Article Body
Office of Gov. Dennis Daugaard
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, S.D. 57501
(605) 773-3212
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 21, 2011
CONTACT: Tony Venhuizen or Joe Kafka at 605-773-3212
Governor Daugaard appoints Kristie Fiegen to Public Utilities Commission
PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard today announced the appointment of Kristie Fiegen to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.
Fiegen is the president of South Dakota Junior Achievement, a post she has held since 1994. She was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001.
“I have known Kristie Fiegen for 20 years, and she will be a great Public Utilities Commissioner,” the Governor said. “Kristie is a person of the utmost integrity, and her success at Junior Achievement is the result of a strong work ethic and a commitment to public service. These values will serve South Dakota well.”
Fiegen has been recognized for leading a dramatic expansion of the Junior Achievement (JA) organization in South Dakota. Under her leadership, JA education programs about free market principles have increased in annual participation from 2,400 students to 44,000 students.
Fiegen was the 2008 recipient of the Charles R. Hook Award, the top honor nationally for Junior Achievement presidents who demonstrate superior results in promoting the growth and development of JA in their area.
Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education of youth on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
From 1999 to 2001, Fiegen was a member of the Xcel Energy South Dakota Advisory Board, which advises Xcel management on the utility’s strategic direction in South Dakota.
As a legislator, Fiegen was a sponsor of legislation relating to telecommunications services for the deaf, 911 services, and rural water systems. Her legislative career also focused on health, safety, and family and children’s issues.
“I want to thank Gov. Daugaard for this opportunity to serve the people of South Dakota,” Fiegen said. “The PUC plays an important role in promoting renewable energy, advocating for better cellular service, and ensuring that consumers are treated fairly. I work hard at everything I do, and I am ready to do this important work for South Dakota.”
Fiegen, 48, grew up on her family’s farm near Chancellor and is a graduate of Parker High School. She is a 1984 graduate of South Dakota State University, with degrees in commercial economics and agricultural business, and she earned a masters of business administration from University of South Dakota in 1996. Fiegen’s husband, Dr. Tim Fiegen, is a professor at Dakota State University. The couple reside in Sioux Falls and have two children, Alexander (12) and Jackson (10).
Prior to joining Junior Achievement, she worked for nine years as the South Dakota area manager for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She has been active in Rotary, the United Way, and Toastmasters, and is an active member of Central Baptist Church.
Fiegen will take her place on the PUC in August. She replaces Steve Kolbeck, who resigned earlier this month. The appointment runs through the end of Kolbeck’s six-year term, which began in January 2007 and will end after the 2012 general election.
-30-