FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, March 23, 2021

CONTACT: Mary Stadick Smith, South Dakota Department of Education, 605-773-7228, mary.stadicksmith@state.sd.us or

Ruth Raveling, South Dakota Department of Education, 605-773-2593, ruth.raveling@state.sd.us

Gov. Noem appoints Nebelsick, Olsen, Willard to Board of Education Standards

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem has appointed Huron School Superintendent Terry Nebelsick, educator Linda Olsen of Dupree, and Belle Fourche School Superintendent Dr. Steve Willard, to the South Dakota Board of Education Standards.

“These three individuals will bring a wealth of experience and valuable perspectives to the South Dakota Board of Education Standards,” said Secretary of Education Tiffany Sanderson. “I look forward to working with them and know that they will serve South Dakota students and educators well.”

Nebelsick has more than 40 years’ experience as an educator. He began his teaching career at Artesian High School, later working in Gregory. He served as a high school principal in Salem, Lead, and Huron for a total of 25 years. He became the Huron School District superintendent in 2011. He will retire from that position at the end of this school year. Among numerous other recognitions over the years, Nebelsick was named School Superintendent of the Year in 2020 by the South Dakota School Superintendents Association.

Olsen spent 35 years as a special education director and teacher in Dupree where she worked with early childhood, elementary, and high school students. After retiring in 2014, she began teaching at Oglala Lakota College. There she teaches classes in elementary education, special education, and early childhood development. In 2017, the South Dakota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education recognized Olsen with their leadership in education award. Olsen has also served on statewide boards and workgroups for special education, teacher certification, and teacher preparation, providing guidance and support.

Willard’s education career spans 40 years, during which he has taught, coached, and served as a principal. He has been superintendent of the Belle Fourche School District for 12 years and has overseen the district’s tremendous growth in career and technical education offerings. He serves on several boards, including the Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship Board, Executive Board for the South Dakota School Superintendents Association, Western Dakota Technical College’s Board of Trustees, and the Executive Board for the Belle Fourche Development Corporation.

All three individuals will serve four-year terms, which expire in December 2024. The Board of Education Standards will meet Friday, March 26, in Rapid City at 10 a.m. MDT.

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