Editor’s note: This is the first of three announcements from the Brookings City Council candidates, which will be followed by a questionnaire all three filled out for The Register.

BROOKINGS — Nick Wendell is running for re-election to the Brookings City Council. 

Wendell has been a member of the council since 2016 and served as deputy mayor since 2021. He has focused on planning for the future of the community, investing in infrastructure and quality of life initiatives, building effective relationships with partner organizations, and championing historic neighborhoods and Downtown Brookings.

“I have enjoyed serving on the Brookings City Council,” Wendell said. “Brookings is a vibrant, dynamic community thanks to generations of leaders who have cast a bold vision and done the hard work of making big things happen here. I’d be honored if the voters will let me continue to contribute.”

A native of Gregory, Wendell came to Brookings in fall 2000 to attend South Dakota State University.

 He earned both a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in higher education administration from SDSU. In addition to his role on the council, Wendell was a founding member of the community’s first young professionals network, is a graduate of the Leadership South Dakota program, is an active member of the First United Methodist Church, founded The Big Blue Birthday Box, and serves as a national stakeholder with the American Cancer Society.

“I’m looking forward to the campaign over the next couple of weeks. It will be a great opportunity to talk about what I hope we can accomplish as a community, how we can take advantage of our momentum, and how we should address the challenges facing so many mid-sized Midwestern cities,” Wendell shared.

Wendell works as the executive director of the South Dakota Board of Technical Education, where he provides support and oversight to the state’s technical college system. He lives in Brookings with his 16-year-old daughter, Amelia.