Description: The South Dakota Commissioner of School and Public Lands is an elected, constitional officer in the exectutive branch. The office mission is to ensure efficient and superior management of school and endowment lands and trust funds owned and administered by the State of South Dakota.Term: 4 year term; Limit: 2 consecutive termsSalary: $85,629Requirements for Office: There are no specific qualifications for this office.
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I bring experience as a scientist, educator, researcher, small-business owner, and community leader. My scientific background prepares me to make evidence-based decisions about land and natural resources. Operating a small business, which delivered out-of-school and after-school youth programming, provided me experience with budgets, contracts, expenses, payroll and financial accountability. Although I am not a professional realtor or investment manager, I understand the Commissioner's role as a trustee: working with qualified professionals, providing strong oversight, protecting trust assets, and ensuring South Dakota's lands and funds continue benefiting public education for generations.
I won't pretend to be a realtor, investment manager, or rancher. My job as Commissioner is to be an effective trustee—bringing sound judgment, scientific expertise, financial accountability, transparency, and the ability to work with the professionals and South Dakotans who know these lands best.
My priorities for managing the Common School Permanent Trust Fund are to protect and grow this permanent educational asset while delivering strong, sustainable returns for South Dakota’s public schools. I will emphasize fiscal responsibility, professional investment management, transparency, and careful oversight, while ensuring our school trust lands receive fair value and remain productive for generations. Responsible financial management and responsible land stewardship go hand in hand. By using sound science, working collaboratively with farmers, ranchers, hunters, anglers, and rural communities, and increasing transparency, accountability, and public input, we can strengthen education funding while protecting South Dakota’s lands, natural resources, and outdoor heritage for future generations.
To increase revenue for South Dakota schools, I will focus on securing fair market value from trust-land leases, developing responsible long-term revenue opportunities such as renewable energy, and protecting the productivity of trust lands through sound stewardship. I will prioritize sustainable revenue over expanding mineral extraction and ensure existing mineral agreements provide fair compensation, reclamation protections, and safeguards against future liabilities. I will also strengthen investment oversight, modernize GIS and asset-management tools, and improve accountability. Above all, we must protect the Permanent Trust Fund principal while pursuing sustainable growth so every trust acre and dollar benefits South Dakota students today and for generations to come.
