Craig Rickert is the CEO of C.A. Rickert and Associates, Inc. Upon graduating from SDSU with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Craig accepted a position with a California-based solar energy company where he quickly became the top salesperson. After transitioning into the commercial real estate industry in 1985, Craig brokered and developed large parcels of land throughout the upper Midwest. This included over 800 acres in six different developments in Sioux Falls, featuring a wide variety of restaurants, retail and businesses such as Target, Home Depot, Kohl's and Esurance. He also built a professional relationship with Walmart, helping them acquire the government entitlements and real estate purchases for 45 of their US stores. Additionally, on two different occasions, Walmart selected Craig as one of three people in the country to negotiate their real estate acquisitions of two separate retail companies. In 2006, while still maintaining his real estate and development firm, Craig founded a venture capital company and also invested in the alternative energy industry, accepting positions in three different companies. Craig and his wife of 30 years, Carla, are parents of two grown children and reside in South Dakota.