Member Information

	Name: Peggy Besch Position: City: Huron Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Peggy Besch serves as the State Fair Division Direction for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, a position she has held for the past eight years. Prior to that, she spent 23 years with the Huron Chamber and Visitors Bureau and served the last 14 years as their President and CEO. She is a Past President and founding member of the SD Convention & Visitors Bureau and Past President of the SD Chamber & Economic Development Council. She also served on the Board of Directors for the South Dakota Visitor Industry Alliance, Glacial Lakes and Prairies Regional Tourism Association, Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society and Mid-America Chamber Executives. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for both Greater Huron Development Corporation and the Jan Manolis Family Safe Center and is a member of the Huron Kiwanis Club. Peggy lives in Huron, SD.
	Name: Calvin Bloemendaal Position: City: Pierre Term End Date: Biography: Calvin Bloemendaal, Cultural Heritage Tourism Manager and Industry Outreach and Development Representative, has been working for Travel South Dakota since 2019. His role is focused on being a liaison to industry partners in the eastern half of South Dakota. While also being dedicated to initiatives like the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance. In addition to industry relations and tourism capacity building, Calvin focuses on research for Travel South Dakota.
	Name: Julie Breu Position: City: Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Julie Breu is the director of the Lake County Museum, formerly the Smith Zimmermann Museum, in Madison, South Dakota. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Art History and has completed a Master’s degree from Eastern Illinois University in Historical Administration. She has worked in several southeast South Dakota museums for over twenty years. During her past year as director of the Lake County Museum the board and she has worked to rebrand and renew the image of the museum. Julie now lives in Wentworth, SD with her husband Kent and two children Mitchell and Ainsley.
	Name: Caleb Finck Position: City: Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Caleb Finck is a 6th Generation Farmer and Rancher from Tripp, South Dakota with his Wife, Toni, Mother, Father, Sister, and Grandparents. Finck volunteers on the Tripp Economic Development Corporation Board as President, the Tripp Area Community Foundation and Tripp Action Group. Caleb also serves on the board of Directors for the Economic Development Professionals Association of South Dakota, Dakota Resources, and Rushmore Music Camp. Caleb graduated from SDSU with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Leadership after serving two terms as Student Body President. Finck served 2 terms in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2018-2022. Currently, Caleb works for the South Dakota Office of School and Public Lands as the Analytics Architect and GIS General Manager.
	Name: David Flute Position: City: Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Secretary Dave Flute is an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe. Prior to becoming Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations, he was the Chairman for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and also previously served as the Lake Traverse Councilman. A military veteran, Secretary Flute served this country in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2009. He believes that the Dakota values are similar to military values; Duty, Honor, Respect, Selfless Service, Honesty, and Bravery. He graduated from North Dakota State University with two social science degrees and was a member of the American Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta.
	Name: Catherine K. Forsch Position: City: Sioux Falls/Pierre Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Catherine Forsch is the CEO of the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation. She has been a member of the staff since 2016 and is the chief/lead strategic creator of ideas for fundraising and programs to carry out the mission of the organization of “Helping to Keep South Dakota History Alive.” In the nonprofit world, Forsch served as Enterprise Director of Donor Relations for Sanford Health Foundation, Executive Director for South Dakota Lions Foundation, and Director of Development and Marketing at EmBe/YWCA. She is past president of the South Dakota Association for Fundraising Professionals and served many years as a cabinet member for the Sioux Empire United Way. Forsch has a B.A. degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from South Dakota State University. She has 20 years of marketing experience, twelve of those years with the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls. Catherine and her family are also seasonal concessionaires of The Boat House Bar & Grill at Spring Creek in Pierre
	Name: David Grabitske Position: City: Pierre Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: A native of Minnesota, David grew up during the National Bicentennial in Maryland. His degrees are a bachelor’s in history (Minnesota State University--Mankato), master of public and nonprofit administration (Metropolitan State), and doctor of business administration (Metropolitan State) in finance of state history organizations, of which South Dakota State Historical Society is the third he’s served in over 30 years. He’s served on previous boards and commissions like the Minnesota State Historic Records Advisory Board, Minnesota Department of Transportation Sign Variance Board, and the Medina County (Texas) Historical Commission. He has also served national boards of American Association for State and Local History and Field Services Alliance. David is the author of numerous books and articles including Six Miles from St. Paul, currently the only book biography of a Minnesota First Lady, and co-author of Building Museums: a handbook for small and midsize organizations. He holds dual roles of Assistant Director and Museum Director of the South Dakota State Historical Society where he has crisscrossed the state to work with community history organizations and local history projects. He resides in Pierre with his wife and children.
