Each year at our scholarship banquet, the Ness School of Management and Economics recognizes an Economics Alumni member and invites them to guest speak at the banquet. This spans all the way back to 1955 and is a tradition.
Current Distinguished Alumni:
2023: Soon to be announced.
Past Distinguished Alumni and Guest Speakers:
2022: Brian Gilbert, Agricultural Banking Manager at The First National Bank; Tawney Brunsch, Executive Director of Lakota Funds
2021: No event due to COVID-19.
2020: No event due to COVID-19.
2019: Brian Gatzke, ARA, owner, Certified General Appraiser, Northern Plains Appraisal; Pat Lyons, Professor Emeritus of Economics, South Dakota State University
2018: Mark Leddy, Five Star Enterprises, LLP; Merl Hackbart, Kentucky Consensus Revenue Forecasting Group
2017: Doug Hajek, Banking Lawyer and Partner at Davenport Evans, Sioux Falls and Bob Schmidt, Senior Vice President - North Business Lending Division for Farm Credit Services of America, Pierre
2016: Tyler Stowater, Partner/Vice President of Bluestem, Luverne and Jeff Lakner, CEO of Lakner Farms L.L.C., Sioux Falls
2015: Bill Even, Commercial Unit Lead for South Dakota, eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota for DuPont Pioneer, Humboldt
2014: Kim Tyler, Vice-Chair, SDSU Foundation, Brookings
2013: Steve Stahly, CEO, Stahly Financial, Des Moines
2012: Kevin Tetzlaff, President/CEO, First Bank and Trust, Brookings
2011: Craig Rickert, CEO, C.A. Rickert and Associates
2010: Larry Ness, CEO and Chairman of the Board, First Dakota National Bank, Yankton
2009: Richard Shane, Former Head, Department of Economics, SDSU
2008: Dana J. Dykhouse, President and CEO, First PREMIER Bank, Sioux Falls
2007: Jeffery Chicoine, Managing Director, Mesirow Advanced Strategies, Inc., Chicago
2006: Dr. Lauri Stenberg-Nichols, Dean, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, SDSU
2005: Dr. Ardelle Lundeen-Roberts, Former Head, Department of Economics, SDSU
2004: Jeff Muchow, President, South Dakota State University Foundation and Senior Management involvement in business startups
2003: Sam Cordes, Professor and Assistant Director of Cooperative Extension, Purdue University
2002: David Chicoine, Vice President for Economics Development and Corporate Relations, University of Illinois
2001: Sid Bostic, President and COO, FirstMerit Corporation
2000: Roger Prunty, Prunty Construction/Past Mayor, Brookings
1999: George Roberts, President, Hometown Insurers, Sioux Falls
1998: Robert C. Elmen, President/Chairman of Elmen Rental, Inc., Sioux Falls
1997: Jeff Newman, Principals - RKG, Inc., Senior Consultant - FTP Consulting Services, Dell Rapids
1996: Roger Christensen, Director of Economic Development - Nebraska, Omaha
1995: Dr. Sam Cordes, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Director, Center for Rural Community Revitalization and Development, Lincoln
1994: Wayne Fischer, Senior Vice President/Operations, First National Bank, Brookings
1993: John Sundet, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rollerblade Inc., Minneapolis
1992: Jim Nichols, Farmer and Director of Economic Development, Sibley County, Minnesota
1991: Rodney Foubery, Chairman of Board, Dacotah Bank, Aberdeen
1990: Cal Williamson, Vice President, First National Bank, Sioux Falls
1989: Sid Bostic, President, Norwest Bank, Omaha
1988: Dr. Mary K. Wagner, South Dakota Representative, District 7
1987: David S. Dahl, Manager Corporate Communications, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis
1986:Dr. Gene Murra, Head, Economics Department, SDSU
1985: Chuck Luke, Citibank, Vice President of Consumer Affairs
1984: Dr. Lee R. Kolmer, Dean, College of Agriculture and Director of the Experiment Station, Iowa State University
1982: Dr. E. Gerald Corrigan, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
1981: Dr. Sherwood O. Berg, President of SDSU
1980: Dr. Delwyn D. Dearborn, Dean, College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, SDSU
1979: Dr. Hilton M. Briggs, Former President of SDSU
1978: Philip Raup, University of Montana
1977: Ray E. Switzer, President, Switzer-Besson Co., Inc.
1976: Dr. Allyn Lockner, Secretary of Department of Environmental Protection
1975: Dr. Bruce MacLaury, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
1974: Dr. Mark Powers, Chicago Board of Trade
1973: Paul W. McCracken, Economics Advisor to Former President Nixon
1972: Harold Pluimer, Professional Consultant
1971: Laurn Soth, Des Moines Register and Tribune
1970: Warren Eustis, Upper Midwest Research and Development
1969: Dr. Laurel Loftsgaard, President North Dakota State University
1968: Dr. Carroll Hes, Kansas State University
1967: Lester Brown, International Agricultural Development
1966: Dr. Dwight M. Blood, University of Wyoming
1965: Val Peterson, Former Governor of Nebraska
1964: Dr. William G. Murray, Iowa State University
1963: Dean Sherwood O. Berg, University of Minnesota
1962: Dr. Donald Paarlberg, Purdue University
1961: Dr. George McGovern, Food for Peace Administrator
1960: Dr. Max Myers, Administration - Foreign Agricultural Service
1959: Dr. James A. VanWinkle, Montana State University
1958: Dr. O.B. Jesness, University of Minnesota
1957: Robert C. Liebenow, Chicago Board of Trade
1956: Dr. Raymond J. Penn, University of Wisconsin
1955: Dr. J. Ackerman, President - American Farm Economics Association