April 2022 Fort Pierre Mayor's Report
It’s not every day that a small town like Fort Pierre is chosen to host a statewide conference. But it’s happening this year.
On May 11-12, 2022, the 4th annual Energize! Conference will be held in Fort Pierre. The statewide event, organized by SDSU Extension and a local planning committee, focuses on sharing innovations and ideas with other small cities (under 5000 in population).
FP Development Director Dave Bonde and I have attended conferences held in Lemmon, DeSmet and Milbank. Having been part of one of these jam-packed events, we recommend bringing a team of people from your community (at least two). It’s just not possible for one person to cover all the breakout sessions, and you won’t want to miss a single one.
The conference kicks off with a keynote address “Rural Town Renewal,” by Andrew McCrea. Andrew will share what some of the nation’s small but mighty towns are doing to survive and thrive. He is a farmer and rancher, an award-winning syndicated radio and TV broadcaster and a nationally recognized speaker.
Breakout sessions featuring rural community success stories include:
- Arts & Culture in Your Community
- Funding for Community Projects
- Marketing for Your Community or Organization
- New Life for Old Buildings
Conference registration begins at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11, at the Pat Duffy Community Center. Breakout sessions will be held in a variety of downtown locations, within easy walking distance. The conference ends by noon on Thursday. Wednesday evening festivities will be held at the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Museum and Convention Center, and feature a BBQ style meal, cowboy poetry and live music. Fun, Fort Pierre style!
Register at https://extension.sdstate.edu/event/energize. Don’t wait! Early bird registration rates are available until April 1. Registration closes May 2.
