By Jim Speirs, Executive Director, Arts South Dakota

People are the generators that energize the arts throughout South Dakota. In communities across the state, your neighbors are finding innovative ways to encourage, advocate and participate in the arts. Our organization has been fortunate enough to have many of those individuals on our board of directors, helping to shape the future of the creative culture in South Dakota. It’s my pleasure to welcome three of these leaders to our board this month.

Returning to our board is South Dakota Artist Laureate Dale Lamphere. A former member of the South Dakota Arts Council and founding member and past president of Arts South Dakota, Dale has received the Anna Hyatt Huntington award from the Artists Professional League, the South Dakota Governor’s Award in the Arts in 2013, the Artistic Achievement Award from the South Dakota Art Museum in 1991 and was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1987. We’re excited to have him back.

Rapid City Arts Council executive director Jacqui Dietrich is sharing her experience and expertise as a new member of the Arts South Dakota board. She previously held a variety of leadership positions in the public and private sector focused on innovative approaches to economic development and community building to promote creativity. At the Downtown Denver Partnership in Colorado, Dietrich managed a community center in a public-private partnership with the City and County of Denver to foster entrepreneurship and new business creation.

Patrick McGowan joins our board with a background in health care innovation and enhancement programs in integrated health systems. He spearheaded a CMS Innovation Award to integrate behavioral health in primary care across 33 clinics in three years. He also led the design and implementation of team-based practices in primary care, designed telehealth programs and advanced service line innovation and best practices. He is currently Head of Growth and co-founder of Commonly Well in Sioux Falls.

We’re proud to have these South Dakotans on our board! To learn more about them and about our organization, visit ArtsSouthDakota.org.