Download the conference program. - South Dakota Indian Business ...

serves on the Executive Board of the South Dakota Indian Business
Alliance (SDIBA) and the Advisory Council of the Northern
Plains Initiative. She also maintains several professional memberships,
including membership to the High Plains Society for Applied
Anthropology. Before her time at Colorado State University, she
did her undergraduate degree at Luther College, a highly respected
liberal arts college in Decorah, Iowa, double majoring in religion
and anthropology. Ms. Langholz has worked with and served many
nonprofits in various capacities, including Habitat for Humanity,
Northeast Iowa Community Action, and the Camp Fire Boys and
Girls Club.
Dona Leavens
Dona Leavens began working with the West River Business Service
Center in 2002 as a consultant and was appointed Regional Director
of West River Small Business Development Center in 2005. In
this position she counsels new business startups, existing businesses
needing to grow or expand or change their operations in other ways
and a myriad of related business needs to the community. Ms. Leavens
also works closely with the banks, the Small Business Administration,
the State of South Dakota, and micro lending agencies and
foundations that provide funding to small businesses. Dona holds a
Bachelor’s Degree in Managerial Accounting and NDC Certification
as Economic Development Finance Professional.
Terry Lee
As a Community Affairs Specialist (CAS) for the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC’s) Division of Depositor and Consumer
Protection, Terry A. Lee is responsible for convening banks,
nonprofits, and other stakeholders to identify community development
opportunities through appropriate outreach events in North
Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and the St. Louis metro. These
outreach events center around strategies that promote eligible opportunities
responsive to the credit, service and investment needs of
communities.
Mr. Lee serves as a point of contact and information exchange
between the public, the financial industry, and other FDIC divisions
and offices to share knowledge of activities, and resolve issues,
related to the Community Reinvestment Act, fair lending, community
development, consumer protection laws and regulations, and
program initiatives. Prior to Lee’s current position, he served as an
Assistant Compliance Bank Examiner for the Sioux Falls, South
Dakota Field Office.
Rachel Lindvall
Rachel Lindvall has been involved in community development
on the Rosebud Reservation since 1986 - first with Sinte Gleska
University (SGU) as a Vocational Educator for Forestry and Natural
Resource Management; followed by a long stint as SGU’s Director
of Library Services and most recently, from 2010, in the role
of Community Development Field Specialist for SDSU’s Rosebud
Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program, headquartered in
Mission, South Dakota. Under this program, Rachel works with entrepreneurs
and producers in local foods/agriculture, tourism, arts,
and service sectors. This past summer she completed certification to
teach ONABEN’s Indianpreneurship Program and is also involved
with developing workforce readiness programming for youth and
adults. Rachel completed her undergraduate degree in Wildlife
Science from the University of Wisconsin. She studied secondary
science teacher education at the Master’s level from CW Post College.
While working at the SGU Library, she studied for her Master
of Library Science degree in an online program from Southern Connecticut
State University.
Peggy Martin
Peggy Martin is the owner of Green Thumb Web Designs and Cedar
Creek Gardens LLC. Starting her entrepreneur journey at age 10,
she has owned several small businesses - some successful, some not -
and has learned new things with each and every one. In late 1996 Ms.
Martin became a Contract Computer Trainer with the State of South
Dakota. Since then, Peggy has acquired skills in computer training,
networking, web design, online marketing, and social media.
In addition, she is a co-owner of Cedar Creek Gardens LLC, which
sells farm fresh produce and eggs, jams, jellies, and salsa at local
farmers markets and various retail locations.
Michael Martinez
Michael Martinez is the Western District Community Affairs Officer
for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Michael
came to the OCC with over 25 years of experience in CRA and
Community Development work. Prior to joining the OCC Michael
was the Community Development Director for Vectra Bank Colorado
where he developed and managed the CRA department for
9 years. Michael was also a management consultant for nine years
with Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (dba NeighborWorks
America) providing technical assistance on neighborhood revitalization,
community development and organizational issues for non
profit agencies. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning both from
the University of Colorado.
Mike McCurry
South Dakota’s State Demographer grew up in the rural west, and
has been lucky enough to work professionally while living rural. He
completed his Bachelor of Science from Montana State University
in 1976, and went to work doing snow surveys to predict runoff
for hydroelectric power generation and flood control – and insists
that there’s not much difference between calculations for hydrology
and demography. Mike has worked for both the Soil Conservation
Service and the Forest Service, and taught at Trinidad State Junior
College and Flathead Valley Community College before moving to
Montana State University’s Extension Service, and then to South Dakota
State University (SDSU) – leaving Extension to become State
Demographer – which he feels is like being a very specialized county
agent in a very large county. He received his Master’s from Northern
Montana College, and earned his Ph.D. while working for Extension
at SDSU.
Elsie Meeks
Elsie Meeks was named State Director of the USDA Rural Development
in South Dakota by the Obama Administration on July 27,
14 2013 SOUTH DAKOTA INDIAN BUSINESS CONFERENCE