GOED announces new deputy commissioner; two directors named

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is pleased to announce the hiring of Jesse Fonkert as its new deputy commissioner. Fonkert will begin his duties on September 1.

Fonkert, of Hartford, has spent the majority of his professional career in the field of economic development. Most recently, he has served as the President and CEO of Sioux Metro Growth Alliance (SMGA).

Part of SMGA’s mission is to support the economic growth of communities, something that Fonkert will bring to GOED as one of his top priorities.

“Economic development and the growth of our state is something I am very passionate about,” said Fonkert. “I am most excited about working with industry leaders and communities in our state and helping execute the governor and commissioner’s vision for economic development in South Dakota.”

Fonkert continued, “Thank you, Governor Noem and Commissioner Schilken, for the honor to serve South Dakota as the Deputy Commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.”

Two talented and accomplished GOED employees have also been promoted.

Adam Molseed of Sioux Falls has been named Business Development Director. Molseed has been a state employee for the past 16 years. He has spent the past nearly six years as a public relations representative, building strong collaborative relationships with local economic development offices and partners across the state.

Molseed will bring both experience and knowledge of economic development and its processes as the new director.

“Over my 16 years with the State of South Dakota, I have had the pleasure to serve our great state in multiple roles. Each stop along my professional journey has prepared me for this new challenge and I am excited for the opportunity to be part of the business development team,” said Molseed. “I look forward to working with team GOED as we continue to foster economic development growth across the state and position South Dakota for future success.”

Missy Sinner of Watertown has been named Marketing Director and has already begun her role. Sinner, who has spent the past two years as GOED’s special projects coordinator, is bringing both experience and creativity to this position.

“I feel passionate about our amazing state and all it has to offer for both individuals and businesses who are considering a move to South Dakota,” Sinner said. “And I am looking forward to being able to make an impact with the amazing GOED team that is already in place.”

For Sinner, her fresh outlook will allow her to focus on the promotion of both business and workforce recruitment.

GOED Commissioner Chris Schilken said that he knows there will be continued success with these additions.

“GOED is made up of valuable team members and these changes will only improve our commitment to build upon South Dakota’s strong economy,” said Schilken.

I just had a note on this sad news. Former South Dakota Republican Party National Committeeman, and 1998 US Senate Candidate Ron Schmidt passed this last Sunday, only days after his wife Priscilla’s recent funeral.  Among South Dakotans, especially those in politics, Ron Schmidt was known by many, and I don’t know that a person could say a bad word about the man if they tried to think of one. Ron was a consummate gentleman, a professional, and a genuinely nice person.

Hired out of law school to be the director of the State Legislative Research Council in July of 1965, Ron became more openly involved with the State Republican Party with an announcement in 1970, when he threw his hat in the ring for the office of Attorney General on the Republican ticket, taking on incumbent Attorney General Gordon Mydland. The convention race between Schmidt & Mydland hinged somewhat on vote horse trading for the Lt. Governor’s position between Robert Bartron of Watertown, Art Jones of Rapid City, and James Rothstein of Mobridge.  Mydland won the vote for AG at convention, and went on to another term as Attorney General.

At the time when Democrat Dick Kneip had taken the state’s highest office, Schmidt made a second run for Attorney General in 1972 in a year that was bad for Republicans. Schmidt ran in the general election, but lost to Democrat Kermit Sande.

In the years after that, Schmidt served as a lobbyist for various and diverse interests in Pierre ranging from bankers, to billboard owners, to psychologists. Ron also was noted to work with the Attorney General’s office from time to time as a special Attorney General.  Schmidt was considered more than once for a federal judgeship, and had been one of Senator Larry Pressler’s strongest supporters in the SDGOP.

Schmidt participated in a number of National Republican Conventions representing South Dakota (at least 4). And he served for a number of years as the SDGOP National Committeeman, including appointments to an RNC special council for outreach to minority communities.

The pinnacle of Schmidt’s political career would be when he won the primary nomination against State Senator Alan Aker to be the South Dakota Republican Party’s candidate for US Senate in 1998 against Tom Daschle. While he was not ultimately successful against Daschle at a time when the political winds were not always behind the GOP, he did the Republicans of South Dakota proud to represent them in the November election.

Ron & Priscilla are survived by their daughters Ingrid & Eva, and their son Ethan who many Republicans know as a former Pennington County Commissioner, and current member of the Pennington County GOP’s Executive Board.

