Gov. Noem Appoints Jarrod Johnson as Interim Commissioner of School and Public Lands
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem appointed Jarrod Johnson as Interim Commissioner of School and Public Lands, effective February 1, 2022. The current commissioner, Ryan Brunner, will step down from his position and join and Governor Noem’s office as a senior policy advisor. Ryan’s last day in elected office will be January 31, 2022.
“Ryan has been a tireless servant to the people of South Dakota as Commissioner of School and Public Lands, and he has earned respect throughout the halls of the Capitol and across the state. We are excited to have him join our team in the Governor’s Office,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Jarrod will be a capable and qualified steward of the office until the next commissioner is elected by the people.”
Jarrod Johnson previously served as South Dakota’s Commissioner of School and Public Lands from 2007-2013. While in office he served on the South Dakota Investment Council, was President of the Western States Land Commissioner’s Association, and was a South Dakota representative on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. In addition, Jarrod also was appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to the Bureau of Land Management Resource Advisory Committee of Montana and Dakotas.
Jarrod has served South Dakota Agriculture in several leadership capacities, including as past President of the Sioux Basin Cattlemen’s Association, the board of directors of South Dakota Agriculture and Rural Leadership, a board member of the Western South Dakota Buckaroos, the property rights chairman of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, and appointed member representative of Agriculture United for South Dakota. Jarrod is also a current member of the South Dakota Stock Growers Association and the General Beadle Club. Jarrod and his wife Nancy ranch in Minnehaha and Meade counties.
“I am grateful to Governor Noem for this opportunity to serve the people of South Dakota,” said Jarrod Johnson. “I plan to serve in this position in an interim capacity and will not be running for this office in the fall. My goal is to ensure a smooth transition to the next commissioner following the November election.”
You can learn more about the Office of School and Public Lands here.
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Good Gov staff move. Ryan is outstanding, and welcome back Jarrod
When did Ryan leave? Great guy.
Per the release, he’s joining the Gov’s staff.
Jarrod Johnson is a great guy with a lot of experience as a public land Commissioner. We are lucky to have him watching over the leases and making sure our schools get the most dollars from public lands.
I do fundamentally disagree with office holders resigning early from positions they went to the public and asked for. We’ve seen a lot of that over the last few years. I have no problem with Jarrod getting appointed for a while, but why do this when Ryan had one year remaining and could have went to the Gov’s office then? Yes — I know — people get career opportunities. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I think we should keep the commitments we make.