Meet the Staff of the South Dakota Hall of Fame
The South Dakota Hall of Fame is run by a small but dedicated team of employees who help facilitate the Hall’s mission to champion a culture of excellence. These staff members range from seasonal to full-time employees and are fantastic at what they do. We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to everyone behind the scenes here at the South Dakota Hall of Fame, and thank our staff for all of their hard work and dedication to the mission of our organization.
Laurie Becvar, CEO of the South Dakota Hall of Fame
Laurie Becvar comes to the South Dakota Hall of Fame with over 20 years of executive leadership experience in non-profit and for-profit organizations as well as in higher education. Becvar commented, “It is truly an honor to have been chosen to lead the South Dakota Hall of Fame–an organization capturing the rich stories of excellence throughout the state and sharing that knowledge to inspire, teach, and learn. My South Dakota roots are deep. My family came to Dakota Territory in 1870, and this history and the Hall’s mission and vision motivate me to pay tribute to historic legacies and to champion excellence in our beautiful South Dakota.” Becvar earned both her Master of Arts and Doctorate Degrees in Higher Education Administration from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.
Lori Platzer, Programming Manager
Lori Platzer was born and raised in St. Paul, MN. After coming to the Chamberlain area seasonally for a few years, Lori moved to the area full-time in 2009, settling into life as a South Dakotan. She started working for the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2015 and acts as the Programming Manager for the organization. Lori states, “I work with a great team of people, and we are lucky to be able to interact on a daily basis with people who do great things for the State of South Dakota!” In Lori’s free time she enjoys traveling, gardening, fishing, time spent outdoors with her partner of 13 years and his two children, and visiting Minnesota to spend time with family.
Taelonna Seeking Land, Administrative Assistant
Taelonna Seeking Land recently joined the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2022 as an Administrative Assistant and works at the Hall’s Visitor & Education Center. Taelonna is an enrolled member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe and shared, “I am a Dakota woman and a proud mother to my one-year-old daughter.” She is from Fort Thompson, SD, and attended school and lived at St. Joseph’s Indian School from 4th-grade year to her junior year while also attending the local high school in Chamberlain. She chose to go home to her reservation for senior year and graduated from Crow Creek Tribal School. Some of Taelonna’s previous work includes the Akta Lakota Museum, located on the St Joe Campus. She enjoyed the environment of working in a museum, and it is what drew her to the position at the South Dakota Hall of Fame.
Carissa VanderLey, Project Coordinator
Carissa VanderLey was born & raised in southeast South Dakota in the Marion area. She attended the University of South Dakota and obtained a B.S. in History Education. Carrisa is a social studies teacher in Chamberlain and entered her 22nd year of teaching in 2022. She began working at the South Dakota Hall of Fame during the summers in 2014 and primarily coordinates exhibits in the Visitor & Education Center. Carrisa shared “I very much enjoy the researching part of my job and the ability to find out more about amazing South Dakotans and what they have done in our state.” You may have also met Carissa at one of the Hall’s Honors Ceremonies, where she helps with registration and coordination.
We are so thankful for this hard-working team of women at the South Dakota Hall of Fame. To learn more about our organization, visiting hours, and programming, click here.