Nathan Lukkes

Executive Director and CEO, South Dakota Board of Regents

Nathan Lukkes is the Executive Director and CEO of the South Dakota Board of Regents.  Nathan has been a part of the Board of Regents since 2014, beginning as the System Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development and later becoming Chief of Staff and General Counsel. Prior to working for the Board of Regents, Nathan served as the Deputy Commissioner of the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development. He also served in the South Dakota Army National Guard for ten years, deploying to Afghanistan in 2010-2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Nathan obtained his juris doctorate and undergraduate degree from the University of South Dakota. He resides in Pierre, SD, with his wife Kate and daughters Betty and Sophie, where he enjoys spending time with family, hunting, and the outdoors. Nathan also volunteers for Junior Achievement of South Dakota, teaching ethics and business to local youth, and serves on the local Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation board.

Larry Tidemann *

Retired, South Dakota Legislature

Larry Tidemann is a former State Senator and Representative from South Dakota. He was elected to the South Dakota Legislature for over 14 years with terms in both the House of Representatives and the State Senate. He represented District 7 in Brookings, SD, which included the community where South Dakota State University is located. He served on the Appropriations Committee throughout all 14 years of his tenure in the legislature and for 11 years he was Chair or Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee. He also was appointed to the Retirement Laws Committee and served as chair of the Legislature’s Executive Board, and the Government Operations and Audit Committee (GOAC), during his time in the legislature.

Larry has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from South Dakota State University. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from SDSU in 2019. Larry is retired from South Dakota State University where he was an Associate Dean of Agriculture and Director of the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service.

Ashley Wenger-Slaba

Senior Vice President of Employee Experience, Education & Workforce Relations, Sanford Health

Ashley Wenger-Slaba serves as Sanford Health’s senior vice president of employee experience, education, and workforce relations. Through her leadership of Sanford’s Employee Experience, Leadership Education & Development (LEAD), Employee Relations, and Labor Relations teams, Wenger-Slaba creates synergies across these areas and partners with Sanford leaders to influence operational decisions that reflect Sanford’s core belief that its people are its greatest resource.  A labor and employment lawyer by training and first career, Wenger-Slaba graduated from the University of Nebraska Lincoln in 2004 and the University of Minnesota law school in 2007.

Ashley is active in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, community where she lives with her four children. Ashley serves on the Board of Directors and Human Resource Committee for Volunteers of America-Dakotas, and sits on the Annual Meeting and Thought Leadership Committees for Sanford Health.

Roger DeGroot

Representative, South Dakota State Legislature

Chris Kassin

Representative, South Dakota State Legislature

Tim Reed

Senator, South Dakota State Legislature

Stephanie Sauder

Senator, South Dakota State Legislature