| CLUB MEETING (Rotary Downtown) |
3/30/2009
Speaker: James W. Abbott, President, USD
James W. Abbott was named the 17th president of The University of South Dakota by the South Dakota Board of Regents on February 12, 1997, and began his term of office on July 1, 1997. Abbott has two degrees from The U (BA '70 and JD '74) and is the first alumnus named president of The U.
Mr. Abbott is a lifelong resident of South Dakota, growing up in Irene and Yankton. He has taught middle and high school social studies and college-level political science, practiced law, and actively managed various businesses. Prior to becoming president, he was president and chief executive officer of Zylstra Communications Corporation, Yankton, SD.
President Abbott is a former Yankton City Commissioner (1985-1990) and served in the South Dakota House of Representatives (1991-1992). He has served as a board member of many state and community organizations, including the South Dakota Community Foundation, the South Dakota Lottery Commission, the South Dakota Economic Development Finance Authority, Dakota Wesleyan University, and the United Way. He currently serves on the American Council on Education's Commission on Government and Public Affairs, The Freedom Forum's Al Neuharth Free Spirit Award Selection Committee, The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute Board of Directors, the Datatel Scholars Foundation, and serves as an Advisor for the state of South Dakota on the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Since becoming President in 1997, Mr. Abbott led The U in a long-range planning process, culminating in a five-year strategic plan entitled Setting the Standard. As part of that plan, The U implemented a programmatic review of every department, college and school. Building on Setting the Standard, a new strategic plan for the next five years, Building an Extraordinary U, is currently underway. Campaign South Dakota, a $60 million fund drive (the largest ever in South Dakota history) was initiated, to increase student scholarships, build and remodel facilities for the School of Medicine and School of Business, and fund endowments to increase faculty salaries. Now completed, the campaign raised over $132 million, more than double its original goal.
Under President Abbott's leadership, new doctoral programs are being introduced, student recruitment is up, and construction of a new Student Center, Medical School and Business School are either underway or about to begin.
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary West) |
3/27/2009
Speaker: Mark Millage, President, Killian College
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary North) |
3/25/2009
Speaker: Jodi Schwan, Mayor Munson's Chief of Staff
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary Downtown) |
3/23/2009
Speaker: BNi, Augustana Comedy Troop
Brand Name Improv (BNi) is a student-led improvisation company performing regularly on campus and in the community. The Theatre Company also supports Vikings Varieties, Theatreworks for area K-12 students, and student showcases and productions.
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary West) |
3/20/2009
Speaker: Rob Oliver, President, Augustana
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary North) |
3/18/2009
Speaker: Dr. Charles Ayars, will speak about his unique 9/11 experience
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary Downtown) |
3/16/2009
Speaker: TBD - Pending
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary West) |
3/13/2009
Speaker: Dr. Mark Benedetto, President, USF
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary North) |
3/11/2009
Speaker: Warren Swain, radio sportscaster, “Voice of the Coyotes”
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary Downtown) |
3/9/2009
Speaker: Warren Swain, Radio Sportscaster
Warren Swain, a veteran of Division I collegiate athletics broadcasting, provides radio play-by-play commentary in his duties as the Voice of the Coyotes for USD.
During his distinguished career, Swain worked 27 seasons at Bowl Championship Series (BCS) institutions. He was recently the voice of Ohio University athletics where, in addition to game coverage, he also hosted the “Frank Solich Call-In Show”, “Tim O’Shea Call-In Show” and the daily “Bobcat Minute.”
Prior to calling Bobcat athletics, Swain was the voice of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He called Husker football games from 1996-02, and during that time called some historic games in Nebraska history. He announced the 1997 Orange Bowl in which the Huskers won the national championship. At Nebraska, he broadcast seven bowl games including two Orange Bowls, one Rose Bowl and one Fiesta Bowl.
Before his seven-year run with the Huskers, Swain spent 11 seasons with the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC. He was the sports director at WINA and play-by-play voice of the Cavaliers in Charlottesville. Swain got his start in collegiate athletics broadcasting in 1972 calling Iowa State football and Creighton men’s basketball for KMA Radio in Shenandoah, Iowa. In that position, he stayed with ISU football through the 1979 season and called Creighton hoops for two years before the station switched to ISU men’s basketball, which he called through the 1979-80 campaign. From Iowa State, Swain then became the voice of the Oregon Ducks. Following three years in Eugene, he was the sports director at KRNT in Des Moines, Iowa and voice of the Drake Bulldogs from 1983-85.
A graduate of the Drake University School of Journalism, Swain has been named the Iowa, Oregon, Virginia and Nebraska “Sportscaster of the Year” during his career, including the Virginia award six times.
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary West) |
3/6/2009
Speaker: Dr. Jay Moon and Tim Olsen from The Summit House
Dr. Jay Moon and Tim Olsen will tell us about Summit House in central Sioux Falls
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary North) |
3/4/2009
Speaker: Tim Huber, Augustana Baseball Coach
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| CLUB MEETING (Rotary Downtown) |
3/2/2009
Speaker: Kim Bartling, USF Theater Group
Kim Bartling, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies and Theatre, teaches courses in stage direction, acting, musical theatre, dramatic literature, oral interpretation, children's theatre, theory, and movement. Kim earned a BA in English from South Dakota State University, a MA in Theatre and a MFA in Directing from the University of South Dakota.
Kim travels frequently in search of new theatrical experiences. She is proud to have had the opportunity to have attended classes with Robert Cohen and Slava Dolgatchev at the Actor’s Center in NYC, Edward Albee, Paula Vogel, Emily Mann, Romulus Linney, Terrence McNally, and David Esbjornson at the Last Frontier Playwrighting Conference in Valdez, Alaska, and Anne Bogart at SITI Company in NYC. Kim attends the Sundance Film Festival each January. This interest in film inspired her and the USF CST Department to reactivate the Sioux Falls Film Society, which is currently housed in Jeschke Fine Arts Center.
Kim serves as the VIP Liaison and Festival Respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. She serves as President of the Sioux Falls Orpheum Theater Board and is a board member for both the Sioux Empire Arts Council and Prairie Repertory Theatre.
Kim is committed to working professionally outside the university setting. She is an independent speech consultant for local attorneys, professional corporations, and the media. Also, together with Dr. Julia Bennett, she owns Ephemeral Productions a theatre company that features strong roles on and offstage for women.
When not teaching, directing, advising or traveling, Kim likes to spend time with her husband and sons, biking, running, and watching baseball. Go Canaries and Yankees.
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