	Name: Kurt Hackemer Position: City: Vermillion Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Kurt Hackemer is Professor of History and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he has been on the faculty since 1996. He teaches a wide range of American and non-American military history courses, and has published on both naval and military topics over the years. His most recent research focuses on the experience of Civil War veterans who moved to the Northern Great Plains after the war.
	Name: James Hagen Position: City: Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Jim has served as South Dakota’s Secretary of Tourism since 2011. Before becoming the Secretary of Tourism, Jim served four and a half years as the National Fundraising Campaign Director and Public Relations Director for the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. From 2004-2006, he served as South Dakota’s Secretary of Tourism and State Development. From 1995-2002, he served as Chief of Staff and Special Advisor to Governor Bill Janklow. In March 2014, Jim was appointed to the 32-member National Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB) by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and again reappointed for a two-term in March 2016. He also serves on the Executive Board of the U.S. Travel Association and chairs the Membership Governance Committee. In January 2017, he was elected Chairman of the National Council of State Tourism Directors. Jim grew up in the northeast region of The Mount Rushmore State. He is a graduate of Aberdeen Central High School and the University of Southern California
	Name: Nick Harrington Position: City: Pierre Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Nick is the Communications Manager for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) in Pierre. Nick is originally from Gretna, Nebraska and attended South Dakota State University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. Nick moved to Pierre in September 2018, and has been working with GFP since then. Nick is a graduate of Cohort 15 of the Governor’s Leadership Development Program. His family continues to reside in Nebraska, including his three adopted siblings: Erin, Aiden, and Malachi.
	Name: Benjamin Jones Position: Chair City: Pierre Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Jones was born in Sioux Falls and graduated from DeSmet High School in South Dakota. He earned a BA in history from South Dakota State University, an MA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a PhD from the University of Kansas. He served 23 years in the United States Air Force, where he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel and was stationed in several locations in the United States, the Pacific, Europe, and Afghanistan. He was a member of the History faculty at the Air Force Academy. Jones was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Dakota State University from 2013 to 2019 until Governor Noem appointed him Secretary of Education. Jones led the development of the department's 2019 strategic plan, which prioritized closing the opportunity gap for students in poverty and improving academic performance. Jones is now the State Historian and 9th Director of the South Dakota State Historical Society. He is married to Suzy and they have three children, Hannah, Elaina, and Henry
	Name: Douglas Knust Position: City: Chamberlain Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Doug Knust is a small businessman with NAPA Auto Parts stores in Gregory, Winner and Mission, SD as well as a management company and a real estate company. Knust was a franchised automobile dealer for over 30 years. He served on the National Automobile Dealers Association board of directors for over 11 years and the South Dakota Automobile Dealers Association for over 15 years. He currently serves on the board of St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain and the Boys & Girls Club of Rosebud. Knust has mentored middle school young men for over 20 years, taught religious education for over 35 years and is the author of two books. Knust holds a B.S.B.A. degree from Creighton University. He and his wife, Judy, live in Chamberlain and have three grown children, two granddaughters and two grandsons. He loves to hunt, golf, sail and bicycle and is a life-long college basketball fan.
