A Look Back on 2022 at the South Dakota Hall of Fame
2022 was a big year for the South Dakota Hall of Fame. As we look back on this last year, we feel inspired by and honored to have been able to champion a culture of excellence across the state.
Internal Changes and Transitions
As an organization, we experienced change and growth in 2022. Greta Chapman, the former CEO of the South Dakota Hall of Fame, retired in May after serving as CEO for eight years. She joined the Hall of Fame during a time when the organization was facing extreme difficulties and helped stabilize and grow the Hall in multiple ways.
“It has been a privilege to engage with these dream chasers, making our state one of the best in the nation,” shared Greta in her final month with the Hall.
Upon Greta’s retirement, the South Dakota Hall of Fame welcomed Laurie Becvar as the new CEO of the organization. Becvar came to the South Dakota Hall of Fame with over 20 years of executive leadership experience in nonprofit and for-profit organizations, as well as higher education. Most recently, Becvar served as President and COO of Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation and as leadership faculty with The Indian University of North America, where she tripled development efforts, expanded enrollment, and led the operations of multiple departments.
The Hall is run by a small and dedicated team of individuals, and Kyndra Hosek joined us in 2022 as our new office manager of the Visitor & Education Center. She came to us with a great deal of experience and has assisted with providing tours for visiting guests, as well as managing the gift shop, and providing administrative support in a number of areas.
Honoring Those Lost
We experienced the loss of some truly amazing individuals this year. We were deeply saddened by the loss of Rod Bowar, 2018 Inductee, and South Dakota Hall of Fame Board Member. Rod J. Bowar left this world too soon when he passed away on Sunday, August 28 in Deadwood at the age of 60. He made a huge impact in Kennebec, SD, and beyond through his work in telecommunications. His legacy will live on and inspire the youth of South Dakota for generations to come. Other inductees we lost in 2022 include Tim Giago, renowned journalist, and Former South Dakota Gov. Harvey Wollman. A full blog article will be coming in 2023 honoring all of those we lost this past year.
Two Honors Ceremonies Were Held
It was a memorable year of honoring inductees of the South Dakota Hall of Fame, with two honors ceremony weekends held in 2022. The Class of 2021’s honors ceremony was postponed in 2021 due to the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic and was instead held in May of 2022. The 10 amazing individuals who were inducted into the Class of 2021 include: Gary Cammack, Jon Crane, Ray Hillenbrand (1934-2019), David Kapaska, Angela Kennecke, Dan Kirby, Steven Lindquist, Ryan McFarland, Marian Sullivan, and Craig Tieszen (1949-2017). The occasion felt special as inductees past and present gathered together once more.
The Class of 2022 Honors Ceremony weekend, held in September, was equally as special and so many special memories were made as 10 new inductees entered the South Dakota Hall of Fame. The Class of 2022 include: Randell Beck, Dennis Daugaard, Paul Gnirk, Charles Hart, Shantel Krebs, Grace Martin Highley (1895-1985), Tad Perry, Ron Reed, Mark Shlanta (1965-2022), and Bev Warne.
Updates to Our Programs
Our organization saw growth throughout its programming. This growth included three new exhibits created at the Visitor & Education Center: the Music in the Air exhibit, the Terry Redlin exhibit, and the Saddle exhibit. There were 10 new Acts of Excellence awards handed out to every day South Dakotans exhibiting excellence in their communities. Over a dozen legacy interviews with inductees and their representatives were recorded, and our 45th Legacy Podcast episode aired. Our diverse programming has allowed us to reach a wider audience than ever before and has helped us create connections and inspire others to chase their dreams.
Looking Ahead
As we look ahead to 2023, we are excited to grow more, dream bigger, and champion a culture of excellence like never before. We are thrilled to see who will join the 10 newest inductees in the Class of 2023 and to have the opportunity to uplift their stories of excellence state-wide. Do you know an individual who has chased their dreams, and had a positive impact on South Dakota? There is still time to nominate them for induction in 2023. Click here to learn more.