 Tony Russell is an advocate for Veterans and people with disabilities. His deep understanding of mental challenges began at a young age when he was adopted after a tragic accident. As an Air Force Wounded Warrior, Tony served 9 years as a Civil Engineer with multiple deployments and humanitarian missions before being medically retired after suffering a career ending injury that put him in a coma.
Tony was forced to relearn the foundational basics of living, and one of the things that helped him along his recovery journey was his service dog. Having experienced first-hand the extensive impact a service dog can make, but also being aware of the high cost and limited number of dogs available to the people who need them, Tony knew this was something he wanted to pursue. With the support of his wife Eleanor, they co-founded South Dakota Service Dogs (SDSD) in 2021. The Mission of SDSD is to provide Service dogs to Veterans and First Responders who deal with PTSD, physical disabilities, health conditions, and other challenges at no cost.
Through his inspiring story, Tony now shares his story and passion as a motivational speaker. Through his story, he motivates and empowers others to seek a resilient mind set and achieve greater success no matter their challenges.
Tickets for this luncheon will be on sale until Monday, April 15 at 12pm.
Please join us on April 18th at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel. To reserve your seat, please purchase your ticket here. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event.
We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event, Summer Nights. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please contact a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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March 2024 Luncheon
 Join us for lunch on March 20th! We are excited to hear from Miranda O’Bryan, 2023 Miss South Dakota. From journalism to winning Miss South Dakota 2023, Miranda O’Bryan leveraged natural leadership competencies, while learning from others along the way. She continues her leadership growth, while also encouraging our next generation to see the leaders in themselves. A South Dakota girl through and through, Miranda, grew up in Martin, South Dakota, and graduated from South Dakota State University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and history. She moved back to West River when joining the KOTA and KEVN Black Hills news teams as a multimedia journalist. Through hard work and dedication, as well as patience and flexibility, Miranda worked her way up to a prime-time evening anchor for The Six and Black Hills FOX News at 9. During Miranda’s time at South Dakota State University, a good friend competed for and won the title of Miss South Dakota, giving Miranda her first real taste of the Miss America competition. She didn’t grow up watching the competition on television, but the moment she set foot on the local stage, a fire was lit inside Miranda. For six years, she gave everything to serve her state in this way, earning the title of Miss South Dakota in 2023, and competing in the 2024 Miss America competition. Her community service platform throughout has been, “Page Turners: Fall in Love with Reading,” with young readers in mind. She is so committed to this goal that she wrote her own career-oriented children’s book, “ Jericho the Journalism Kitty .” Reading puts dreams in minds and in reach, leading to future leaders.
Tickets for this luncheon will be on sale until Monday, March 18 at 12pm.
Please join us on March 20th at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel. To reserve your seat, please purchase your ticket here. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event.
We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event, Day of Excellence. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please contact a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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February 2024 Luncheon
 Join us for lunch on February 21st! We are excited to hear from Ryan Wells, VP, Information Security with Black Hills Federal Credit Union, as he shares more about his leadership experiences.
Ryan Wells is a distinguished leader with a rich 26-year tenure in steering IT organizations to success. Initially rising to prominence in the manufacturing sector, Ryan has adeptly transitioned his skills to the financial services industry, where he currently excels as the Vice President of Information Security at Black Hills Federal Credit Union. Renowned for his innate leadership qualities, Ryan has earned the complete trust and unwavering loyalty of his team. A testament to his leadership is a quote from a former team member: ‘It’s a good thing that Ryan is rarely wrong in where he’s leading his team, because his employees would follow him into a woodchipper if he was willing to jump in first.’
At the core of Ryan’s management style is his pioneering implementation of metric-based management and gamification strategies. This forward-thinking approach has not only markedly boosted performance but also ingrained a culture of continuous improvement within his organizations. Ryan’s success in this domain has led to numerous speaking engagements, sharing his insights on performance management and gamification at IT leadership conferences, academic institutions, and various businesses seeking to catalyze their performance. Ryan’s multifaceted experience and dynamic leadership continue to drive transformative changes, setting new benchmarks in the industry.
Please join us on February 21st at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel. To reserve your seat, please purchase your ticket here. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event. We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event, Black Hills Federal Credit Union. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please contact a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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January 2024 Luncheon
 Mayor of Rapid City, Jason Salamun, joins us on Wednesday, January 17th as he shares with us more about his leadership experiences.
