News

Economic group wins award

PIERRE - Black Hills Vision, the Hills-wide economic-development group whose stated goal is to help nudge the region toward a diverse, technology-based economy, received statewide recognition Wednesday night.

Gov. Mike Rounds presented the first-ever Spirit of 2010: Economic Development Award during the Governor’s Economic Development Conference. At the same event, Ken Wetz of Newell was named winner of the 2006 Excellence in Economic Development Award.

Also, Sioux Falls won the 2006 Large Community of the Year Award, and Parker won the Small Community of the Year Award.

The 2010 name derives from Rounds’ 2010 Initiative, his list of goals that he hopes the state can accomplish by 2010. One goal is to increase the state’s economic output by $10 billion.

During Wednesday’s conference, Rounds praised Black Hills Vision for its role in saving Ellsworth Air Force Base from closing and the progress toward making the Homestake Mine a Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory.

“Black Hills Vision played a pivotal role this year when Ellsworth Air Force Base was placed on the preliminary BRAC list of closures,” Rounds said. “The group helped fund the Ellsworth Task Force and also worked with the state to diversify the local economy. This group is putting the 2010 Initiative goals into action. Working together, the Black Hills is quickly becoming a haven for entrepreneurs and young people who see a bright future in South Dakota.”

Black Hills Vision consists of more than 110 contributors representing four Black Hills counties, every Black Hills community and a number of banks, utilities and businesses.

The group, Rounds said, is making an impact on South Dakota by diversifying the Black Hills economy and developing creative strategies for a high-tech, vibrant economic future.

“It’s nice to get some recognition, but there are an awful lot of good things going on here,” Mike Derby, chairman of the Black Hills Vision board of directors, said. “This award really is recognition of the team effort that is being made. It also shows how important it is to have a compelling vision for the future.”

Wetz was honored for his service to Newell and to the Black Hills, officials said. He served as mayor of Newell for more than 20 years and helped form and advance Black Hills Community Economic Development, Black Hills Vision, the West River Business Service Center and the Newell Economic Development Corp. In 1996, he was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives, where he served four years.

“Ken is an outstanding citizen, a true public servant who has dedicated himself to the development of his community through local service, regional efforts and as a state legislator,” Rounds said. “He is everything South Dakota represents: hard-working, dedicated and above all, committed to making a difference.”

The Excellence in Economic Development Award was established in 1993 to honor Gov. George S. Mickelson, business leaders Roland Dolly, Ron Reed, Angus Anson, David Birkeland, and Robert Hainje and pilots Dave Hanson and Ron Becker. The eight men died in a plane crash while returning home from an economic development trip.