	Name: Marshall Michels Position: City: Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Marshall served in the Army and South Dakota Army National Guard for almost 38 years. He has held numerous leadership positions within the South Dakota National Guard, culminating as Director of the Joint Staff where he was responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing South Dakota National Guard Response to state emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic response. Marshall retired from the military in 2020 at the rank of Brigadier General. Marshall joined the Department of the Military in 2021, serving as the Assistant Deputy Secretary.
	Name: Shane Penfield Position: City: Lemmon Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Shane Penfield grew up on a ranch located ten miles south of Thunder Hawk, South Dakota. He graduated from Lemmon High School in 1994 and began attending the University of South Dakota the next fall. Shane received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Masters of Public Administration and Juris Doctorate all from USD. In 2004, Shane began practicing law at the Rapid City law firm of Gunderson, Palmer, Goodsell and Nelson, LLP. In 2007, Shane and his wife Kelli moved to Lemmon, to start a law practice where they continue to live with their four children. Mr. Penfield currently serves as the State’s Attorney of Perkins, Ziebach, Corson and Dewey Counties. He is also the City Attorney for Lemmon, McIntosh, Bison, Faith, McLaughlin, Timber Lake and Dupree. In addition to these positions, Shane is engaged in his private law practice, a member of the Lemmon Fire Department and operates a ranch south of Lemmon on land that has been in his family for four generations.
	Name: Tim Reed Position: Senator City: Brookings Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Tim Reed, a Brookings, SD native is currently serving as District 7’s Senator to the South Dakota Legislature. Before his election to the Legislature seven years ago, he served in Brookings City Government for 13 years, 8 years as Mayor. Reed is also serving as the CEO of the Brookings Economic Development Corporation.
	Name: George Seamon Position: City: Pierre Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: George Seamon currently serves as State Librarian for the South Dakota State Library. Prior to his current position, he served as Director/Consultant of Northwest Kansas Library System for 14 years as well as interlibrary loan and circulation clerk at Pennsylvania Western University Clarion (formerly Clarion University of Pennsylvania) for a year. He has an undergraduate degree in history from Kent State University and a Master of Science in Library Science from Pennsylvania Western University Clarion. George has extensive experience working with and participating on various types of boards, non-profit and governmental administration, and event planning/programming. George is originally for Ohio and currently resides in Pierre, South Dakota.
	Name: Tyler Tordsen Position: House Representative City: Sioux Falls Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Tyler Tordsen is the President & CEO of Sioux Metro Growth Alliance, South Dakota’s largest regional non-profit economic development organization. Before taking his new role with SMGA, Tyler spent eight years serving in the Office of U.S. Senator Mike Rounds as the Southeast Regional Director and State Director of Tribal Affairs. He is a lifelong South Dakotan who was born in Sioux Falls, grew up in Rapid City and is an enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe. He has a Bachelors of Science in political science and economics from the University of South Dakota. Tyler was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives for District 14 and is a member of the House Education and House Judiciary Committees. In October 2023, Tyler was chosen as a “50 Under 50” of up-and-coming state legislators in the nation by the American Legislative Exchange Council. Tyler, his wife Erika, and their two sons Emmett and Atlas currently live in Sioux Falls.
	Name: Greg Whitlock Position: City: Term End Date: 3/31/2027 Biography: Greg Whitlock was appointed Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs by Governor Noem in January 2019. Prior to his appointment, Whitlock served as the Military and Veterans Service Representative for Congresswoman Noem from 2015 to 2018. Greg graduated from Selby High School. He received an Associate Degree through SDSU and Colorado Technical University in Business Management. Greg enlisted in the South Dakota National Guard in 1975 and joined the 153rd Engineers in Huron SD. He then started his fulltime career with 2nd Battalion 147th Field Artillery in 1985. He was promoted to Master Sergeant with the 196th Maneuver Enhanced Brigade in Sioux Falls. He retired from military service in 2015 with over 39 years of total service. Secretary Whitlock and his wife Michelle have four children and four grandsons.