Leadership South Dakota is excited to announce the selection of 42 class members for their next 8-month leadership program. This class represents the 8th class to participate in Leadership South Dakota and will kick off the first session in Pierre this 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 2022 class will gain leadership and organizational management skills, helping them shape the future of South Dakota.
With nearly 300 Leadership South Dakota graduates, the consistent positive feedback from those participating has been quite encouraging for this exclusive leadership program.
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)
Leadership South Dakota provided my classmates and me unmatched perspective into issues and areas of our state that really opened our eyes. Not only do we have the opportunity to see first-hand some of the challenges our state is facing, but we witnessed a great deal of programs, people and places we should all be really proud of. Ryan Budmayr, Lawrence & Schiller (Class 2021)
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 LeadershipSouthDakota.com. Participants were selected from a diverse background of occupations and locations throughout the state. During their time in the program, the 2022 class will travel across South Dakota and study topics specific to each region.
Class of 2022
Jason Ahrendt – State Farm – Jason Ahrendt Agency
Joe Batcheller – Downtown Sioux Falls
Valeriah Big Eagle – South Dakota State University
Beau Bryan – Sammons Financial Group
Scott Carbonneau – First PREMIER Bank
Sarah Delaney – Marsh & McLennan
Shala Eisenbeisz – First PREMIER Bankcard
Jamie Hajek – Northwestern Energy
Matt Hammer – Lawrence & Schiller
Rocky Hayes – Rocky Hayes Design
Chris Hintz – Pinnacle Productions
Alyssa Howard – Sanford Health
Nate Jones – Heartland Consumers Power District
Benson Langat – Family Service Inc.
Michele Loobey-Gertsch – Monument Health
Derrick Marks – Yankton Sioux Tribe
Sean Melmer – First PREMIER Bank
Nakina Mills – Indian Health Services
Marsha Nichols – Black Hills Energy
Tracy Olson – Avera Health
Jackie Payne – FranklinCovey
Paige Pearson Meyer – Midco Communications
Andrea Polkinghorn – Sanford Health
Ryan Punt – SDN Communications
Scott Radigan – POET
Chelsea Randall – Oglala Sioux Lakota Nursing Home
Erick Rangel – City of Brookings
Erin Rinehart – Raven Industries
Caroline Rothe – Valley Queen
Casey Schultz – Caliber Creative
Ali Sheley – Dakota Resources
Tom Shields – Great Western Bank
Andrew Sloss – Brookings Economic Development Corporation
Scott Spencer – First Interstate Bank
Amanda Spiering – South Dakota Trust Company
Katie Studer – Avera Health
Rebecca Trefz – Dakotas Conference of the United Methodist Church
Christina Ward – Sanford Health
Carleen Wild – South Dakota Magazine
Karly Winter – South Dakota Community Foundation
Rebecca Zabel – Prairie Family Business Association
Beka Zerbst – U.S. Senate – Office of John Thune
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 Bank, Black Hills Energy, Raven Industries, POET, Sammons Financial Group, SDN Communications, NorthWestern Energy, South Dakota Trust Company, Valley Queen, Avera, Marsh & McLennan Agency 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