The South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry welcomed four new board members at the quarterly Board of Directors meeting held earlier this year in Pierre and online.
The Board of Directors operates under the leadership of the current Board Chair Sheila Anderson, Treasurer and CFO of Daktronics in Brookings. David Owen serves as President and chief lobbyist of the organization.
The new members of the board include:
Zach Clark, Owner, Clark Insurance, Pierre.
Zach is the owner of Clark Insurance, an independent insurance agency focused on employee benefits, individual health products and Medicare products. He has been in the insurance industry for 21 years where he has seen the health insurance market change significantly and offers his clients a wide array of options to meet their ever-changing needs. Zach Clark currently serves on the Pierre Economic Development Corporation and the Pierre, Fort Pierre Rotary Board and was previously on the Pierre Volunteer Fire Department.
A native of Pierre, Zach lived in Vermillion and Rapid City before moving back to Pierre in 2008. He received his BA in Business Administration from University of South Dakota and currently resides in Fort Pierre. He and his wife Liza have been married for 12 years and have two daughters Kenzie (9) and Izabelle (7).
Todd Kenner, CEO, RESPEC, Rapid City.
Over the past 40 years, Mr. Kenner has held positions with progressive and expanding responsibilities. He has held top leadership positions in engineering consulting ESOP companies ranging in size from $20M to $700M. His responsibilities have included development and implementation of strategic plans, managing business operations, and strategic growth. Mr. Kenner is a registered professional engineer in six states.
Since May 2009, Mr. Kenner has led the growth and expansion of RESPEC. Headquartered in Rapid City, SD, RESPEC is an integrated consulting firm focused on the water, energy, infrastructure, and technology market sectors. During his tenure, RESPEC has evolved from a highly specialized firm of $14M in annual revenues to a diverse, multi-faceted consulting company operating in 14 states and two Canadian provinces with over $100M in annual revenues. Throughout his career, Mr. Kenner has been committed to public services. He has served in various leadership roles for a wide range of professional organizations, public agency advisory boards, and community interest boards. In 2006, Mr. Kenner received an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
Dave Rozenboom, President, First PREMIER Bank, Sioux Falls.
Dave is the President of First PREMIER, a $3.0 billion full-service community bank with 16 locations throughout eastern South Dakota. Dave has served in a variety of community leadership roles, including Co-Chair of the recent Forward Sioux Falls 2021-2026 campaign; current board member of the SD Hall of Fame and the SD Symphony; and member of Dordt University President’s Advisory Council.
Dave has also previously served as the Board Chair of the South Dakota Bankers Association; Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce; Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center; Sioux Falls Christian Schools; Junior Achievement of South Dakota and Downtown Sioux Falls.
Rozenboom grew up on a family farm near Oskaloosa, IA. He received his BA in Business Administration from Dordt University in Sioux Center, IA and has enjoyed a 37-year banking career in South Dakota. He and his wife Tammy have been married for 38 years and are blessed with four grown children and seven grandchildren.
Joshua Shields, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications, POET, Sioux Falls.
Joshua joined POET, LLC in June 2020 and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications. In his role he oversees POET’s policy activities, community and industry partnerships, and communications and advocacy efforts.
Before joining POET, Shields worked as Chief of Staff for South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and led government affairs for Black Hills Energy. Prior to that he spent time in Washington, DC working for then-Congresswoman Noem and South Dakota Senator John Thune. He was also instrumental in managing the campaigns and securing victories for multiple statewide candidates.
Shields holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Studies from Gordon College in Wenham, MA.
South Dakota Chamber board members are responsible for establishing the organization’s legislative policy, establishing membership programs and aiding in the development of the membership base.
The Board of Directors for the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry has a goal of being geographically representative of the state and the diverse types of business that comprise the membership. Board members are eligible to serve two three-year terms. Some may remain on the board longer in the position of one-year at-large members or when elected to leadership positions.
State Chamber President David Owen stated, “The Chamber’s mission is to address issues that impact business in South Dakota by striving to implement policies that strengthen the state as a place that is investment-worthy and that has strong quality of life for business owners and the people they employ. The Board of Directors is a group of leaders from a wide variety of communities throughout South Dakota, bringing representation from diverse industries. They know what is happening in their business and in their cities; they keep the Chamber focused and make it a highly effective organization. The new members of the board continue this strong tradition.”
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