South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden has allocated $500,000 from the state’s Future Fund award to the South Dakota Department of the Military to support the work of the Governor’s Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force– or GRIT.
These dollars will be used by GRIT to build effective communication tools for citizens, gather resources to collect and integrate geographic information system (GIS) data that will enhance statewide infrastructure planning, and work with industry and academic partners to strengthen South Dakota’s resilience efforts.
Earlier this year (2026), Rhoden declared national security as South Dakota’s next big industry and established the GRIT Task Force to strengthen the state’s resilience by identifying infrastructure vulnerabilities, recommending strategies to improve preparedness and fostering collaboration among public and private partners. He says the GRIT Task Force is helping turn that vision into a reality by strengthening critical infrastructure, improving resilience and ensuring South Dakota is prepared to deal with risks from cyber or physical attacks.
Lieutenant Governor Tony Venhuizen chairs the task force. Major General Mark Morrell, Adjutant General of the South Dakota National Guard, is the vice-chair.
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