hills Energy – South Dakota Electric
Jennifer Rollins – USAF – Retired
Jenny Schmidt – Black Hills Advocate
Tyrelle Schweitzer – Dakota Resources
Justin Shatto – The Diamond Room
Leah Sidera – Central Payments
Val Simpson – Black Hills Energy
Spencer Sommers – CO-OP Architecture
Jason Sutton – Boyce Law Firm, LLP
Beau White – Engineering
Klint Willert – Brookings School District
About Leadership South Dakota:
Leadership South Dakota is a non-profit (501c3) organization established in 2014. Through generous grants from the South Dakota Community Foundation and the Bush Foundation, Leadership South Dakota became a reality. Leadership South Dakota is supported by First PREMIER Bank and Sanford Health (gold sponsors); Daktronics, Great Western Bank, First Interstate BancSystem Foundation, Black Hills Energy, Raven Industries, POET, Sammons Financial Group, SDN Communications, NorthWestern Energy, South Dakota Trust Company, Valley Queen Cheese Inc. and Monument Health (silver sponsors); and Boyce Law Firm, Dakota Resources, South Dakota Community Foundation, South Dakota Magazine and Lawrence & Schiller (in-kind sponsors).
For More information:
Rick Melmer
Executive Director
PO Box 91533
Sioux Falls, SD 57109
rick@leadershipsouthdakota.com