SDSU Extension is pleased to announce the 20 South Dakotans selected to join the second South Dakota Change Network cohort. From welcoming new populations in Aberdeen to emphasizing inclusivity in the arts in Vermillion, these participants are driven to improve the places they live and work.
The Change Network provides South Dakotans, North Dakotans, and the region’s 12 Native nations with a supportive learning environment to lead change within their organizations and communities in a more equitable and inclusive manner. The cohort will spend the next year working one-on-one with mentors and jointly in group discussions while attending online learning sessions and three in-person convenings.
“We are excited to engage a diverse group of South Dakotans who span multiple backgrounds, professions, ways of thinking, points of view, and ages,” remarked Kari O’Neill, Community Vitality Field Specialist with SDSU Extension. “One of Change Network’s greatest strengths is the cohort’s ability to learn from and assist each other thanks to their breadth of expertise.”
Begun in 2017, Change Network is made possible through the collaboration of 3E Productions, Bush Foundation, CommonSense Consulting@Work, MillerHale Associates, National Arts Strategies, SDSU Extension, and Strengthen ND. Participation in the Change Network is generously funded by the Bush Foundation and includes access to a $5,000 grant to implement a pilot project or support a related ongoing community project.
Change Network South Dakota Participants
Golnesa Asheghali | Rapid City
Caitlin Bordeaux | Saint Francis
Keith Braveheart | Vermillion
Casey Burrus | Herrick
Naomi Even-Aberle | Rapid City
Bea Fischer | Aberdeen
Elisabetta Giomo-James | Flandreau
Amber Hansen | Vermillion
Heidi Hepola | Aberdeen
Julie Johnson | Mina
Pam Lange | Belle Fourche
Leslie Larson-Cutshaw | Clear Lake
Sandra Kern Mollman | Vermillion
Tamie Nickelson | Frederick
Emily Firman Pieper | Flandreau
Jay Pond | Rapid City
Paul Schipper | Sioux Falls
Julie Stevenson | Watertown
Cary Thrall | Lead
Erica Weston | Oglala
Media Contact:
Kari O’Neill
SDSU Extension
605-685-6972
kari.oneill@sdstate.com
