Celebrating 10 Years of Growth: Build Dakota Expands Team to Power South Dakota’s Workforce Future
As the Build Dakota Scholarship celebrates a decade of transformational impact, the program enters an exciting new chapter—driven by the anticipation of continued growth and new opportunities to strengthen South Dakota’s workforce. Since its launch in 2015, Build Dakota has supported thousands of students pursuing high-demand technical careers, strengthened employer pipelines, and helped position South Dakota as a national leader in innovative workforce development.
Now, to support the continued growth and reach of the program, the Build Dakota team is expanding. Rita Nelson, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, has been named the Build Dakota Scholarship Workforce Relations Coordinator. Nelson has over 25 years of experience in management, recruiting, and workforce strategies across multiple industries, including finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. She recently concluded a 10-year tenure as Workforce Development Director at Yankton Thrive, where she led strategic efforts to connect education, industry, and community partners.
In her new role, Nelson will strengthen employer partnerships, align scholarship opportunities with industry needs, and support communities in cultivating local talent pipelines across South Dakota.
She joins a strong and growing team that includes Deni Martin, Build Dakota Program Manager, who has served as the visionary leader and sole program developer since Build Dakota’s inception. Over the past decade, Martin has guided the program’s strategic growth, built lasting partnerships, and overseen its successful implementation – transforming an ambitious vision into one of the most impactful workforce scholarship models in the nation.
Also on the team is Brandy Drew, Scholarship Program Specialist with the South Dakota Community Foundation. Since joining SDCF in 2022, Brandy has supported both the Freedom Scholarship and Build Dakota Scholarship, bringing a strong focus on accessibility, communication, and student success.
This milestone year also provides an opportunity to honor the visionary leadership of T. Denny Sanford and former Governor Dennis Daugaard, whose commitment to education and workforce development brought the Build Dakota Scholarship to life. Their bold partnership laid the foundation for this lasting and impactful investment in South Dakota’s future.
As Build Dakota looks ahead, the program invites communities, economic development organizations, and regional leaders to partner in new and creative ways. Whether through local scholarship matches, career awareness initiatives, or talent retention efforts, Build Dakota is eager to collaborate and help drive workforce success at every level.
With a decade of success behind it and a growing team of passionate leaders, Build Dakota is ready to create new partnerships and help build a stronger, more resilient future for South Dakota.
Learn more about the program’s impact and growth:
🔗 SD Community Foundation Feature
🔗 Build Dakota Leadership
Cohort 10: 2024-2025 Annual Report
Catch up with the latest Build Dakota Scholarship Fund updates, from enrollment reports to marketing plans and more.
Discover more by accessing the 2024-2025 annual report (PDF).
Technical colleges want more Build Dakota Scholarship graduates in workforce
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Argus Leader) – As South Dakota technical colleges celebrate the 10th anniversary of providing Build Dakota scholarships to students, college leaders know there’s a need for additional workforce out there.
Build Dakota Scholarship’s impact for 10 years
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – A South Dakota scholarship program is taking financial stress off college students and setting them up for success after graduation. The Build Dakota Scholarship allows a student entering a high-demand career to receive a full ride to a South Dakota technical college. This year, the scholarship celebrates its 10th anniversary.
‘Dirty Jobs’ star celebrates 10th anniversary of Build Dakota Scholarship at Western Dakota Tech
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Some jobs are just dirtier than others. Western Dakota Tech had ‘Dirty Jobs’ star Mike Rowe stop in on Thursday to celebrate the Build Dakota Scholarship’s ten-year anniversary.
Mike Rowe: Build Dakota Scholarship “crushing it”
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) — It was a birthday bash that drew a big name. Mike Rowe, the star of “Dirty Jobs”, made a whirlwind tour of South Dakota’s Technical Colleges yesterday to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Build Dakota Scholarship. As Tom Rooney tells us, it’s a model that Rowe holds in high regard.
Build Dakota Scholarships fill jobs with homegrown talent
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the grants for students to attend tech schools in Watertown, Mitchell, Rapid City and Sioux Falls, the result of a partnership among the state, First PREMIER Bank and industry.
BUILD DAKOTA ANNOUNCES 2024-2025 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS AND MIKE ROWE’S VISIT TO SOUTH DAKOTA TO CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF THE BUILD DAKOTA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
South Dakota — The Build Dakota Scholarship Program is thrilled to announce that Mike Rowe, best known as “the dirtiest man on TV” from the iconic TV series Dirty Jobs, will visit South Dakota at the end of September to celebrate the program’s 10th anniversary. Rowe, America’s leading advocate for the skilled trades, will join the Build Dakota team and community members in showcasing the Build Dakota Scholarship program’s success.
Dana Dykhouse, Chairman of the Build Dakota Scholarship Board, shared his thoughts on Rowe’s upcoming visit, “We are honored to welcome Mike to South Dakota once again as we celebrate this significant milestone. Mike has been a tireless advocate for the skilled trades, and his support has helped to shine a spotlight on the importance of these careers. His visit is a remarkable opportunity to recognize the achievements of our scholars and to underscore the vital role that vocational education plays in our state’s future.”*
Since its inception, the Build Dakota Scholarship Program has been committed to filling the workforce needs of South Dakota by providing full-ride scholarships to students entering high-need fields. Over the past decade, the program has awarded nearly 4,000 scholarships, working alongside over 500 industry partners providing more than $21 million in matching scholarships.
This year, the program is proud to welcome a new cohort of dedicated students who have earned the scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year. The complete list of this year’s recipients can be found here.
Deni Martin, Program Director of the Build Dakota Scholarship Program, expressed her excitement for the new group of scholars, “Our 2024-2025 recipients are an exceptional group of individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to their chosen fields. These students are the future of South Dakota’s workforce, and we are proud to support them on their educational journey. The impact of the Build Dakota Scholarship Program over the past 10 years is a testament to the dedication of our partners, and we are excited to see what the next decade holds.”*
For more information about the Build Dakota Scholarship Program and upcoming events, please visit www.builddakotascholarships.com
Cohort 10: 2024-2025 Build Dakota Scholarship Recipients
Our goal is to give students the opportunity to enter programs in our state’s high-need industries and finish school debt-free. Take a look at the list of the 2024-2025 Build Dakota Scholarship recipients!
View the full list of 2024-2025 Build Dakota Scholarship recipients (PDF) here.