A Message from the Leadership South Dakota Directors
There are many benefits to the Leadership South Dakota program, but probably the greatest benefit is the friendships we all make every time a new class gathers for another program year. We are preparing for our fourth class this Fall and while we are excited about new beginnings – we also want to stay connected to our alumni friends from across South Dakota. We have 117 Leadership South Dakota alums that are making an impact in their local communities each day.
Last year we held our first Leadership South Dakota Alumni event. We are happy to announce that our second Alumni event will be held Thursday, September 7th at Arrowwood Cedar Shore in Oacoma. Our Leadership South Dakota Advisory Council developed our program plans for the day and it promises to be a wonderful day to enjoy, renew friendships and make new friends as well.
We will begin the day with a luncheon that will feature some Alumni Spotlights. You won’t want to miss hearing from some of your classmates about their recent activities and initiatives. Lunch will be followed by two options. If you like to golf, a golf tournament will be held for any interested golfers. If you are interested, just let us know and we will assign you to a team. No skill required! For non- golfers, a Scavenger Hunt is being planned for teams of alums. It should be a hoot! Pontoon rides will also be offered as another fun opportunity.
After a networking reception (remember those?) we will have our banquet, which will include awards for the golf and scavenger hunt winners. Our evening will culminate with words from our featured speaker Dale Lamphere – the sculptor for the Dignity Statue that is outside of Chamberlain. Dale is also involved in the Arc of Dreams project in Sioux Falls. He will share details about his work and his thoughts about how our state can be a better place to work and live. Dale is excited to share his message with us!
We will also be recognizing the class that has the most alumni in attendance at the Alumni event. Please mark Thursday, September 7th on your calendars and join us for our second annual Leadership South Dakota Alumni event!
Melmers & Osters
Leadership SD Directors
Leadership South Dakota Alumni Updates and Celebrations
Ashley Erickson (’17) and her husband, Matt, celebrated the birth of their baby boy on June 15th. Oliver Dean Erickson – 6 lbs 3 oz 20 ½ inches long.
Catherine Greseth (’17) was recently elected to Chair the Governor’s Board of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired, elected President of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities, and selected as an instructor to teach the Women In Leadership Class through the South Dakota Center for En- terprise Opportunity conducted by BHSU.
Cindy Elifrits-Peterson’s (’15) business Maximizing Excellence, LLC celebrated seven years in business on July 15, 2017.
Erik Muckey (’17) is moving to St. Paul, MN, where he will begin full-time Master of Public Policy/Master of Business Administration studies this fall at the University of Minnesota. His MPP emphasis will be Public Management and Regional Development and his MBA focus will be Entrepreneurial Finance.
Kristina Sipma (’17) was promoted to Manager – Risk and Reporting at Missouri River Energy Services.
Lindsie Bartley (’17) started her PhD in Applied Sociology with a focus on Community and Education Leadership.
Ashli Danilko (’17) joined boards for the Yankton Chamber of Commerce and for the United Way of Greater Yankton.
Sandra Melstad (’17), owner of SLM Consulting, LLC recently launched a website www.slmconsultingllc.com and a monthly e-newsletter, Public Health Beat, to share insights regarding public health practice and population health.