There will be an Obituary posted here shortly, and I will run it when it’s available.

Please keep the Schmidt family in your prayers.

If you were wondering why the State GOP had to shift their plans for a state dinner from this weekend to September, there’s a good reason. A change in schedule came about because they needed to adjust to get one of the biggest speakers that the Republican Party has to offer; former President Donald Trump.

Our Monumental Leaders Rally just got 45 times better as we look forward to hearing from the original America First leader, President @realDonaldTrump!

👉 Follow @SDGOP to find out how you can score tickets to our Monumental Leaders Rally! pic.twitter.com/dhbdAUuN0G

— South Dakota GOP (@SDGOP) July 19, 2023

Stay tuned for more coverage.. And I should also have the link where you can score tickets to the event!

(This comes as a bit of a shock, as quite a few knew Ed from his time in the legislature. You can read the full obit here. Originally coming from New York, his brand of Republican politics were not as hard right as many nowadays, but he was a strong advocate for education in the legislature, and carried a lot of water for the SDGOP.)

Flags at Half-Staff at State Capitol in Honor of Former State Legislator Edwin W. Olson Jr.

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem ordered that flags be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol from sunrise until sunset on Friday, July 21^st, 2023, in honor of former state legislator Edwin W. Olson, Jr. He represented Davison County in the South Dakota State House of Representatives from 1987-1994 and the South Dakota State Senate from 2001-2008.

Funeral services for former state legislator Edwin W. Olson, Jr. will take place at 10:30 am on July 21^st, 2023, at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 214 W 3^rd Ave, Mitchell, SD.

###

Little known trivia about Ed, his brother was the cowboy in 70’s disco group, the Village People from 1980-2013. 

And who didn’t see this coming?

After former Aberdeen Water Treatment Superintendent Bob Braun roasted city management in May, and claimed that water testing lab work has been “faked” since 2020, the City of Aberdeen took issue with it, and claimed all was well.

But that doesn’t seem to have lasted very long, as a letter landed in Aberdeen mailboxes yesterday, noting that “there is an increased chance that the water may contain disease-causing organisms.”

Someone might have come explaining to do on that one.  But I’m sure they’ll say “all is well.”

Again.

Attorney General Jackley, DCI Host Human Trafficking Training Conference

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says his office’s state Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is hosting a human trafficking training conference this week in Pierre.

“Human trafficking happens here in South Dakota, and it is important that we all work together to address this issue,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We owe it to the victims and their families.”

The training is the first ever of its kind hosted by the Attorney General’s Office and DCI. More than 65 participants from law enforcement, local governments, tribes, non-profit organizations, and state government agencies are attending the two sessions being held this week at the Mickelson Law Enforcement Training Center.

Mary Beth Holzwarth, the Human Trafficking Coordinator for the State Division of Criminal Investigation, coordinated the conference and brought in Foundation United National Training Cadre to deliver the content. Topics include discussion on human trafficking trends, risk factors that lead to human trafficking, various forms of human trafficking, and how to navigate the Dark Web and conduct operations.

Speakers include a survivor of human trafficking.

“Human trafficking damages individuals, families, and communities,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley. “The key issue being stressed this week is collaboration; working together to address this serious crime.”

One of Governor Kristi Noem’s latest tweets has gotten national attention, as she references an anti-crime song making waves across America by country music artist Jason Aldean:

My thoughts on “Try that in a Small Town”…. @Jason_Aldean pic.twitter.com/umJ8qFvy2o

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) July 19, 2023

Fox News picked up the story today via their website:

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem joined a wave of conservatives on social media defending country music star Jason Aldean from backlash over his new music video blasting Black Lives Matter rioters and daring them to “try that in a small town.”

“I am shocked by what I’m seeing in this country with people attempting to cancel this song and cancel Jason and his beliefs,” Noem posted in a video on Twitter Wednesday. “Him and Brittany are outspoken about their love for law and order and for their love of this country and I’m just grateful for them.”

Noem’s video comes in response to a music video for Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town” that has lyrics warning violent criminals, as well as those who disrespect law enforcement and the American flag, to “try that in a small town.”

Read the entire story on Fox News.

