Release: Commissioner Scott Bollinger Announces Retirement

Commissioner Scott Bollinger Announces Retirement
Governor Noem Merges Bureaus of Administration and Human Resources

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Scott Bollinger, Commissioner of the Bureau of Administration (BOA), announced that he will be retiring in June of 2023. Governor Noem thanked Commissioner Bollinger for his years of service to the state and announced plans to merge the Bureau of Administration and the Bureau of Human Resources. Governor Noem also appointed Chas Olson as Interim Director of the South Dakota Housing Development Authority.

“Scott’s dedication to his work and to the people of South Dakota has left an impact on so many lives,” said Governor Noem. “He is an example of the wonderful opportunities that come from a career in state government. I thank Scott for his years of public service.”

With Bollinger’s retirement, Governor Noem announced the merger of the Bureaus of Human Resources and Administration. The combined bureaus will provide centralized services to state government agencies including fleet and travel, buildings and grounds, human resources, risk management, and others. Current BHR Commissioner Darin Seeley will lead the combined organization.

“This merger will streamline government processes for state employees and reduce bureaucratic overhead, making us more responsible with taxpayer dollars,” continued Governor Noem.

Commissioner Bollinger has served in state government for 40 years across a variety of positions in multiple agencies including the Department of Corrections and the Bureau of Finance and Management.

“I would like to thank Governor Noem for the opportunity to serve in her administration,” said Commissioner Bollinger. “I will miss working with BOA staff and other agency personnel. I wish them all the best in their futures.”

Scott looks forward to spending more time with his kids and six grandchildren. He also hopes to attend a Green Bay Packers football game at Lambeau Field.

Chas Olson has served as Director of Rental Housing at SDHDA since January 2021. Prior to that, he was a Housing Development Officer for SDHDA from 2014 to 2021. Chas holds an Associate’s in Pre-Economics from South Dakota State University, a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota (USD), and a certificate for the State Government Leadership Excellence program, which is a graduate program at USD.

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13 thoughts on “Release: Commissioner Scott Bollinger Announces Retirement”

  1. Noem to Biden: “Hold my beer.”

    In the sixties, merging divisions and departments was all the rage in big corporate business until they realized specialty and focus actually reduced expenses, resulted in the best innovation, and created the best work environment as employees felt they were part of a mission and not a bureaucracy. Also, this has just made employees of Administration second class employees as they won’t have the independent advocacy of HR if they have a problem with their boss.

    Government has always been behind business but this is the first time I’ve ever seen them go so far backward.

    1. Yes, agreed. These are totally different functions in state government. One focusing on people, and the other on space management, maintenance, vehicles, etc. This is a mistake that will likely be reversed by a clearer thinking administration. And it will save next to nothing. They will point to having only one commissioner, but they will soon learn that your HR commissioner should be focused, and that there are a ton of Administration issues that should be a focus of someone else.

      Who’s running the government and can we please have Daugaard or Rounds back? But hey… it’s another talking point for the political speeches.

  2. This is a bad idea. Sucks for the next person in office who’ll have to clean up all the administration mess Noem leaves.

  3. Yes, it’s a mess. At least as a layman, it sounds like a mess. Don’t know if Scott Bollinger got out of government as a result of the Governor’s redesign but do know he is a fine gentleman and, at one time, was a Hall of Famer in the Pierre Softball League.

    1. He’s retiring. Been planning it for a while. Guessing they waited to make this move until he was done.

  4. Well here is another failure in the making. I feel bad for those doomed employees.

    1. Poorly managed employees, a lack of innovation, increased bureaucracy in the support systems of state government will primarily impact the quality and efficiency of services and ultimately lead to greater burden on taxpayers.

    1. I’m thinking DOC and DOT
      They can fix the roads and clean up the ditches all at once!

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