The South Dakota State Parks Division recognized several individuals for their dedication and hard work in the state park system. The awards were presented at the division’s annual meeting held recently in Chamberlain.
The 2024 Seasonal Employee of the Year is Tom Burgess. Burgess travels from Oregon to Pierre each summer and consistently excels in overseeing campground operations, resolving customer issues, and maintaining high standards of facility cleanliness, demonstrating remarkable commitment to his role at Farm Island and West Bend Recreation Areas.
The Distinguished Service award was given to Jason Baumann, who has served the state of South Dakota for 24 years. Jason’s leadership and project management at multiple state parks has had a profound impact on the growth and success of the park system.
The Awards of Appreciation were presented to Ashley Waibel and Levi Van Sambeek.
Ashley Waibel was recognized for her invaluable support in managing system reports, ensuring accounting accuracy, and ensuring the seamless operation of critical processes. Her expertise and dedication have resulted in significant time and cost savings for the department.
Levi Van Sambeek was recognized for his exemplary leadership at Custer State Park. Levi’s calm demeanor, problem-solving abilities, and contributions to budget management, event organization, and park operations have made him an indispensable asset to the park.
Cassy Behnke earned the Innovative Programming Award for developing the “Ladies, Let’s Fish” program. This initiative provided a supportive, women-centered environment to teach fishing skills, resulting in successful recruitment and retention of female anglers.
Two Teamwork Awards were presented at this year’s division meeting.
The Pickerel Lake Modern Cabin Construction Team, including Mike Gruba, Jacob DeBaun, Rebecca Hedlund, David Ewalt, Kordel Chmela, Jeffery Seehafer, Darin Stephan, Wyatt Jones, Drew Wermedal, Isaac Rubendall, Derek Meshke, Stan Scubelek, David Shepherd, Ramsey Leighton, John Christenson, Steve Kurkowski, Al Fedje, Glen Lueck, Mark Crawford, and 14 guest apprentices, has received the Teamwork Award for their collaborative effort in constructing a modern cabin at Pickerel Lake. Contributing over 700 hours to the project, the team demonstrated exceptional skill and attention to detail with a focus on putting their construction skills to practice and coming together as a team to build a beautiful cabin for our customers to enjoy.
The Palisades Expansion Team, including Luke Dreckman, Mark Robinson, Logan Jurrens, Joey Simpson, John Dummer, Reed Peterson, Lane Moeller, Joe James, Payton Brower, Jay Flynn, Caleb Wynia, Ramsey Leighton, Ian Harrison, Mike Deffenbaugh, Darrell Lofswold, Darin Haak, Travis Theilen, Paul Beckwith, and Adam Kulesa, were honored with the Teamwork Award for their contributions to the expansion of campground facilities at Palisades State Park. Their coordinated efforts to enhance park amenities while preserving the natural environment have greatly enriched the visitor experience and strengthened its reputation as a premier destination.
Oliver Tollefson earned the 2024 Volunteer of the Year award for his long-standing service at the Wildlife Station Visitor Center in Custer State Park. Since 2004, Oliver has contributed over 6,000 volunteer hours, assisting more than 200,000 visitors with his knowledge, passion, and dedication to Custer State Park.
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