A Letter From the CEO: Laurie Becvar Shares Her Thoughts On Her First 6 Months as CEO

Laurie Becvar, CEO of the South Dakota Hall of Fame

Dear Friends of the SD Hall of Fame,

This week I reach my sixth month serving as the chief executive officer for this fine organization and thus far, it has been a great experience leading one of South Dakota’s treasures. The South Dakota Hall of Fame is a nonprofit, public charity with a statewide reach and a beautiful Visitor and Education Center in Chamberlain. Our mission is to “Champion a Culture of Excellence in South Dakota”. Over these past months, I have thought a great deal about excellence. What it is, and what is required to attain it.

Let me share what I have found excellence to be, based on my experience with the SD Hall of Fame in six months.

Excellence is a winning Board of Directors who take the time and care to meet regularly, reviewing weighty tomes of application materials and completing the most rigorous process required to select the 10 people inducted into the SD Hall of Fame each year. While I had not yet started as CEO last year, as the newly appointed leader, I was able to join the meetings. It was amazing! The process involved objective reviews and ratings and in-depth discussions. It reminded me of my years as an academic leader, overseeing masters and doctorate-level dissertation committees.

Excellence is our staff; we are a small organization that employs two full-time staff members, Lori Platzer as Programming Manager and Kyndra Hosek as Office Manager, who oversees the Visitor and Education Center. Additionally, we work with some notable organizations such as Vela Creative Co. and South Dakota Public Broadcasting, who truly exemplify excellence. We often begin our days early, and it is not uncommon to be working side-by-side in our digital and face-to-face environment late into the evening.

Excellence is certainly our inductees. I have not yet read all 772 inductee biographies, but I am getting close. I have learned a great deal about what excellence is from them and let me share what they have taught me. Making and influencing something that is excellent requires both inspiration and effort. It means being dedicated to something larger than ourselves. It means never giving up, even through hard times. Excellence is surrounding yourself with a team of individuals where each has an opportunity to use his or her unique gifts. Excellence requires accepting mentors and being willing to be a mentor. Excellence requires study and developing skills, sometimes demanding many, many years of dedication. At times, luck is certainly involved–being at the right place at the right time. Excellence requires keeping a watchful eye for opportunity to present itself, and having the wisdom to seize the opportunity. It takes time to be excellent, it does not come overnight.

The inductees of the SD Hall of Fame have taught me that excellence is being humble, grateful, and kind–being charismatic, confident, and influential. We recognize excellence in all walks of life–Business, Politics, Education, Sports, Agriculture, Education, and more!

Last, but certainly not least, excellence is our donors who support the SD Hall of Fame. Without our donors, we could not do what we do. Thank you for your continual support and for sustaining the SD Hall of Fame for 48 years! We need your continual support as we strive towards excellence ourselves.

I will close by saying that I believe a common theme found among us all—the board of directors, staff, inductees, and donors—is that Excellence brings joy and beauty to one’s life. It’s not a burden, it’s our passion. I invite all readers to get behind “Excellence” and be a part of the extraordinary South Dakota Hall of Fame.