Herseth Sandlin joins local board

Former U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin will join the board that oversees the South Dakota State University Innovation Campus.

Brookings County Commissioner Don Larson told the commission this morning he had talked to Herseth Sandlin about replacing him on the Growth Partnership board of directors, which includes officials from the city, county and state governments; the Brookings Economic Development Corporation; the SDSU Foundation and SDSU.

The 125-acre Innovation Campus research park was created under the auspices of the Growth Partnership.

Larson said Herseth Sandlin told him she was willing to join the Growth Parnership. He said her extensive contacts and experience could be helpful to the board, which was formed in 2005.

The commission voted unanimously to appoint Herseth Sandlin. She will replace Larson, who had been re-appointed as the commission’s representative to the Growth Partnership board just last week. However, the board recently changed its bylaws to allow the Brookings County Commission to be represented by either a commissioner or a “designee,” according to Larson.

– From staff reports