Thune, Rounds Applaud Senate Passage of Their Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act

“We applaud the Senate’s passage of our bill, and we hope the House of Representatives considers it in short order.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement after the Senate unanimously passed their Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act, bipartisan legislation that would accelerate the review and processing of mortgages on trust land by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

“Affordable housing opportunities on tribal trust land can be hard to come by in South Dakota and across the nation due in part to the BIA’s challenging mortgage approval process, which can complicate lenders’ ability to provide financing to prospective homebuyers and participate in federal tribal housing programs,” said the senators. “Our bipartisan legislation would expedite this mortgage approval process, hold the BIA accountable, and encourage more lenders to provide mortgages across Indian Country. This would expand tribal members’ access to homeownership. We applaud the Senate’s passage of our bill, and we hope the House of Representatives considers it in short order.”

“It is essential that Native people have equal access to mortgage transactions, just like any other citizen in this country,” said Chelsea Fish, executive director at the National American Indian Housing Council. “This bill focuses on aligning the processes of the BIA with standard practices in the private mortgage industry. We commend legislators for prioritizing mortgage processes within the BIA and promoting a culture of accountability.”

“Mortgage Banker Association (MBA) applauds the Senate passage of the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2023,” said Bill Killmer, senior vice president of legislative and political affairs at MBA. “This important legislation will reduce or eliminate BIA processing delays, thereby improving access to credit by encouraging more lenders to participate in trust land mortgage lending. We commend Senators Thune, Smith, Rounds, and Tester for reintroducing this bipartisan bill during this Congress and for their work in helping it pass by unanimous consent.”

The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act would create statutory timelines in which the BIA would be required to process mortgages involving property located on tribal trust land. Additionally, it would enhance the ability of certain federal agencies to operate their tribal housing programs and improve communication between the BIA and tribes, tribal members, and lenders through the establishment of a realty ombudsman within the BIA who can communicate with relevant parties.

Thune and Rounds introduced the bipartisan legislation earlier this year with U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

  

###

Governor Noem Launches New “Freedom Works Here” Ad

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem launched a new ad as part of the “Freedom Works Here” nationwide workforce recruitment campaign. The “On the Job” ad features Governor Noem as a welder inviting workers to move to South Dakota.

“’Freedom Works Here’ has already been the most successful recruitment campaign in South Dakota history,” said Governor Noem. “287 million people have seen the ads. More than 3,000 have gone through the process of applying. More than 500 are in the final stages of moving to South Dakota. And with this new ad, we aren’t slowing down.”

In the “On the Job” ad, Governor Noem highlights South Dakota’s acceptance of most out-of-state professional licenses and apprenticeship programs. Governor Noem also mentions that South Dakota is investing in scholarships to help ease financial burden and get folks trained and on the job.

More information about the Freedom Works Here campaign can be found here.

###

South Dakota Ends Fiscal Year with $96.8 Million Surplus 

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that South Dakota closed the 2023 budget year with a surplus of $96.8 million.

“South Dakota’s economy is continuing to thrive because we keep state government small, taxes are low, and we spend within our means. This surplus shows that what we are doing here is working,” said Governor Noem. “As long as we continue to budget responsibly, families across the state will be able to keep more of their money in their pockets, and we will be able to avoid unnecessary debt by using this surplus for future prison construction costs.”

State government spent $79.7 million less than appropriated in fiscal year 2023, with the total revenue finishing above the legislative adopted forecast by $17.1 million. Sales and use tax, which is the state’s largest revenue source, finished 0.5% below estimates, down $6.9 million.

“South Dakota state government continues to budget responsibly on both the revenue and spending sides of the equation,” said Jim Terwilliger, Commissioner of the South Dakota Bureau of Finance and Management. “Our state’s economic metrics are very strong because we stick to our conservative budget principles. Going forward, we must keep following those principles. With so much uncertainty surrounding the national economy, conservative spending will ensure our long-term fiscal health.”

Over the last several years, South Dakota has seen unprecedented economic growth. By keeping the state “Open for Business” during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Noem ensured that South Dakota came out stronger than ever. South Dakota continues to maintain a AAA credit rating and is one of the only states with a fully-funded pension. Now, with the lowest unemployment in the history of the nation, South Dakotans are still working hard and guaranteeing that our kids and grandkids will inherit a thriving state.

By law, the fiscal year 2023 surplus was transferred to the state’s budget reserves. The state’s reserves now total $335.7 million or 14.7% of the fiscal year 2024 general fund budget.

###