Jason Salamun draws from a wide range of experiences including serving in the U.S. Air Force, guiding Organizational Development and Branding at a Fortune 500, Vice President of Operations at Black Hills Federal Credit Union, and Executive Pastor at Fountain Springs Church. Born in west Texas, Salamun moved to Rapid City in the late 1980’s. He was locally educated attending Canyon Lake Elementary, West Middle School, Stevens High School, and Black Hills State University. While in the military, he was stationed in Colorado Springs, CO from 1996-2000. Following his military service, he returned home to Rapid City to plant roots and raise his family. Fueled by a desire to make a positive impact in our community, Salamun has been involved in numerous civic, non-profit, and ministry initiatives over the years. He’s also had the opportunity to present to a wide variety of audiences as a speaker, trainer, and storyteller. Jason was elected to City Council in 2016 and in June of 2023 Jason was elected Mayor of Rapid City. Please join us on January 17th at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel. To reserve your seat, please RSVP online. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event. We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please contact a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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October Luncheon
| Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender will join us on October 18th to talk about his leadership style and his experience serving as mayor.
Steve Allender is a native South Dakotan, and was raised in a military family. After his father retired from the Air Force, his family moved to Belle Fourche, where Steve attended grade school through high school. He began his career in law enforcement in 1983 working for the Belle Fourche Police Department. In 1985 he joined the Rapid City Police Department and spent the next 29 years serving as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant, crime lab director, lieutenant, captain and eventually chief of police. He retired from the RCPD in May 2014. In June, 2015 Steve was elected Mayor of Rapid City. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in management from NAU and has attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Shirley and they have two adult children and two grandchildren. Please join us on October 18th at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel. To reserve your seat, please RSVP online. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event. We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please see a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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September Luncheon
| School is back in session and so are the Black Hills Leadership Development luncheons! Join us on September 20th for your monthly dose of motivation from local leader, Vaughn Vargas!
Vaughn Vargas is Siha Sipa (Black Feet) Lakota of what is now known as the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. His great grandfather was James Holy Eagle Sr. Vaughn grew up in Rapid City where he graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT) with his Bachelors of Science in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management. While at SDSMT, Vaughn became SDSMT’s first Udall Foundation Scholar and first Truman Foundation Scholar. A few other notable accomplishments of Vaughn’s are becoming a 2017 Bush Foundation Fellow, the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board “2013 Rising Star in Public Health and Research”, 2015 National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development “40 Under 40” recipient, a Hawkinson Foundation “2015 Peace and Justice Leader,” and an American Indian College Fund Tribal College Ambassador. Vaughn is pursuing his Master’s in Management from the Harvard Extension School with a certificate in Organizational Behavior and a certificate in Corporate Finance. He will take leadership training from the FBI Academy and Harvard University. Please join us on September 20th at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel. To reserve your seat, please RSVP online. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event. We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please see a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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April Luncheon
| Spring is the perfect time to brush up on your leadership skills! Join us on April 17th to learn about “Leadership for Community Challenges to Community Solutions” presented by Dr. Albert Linderman with Rapid CIty Collective Impact.
Albert Linderman, Ph.D., CEO of Sagis Corporation, is a cultural anthropologist guiding community change and leadership transitions. He currently directs Rapid City Collective Impact, a multi-year initiative for improving life and living in the city, particularly for those facing significant social service needs. Rapid City Collective Impact, now well into its second year has initiatives in 4 areas in 2017, Food Security, Affordable Housing, Behavioral Health and ACEs, as well as coordinating the work around the development of wrap around services for individuals and families in the most vulnerable situations. Over the past few years, Linderman worked with collective impact work in Woodbury, Minnesota, and leadership transitions for several major Minnesota health care organizations as well as for the Alliance of Community Health Plans in Washington, D.C. He is author of Why the world around you isn’t as it appears (2012, SteinerBooks), and several recent articles including, “Rapid City Collective Impact: A City-Wide Effort to Create Quality of Life for all its Citizens”, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Vol. 3, 2016. Albert’s Book Recommendation is Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Please join us on April 19th at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel (formerly called Adoba). To reserve your seat, please RSVP online. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event. We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please see a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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March Luncheon
| Our March luncheon features Rob Mudge, President of RPM and Associates.
