Krogman: Time is right for run for commission

• Lifelong Brookings resident has much experience in leadership

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of four profiles of candidates for Brookings County Commission. Ryan Krogman is seeking the post for the first time, as a Republican candidate. Also running for one of two open spots on the commission are Republican Alan Gregg and Independents Larry Jensen and Tom Yseth.



BROOKINGS – Ryan Krogman may be the youngest candidate for the Brookings County Commission on the ballot this November, but he’s not short on experience.

A lifelong Brookings resident, Krogman has dedicated much time to serving the community and the state of South Dakota over the last 10-plus years. He wants to tackle an even larger role as a commission member.

“I’ve always enjoyed politics, and I’ve always wanted to run for an office, and I feel I have the expertise and the leadership qualities that I can contribute to the commission,” Krogman said.

“Through my experiences with economic development, with government affairs, through the real estate and different things like that, I feel I’m qualified and have the leadership skills and leadership abilities to be able to help lead Brookings County into the future – a solid, strong, fiscally responsible future.”

Krogman, 40, is a graduate of Brookings High School and South Dakota State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business economics. He has three children: Kyle, 15, Karlee, 13, and Caden, 8.

Krogman has been a real estate broker in Brookings for 14 years and for the past 10 years has been a co-owner of Century 21 Gustafson, Krogman & Associates Realty.

Krogman has been an active member of the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce and a board member and president of the Brookings Economic Development Corporation. He was a member of Vision Brookings 2010 and is currently serving on the operations committee of Vision Brookings II.

He’s also a board member for the Enterprise Institute, a Brookings-based private, non-profit corporation that aims to foster entrepreneurship in South Dakota.

Krogman served for multiple years on the Brookings Park and Recreation Board, including several years as chairman. He’s been both a committee member and chairman for the SDSU Stan Marshall Auction and Golf Classic, a scholarship fundraiser.

Krogman continues to be a member of the South Dakota Association of Realtors, of which he was recently elected secretary/treasurer. He’s also a past chairman of the Government Affairs Committee for that association.

Krogman said his experience helping clients buy and sell property throughout the county have prepared him for service on the commission, as have his years in Brookings economic development and his legislative work with the state Realtors group.

He added that he is a past Little League and youth football coach. His company sponsors those activities and is also a corporate sponsor of Brookings High School and Sioux Valley High School activities.

Krogman said the time seems right for his first run for an elected office. He told the Register earlier this year that he’s had an interest in running for public office since his father, Dean Krogman, was elected to the state Legislature when Ryan was still in school.

He’s running as a Republican, and not running for the sake of any one issue.

“I never have had an agenda for anything,” he said. “Again, I want to do a good job of taking care of taxpayer dollars yet providing services and growth to the county. Being smart with growth there.

“And, having been involved with BEDC, Brookings itself has had some growth and Brookings County has had some great growth here in the last five years,” he added. “The county growth, with all the ethanol and the soybean and the wind energy, I want to continue that, but it needs to be also done in a smart, responsible way.”

Krogman has been attending meetings of the Brookings County Commission in recent months. He said his goal is to get a feel for how the system works, who everyone is and what issues are important right now.

“The county roads and the township roads have come up quite a bit. The drainage issues, with a drainage ordinance or draining regulations, what’s happening with those, those have come up,” he said. “But then they have everyday type of zoning things that need to be taken care of, and they get reports from all of their department heads. So, we get a chance to listen to that.

“It just gives me a chance to – when I’m there in that first meeting, if I’m fortunate enough to get elected – it’s not like ‘Who are you?’ or ‘What are you doing?’ that type of thing. I’ve heard what they’ve done before, I’ve heard that ongoing (discussion) and I can hit the ground running and be able to contribute right away.”

Contact Charis Prunty at cprunty@-brookingsregister.com.