Brookings Mayor’s Awards: Corbin Kratovil honored for generational leadership

Brookings Mayor Oepke “Ope” Niemeyer presented the Generational Leadership Award at the Mayors Holiday Celebration and Awards Event on Dec. 6:

Mayors Generational Leadership Award

Awardee: Corbin Kratovil

The Mayors Generational Leadership Award recognizes the importance of young leaders who make a community vibrant and dynamic. This award is given to a community member 35 years old or younger who has affected the community in the following ways:

• Positively changes how we think about our community and city;
• Helps Brookings attract and retain young professionals and families;
• Motivates new generations to be active in their communities; and contributes to the advancement and well-being of the community through service in areas such as: education, sports, fund-raising, charitable-voluntary service, economic development, arts and the environment.

Kratovil is very involved in creating a prosperous and flourishing company within the Brookings community. Corbin is the president of HME Companies & HME Care. Working at the corporate level of HME, Corbin helps manage the company and its associated operations. Corbin works heavily within HMEs Construction and Development Departments. Additionally, Corbin is responsible for the various aspects of analyzing and establishing potential investments and other strategic plans for the company. Corbin is also a Master Electrician, holding his electrician license in the State of South Dakota. Before joining the HME Team in 2019, Corbin owned and operated his own electrical company. Prior to his business adventure, Corbin worked four years with a reputable electrical company in Brookings. His extensive experience in various parts of the construction world makes him a critical component of the HME team.

Within the different Peaceful Pines Senior Living Communities, he has encouraged others to be involved within their communities and each other. This motivation is forming relationships between residents and employees whether that is expanding on a current relationship or creating a new one. Within our communities, we invite all generations to become actively involved in residents lives. This really helps create a family feel within the senior living communities, and Corbin plays a huge role in this.

Within the community, Corbin is making a huge difference by being a positive light for all. He has inspired the HME Team to work as servant leaders we are challenged and encouraged to serve our team before ourselves. Servant leadership is the core to HMEs company values respecting peoples differences, helping people succeed, listening more, seeking advice, understanding the challenges of others, and knowing where we are heading and why. Corbin leads by example every day in and out of work he is a positive influence and role model for those around him. Not only does he inspire and uplift people to be servant leaders, but he also leads by example.

Corbin is motivating all ages of generations to be active within the community. Since HME is such a young and growing company, there is lots of room for learning and growth which will help us reach our goals. Even on the most hectic days, Corbin is always there to remind everyone to stay positive and become involved he is constantly putting others first. Corbins inspiration greatly affects and helps mold everyone to be active and helpful leaders in our communities. Since our Senior Living Communities are spread out across the state.

Working in Senior Living is very rewarding to me says Corbin. It is just a matter of time before we are all making senior living decisions for ourselves and/or our loved ones. The Peaceful Pines Communities are world class, but our new community in Brookings will set the standard for all the Peaceful Pines locations moving forward.

Corbin spent two years (2021-22) with fellow board members of Our Savior Lutheran Church with the common goal of starting a school. He was involved with design efforts, market study analysis, program options, funding, and more. The group ultimately reached their goal and opened their doors for grades K-3 in fall 2022. Enrollment has climbed and Our Savior Lutheran School will now offer K-4. Corbin wanted to see the Brookings community continue to offer these different options for education and is very proud to have been a part of the project.