Robert P. Mudge is a South Dakota native and graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, in the late 70’s, with a BS and MS in Metallurgical Engineering. Mr. Mudge worked in industry from his graduation until 1982 when he co-founded RPM & Associates, Inc., which is now recognized internationally as a leader in solving wear problems for heavy industry. He has been an entrepreneur most of his professional career and has co-founded two additional companies. RPM Solutions, Inc., was founded in 1996, which manufactures high speed precision rotary atomizers used in pollution control systems. RPM & Associates began investigating Laser Deposition Technology in 2001 and operated a laser division until 2013 when a spin-off company, RPM Innovations, Inc. was created to focus on servicing their growing aerospace customer base. RPM Innovations is now arguably the world leader in “powder fed” Laser Deposition Technology (LDT). RPMI has been designing and building their own laser systems since 2009 and currently offers the world’s largest controlled atmosphere build volume (5’X5’X7’) for any powder fed laser deposition system in the industry. In an effort to grow the powder fed laser deposition industry, in June 2014, RPMI announced their laser systems are now available for purchase by the public. On a personal note, Mr. Mudge was a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013 from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. In 2013 and 2014, Mr. Mudge was the 28th Maintenance Group Honorary Commander at Ellsworth Air Force Base and in 2015 Mr. Mudge was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame. Mr. Mudge and his wife of 43+ years have two married daughters and five grandchildren. Over the last 20+ years, Rob and Deb have been active in several local and international nonprofit organizations. Please join us on March 15th at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel (formerly called Adoba). To reserve your seat, please RSVP online. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event. We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please see a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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February Luncheon
Our February luncheon features Scott Engmann, Executive Director for the Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity.
Scott Engmann is a Father of 3 boys, and has been married to his wife Ceri for 12 years. He has served as the Executive Director for Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity since 2006. In its 25th year, the affiliate celebrated serving 200 families through its local and global reach. He has served with Habitat in Costa Rica and Hungary, and locally has spearheaded the launch of two ReStore social enterprises while expanding the affiliate’s service area to include the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. Scott was nominated to serve on Habitat for Humanity International’s US Council and Advocacy Committee. In his spare time, Scott loves to ski, cycle, travel, write and help raise the next generation of adventurers. Scott is a graduate of Northwestern University, and holds his Masters of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Please join us on February 15th at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel (formerly called Adoba). To reserve your seat, please RSVP online. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event. We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please see a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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January Luncheon
Our January luncheon features David Emery, Chairman and CEO of Black Hills Corporation. David R. Emery is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Black Hills Corporation, a customer-focused, growth-oriented, vertically-integrated utility company headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota. The company serves 1.2 million electric and natural gas utility customers in 800 communities in eight states. Mr. Emery has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2004 and Chairman of the Board since 2005. He also served as President from 2004 through 2015. Prior to being named CEO he held several other roles with the company, including President and Chief Operating Officer – Retail Business Segment from 2003 to 2004, and Vice President – Fuel Resources from 1997 to 2003. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Emery was General Manager of the company’s oil and gas subsidiary. Between 1989 and 1993 he served in the oil and gas subsidiary as an Engineering Manager and Petroleum Engineer. Mr. Emery has 27 years with Black Hills. Prior to joining Black Hills Corporation, Mr. Emery worked as a Petroleum Engineer for Union Pacific Resources in Denver, Colorado; Rock Springs, Wyoming; Houston and Fort Worth, Texas. He holds a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Wyoming, a M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota and is a Registered Professional Engineer. Mr. Emery is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. He is active in numerous industry organizations, serving on the Board of Directors of the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Edison Electric Institute and the American Gas Association. He is also active in state and community affairs and is involved in various charitable and non-profit community organizations. Please join us on January 18th at 11:30 AM at the The Rushmore Hotel (formerly called Adoba). To reserve your seat, please RSVP online. Tickets are just $20, and you can pay online by following the link above. While you can pay at the door, we will have limited walk-in seats available on the day of the event. We are very grateful for our sponsors of this event. If you are interested in sponsoring a monthly luncheon, please see a member of the board or email BlackHillsLeadership@gmail.com. Sponsored by:
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Black Hills Leadership Development 