Frank Kurtenbach honored by SDSU Foundation with Lohr Award for Volunteer Leadership

Frank Kurtenbach was honored with the Jerome J. Lohr Award for Volunteer Leadership in recognition of his involvement and support of the South Dakota State University Foundation.

The award was announced Oct. 13 in conjunction with the SDSU Foundation’s fall Council of Trustees meeting. The announcement was made by Jerry Lohr, one of SDSU’s largest benefactors and a member of the foundation board since 1988.

The SDSU Foundation created the Lohr Award in 1999 to honor an individual “who demonstrates exemplary volunteer leadership on behalf of the foundation and outstanding philanthropic support of SDSU.” The award speaks to not only financial contributions, but also to significant contributions of time and expertise to advance the mission and priorities of the university.

Lohr personally selects the winner of the award each year, in conjunction with SDSU Foundation staff and leadership. He acknowledged Kurtenbach’s leadership with campus projects, most recently his pivotal role in funding and championing one of the nation’s best collegiate wrestling facilities, the Frank J. Kurtenbach Family Wrestling Center.

A 1961 health sciences graduate, Kurtenbach grew up in Dimock, where he was a two-sport athlete who lettered three years in football and wrestling. Kurtenbach spent two years as a commissioned officer in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He coached and taught for 16 years. He returned to SDSU to earn his master’s in health sciences in 1969 while serving as State’s head coach of the wrestling team.

Kurtenbach joined Daktronics in 1979, at a time when the company had just 100 employees. During his tenure at the company, he was known for creating student opportunities and expanding Daktronics’ internship program. He was on the Daktronics board of directors for 29 years and served as vice president of sales for 20 years. In 2004, Kurtenbach was honored as a distinguished alumnus at SDSU. A member of the South Dakota Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, Kurtenbach has consistently championed the wrestling program at SDSU with his unfailing Jackrabbits pride.

Kurtenbach is the 20th recipient of the prestigious award. Other past recipients include:

• Anson Yeager, former editor of the Argus Leader and lead donor of Yeager Hall who died in 2005.
• Roland Jensen, a former energy industry leader who served on the board until his death in 2006.
• Dr. Charles “Scotty” Roberts, a physician and local philanthropist until his death in 2004.
• Bill Larson, a Colorado rancher who earned three degrees at SDSU in the 1960s.
• Aelred J. Kurtenbach of Brookings, a co-founder of Daktronics.
• Duane Sander of Brookings, a co-founder of Daktronics.
• Errol EerNisse of Salt Lake City, an electrical engineering graduate and founder of multiple research-based companies.
• Barbara B. Fishback of Brookings, a home economics graduate who is active in local, regional and statewide organizations.
• Dana Dykhouse, an agricultural business graduate and CEO of First PREMIER Bank in Sioux Falls.
• Duane Harms, an agricultural business graduate and owner and president of Harms Oil Co. in Brookings.
• Paul Moriarty, a homebuilder, developer and apartment owner in Brookings.
• Bill Folkerts, real estate investor and owner in Watertown.
• Keith Bartels, former vice president of The Martin Group Inc. in Mitchell.
• Cathy Voelzke, former nutrition marketing program manager for Midwest Dairy Association in Brookings.
• John “Jack” Marshman, former president of Sioux Falls Construction who died in 2018.
• Jim Woster, an animal science graduate, South Dakota Hall of Fame Inductee and volunteer at countless organizations across the state, including the SDSU Foundation.
• David Anderson, a senior research scientist at Elanco Animal Health and creator of SDSU’s Weary Wil and Dirty Lil statues outside the University Student Union.
• Steve Stahly, an agricultural and resource economics graduate and principal of Stahly Investments of west Des Moines, Iowa.
• Jim Morgan, a 1969 electrical engineering graduate who built a decades-long career with Daktronics and was responsible for the design of the company’s first scoreboard in 1971.