SDARL welcomes Class XIII and alumni at Legacy Leadership Orientation Seminar
SDARL marked its 25th anniversary with a Silver Anniversary celebration to remember! Held alongside the Class XIII Legacy Leadership Orientation Seminar from December 4–6, the events brought together a diverse group of SDARL alumni, friends, and supporters and served as an enthusiastic welcome for the program’s newest class.
Class XIII kicked off the seminar with insights and practical leadership guidance from two distinguished speakers: Dana Dykhouse, CEO of First PREMIER Bank, and Dr. Joseph Cassady, SD Corn Endowed Dean of the South Dakota State University College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences. Following class member introductions, participants gathered at Brookings favorite Cubby’s for an evening of conversation, connection, and networking.
On the second day, alumni joined Class XIII for a session focused on attitude, led by guest speaker Matt Booth. The Heritage Luncheon followed, featuring the visionary leaders who helped launch SDARL in the late 1990s (Denny Everson, Tim Alcorn, John Haverhals, Dusty Anderson, and Dan and Rae Jean Gee). They shared reflections on the challenges, growth, and successes involved in building a leadership program of this caliber. The afternoon included Class XIII tours of SDSU facilities—the Swine Unit, Dairy Plant, and Raven Precision Ag Center—while alumni enjoyed holiday socials hosted around Brookings.
The day concluded with an evening banquet and anniversary celebration, highlighted by keynote speaker Dr. Ronald Place, President and CEO of Avera, who shared his leadership philosophy. During the banquet, SDARL presented its first-ever Friend of SDARL and Distinguished Graduate awards to Denny Everson and Walt Bones (Class II). Both honorees offered meaningful remarks as the organization celebrated its history and looked ahead to the future.
The seminar wrapped up with class members and their spouses or partners exploring their unique qualities and leadership styles through the CliftonStrengths® assessment. As Class XIII headed home amid a December snowstorm, participants reflected on a memorable first seminar and the opportunity to begin growing together as a class.
Class XIII will reconvene in January for the Agtegra Seminar on Rural Vitality & Entrepreneurship.
SDARL thanks the Legacy Leadership Orientation Seminar endowing sponsors
for their enduring support:
Walt (Class II) & Jan Bones
Raymon (Class V) & Pamela Epp
Denny & Jan Everson
Nate (Class I) & Michelle Franzen
Kevin (Class IV) & Teri Jaspers
Terry (Class III) & Sandi Jaspers
Roxanne & Eric Knock
John (Class VI) & Jodi Melius
Jon (Class VI) & Cathy Nelson
Don & Kay Norton
ReEtta Sieh (Class X)
Jeff (Class VII) & Karen Thompson
