Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees - 2023
Four cooperative leaders, with over 160 years of combined service to the cooperative system, were recently inducted into the South Dakota Cooperative Hall of Fame. The SD Cooperative Hall of Fame is the highest honor that the cooperative community bestows on those who have made significant contributions to the state. The inductees were selected for their leadership, integrity, and personal commitment to the cooperative system and to the state.
This year’s inductees are:
Donn DeVelder, recently retired from the co-CEO position of Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI). Donn began his career in the milk industry riding along with his father as they transported milk from area farms to the creamery his father managed. Donn began with AMPI in 1984 as a field representative. In January 2015, DeVelder and Sheryl Meshke were named co-presidents and CEOs of AMPI. today, the co-op is the largest farmer-owned cheese company in the U.S. Don retired from AMPI in December 2022.
LeRoy Dodd has served in leadership roles on both the Santel Communications Cooperative Board of Directors and the South Dakota Association of Telephone Cooperatives. He was elected to the Santel Communications Cooperative board in 1972 and retired in 2012, after serving 40 years - including 20 years as board president. He also served on the SD Association of Telephone Cooperatives from 1990 through 2010.
Brad Schardin recently retired as General manager of Southeastern Electric Cooperative. His career of leadership in electric cooperatives began in 1983, and included serving on several regional and national committees and boards. He was chair of East River Electric's Managers Advisory Committee, as a member of Basin Electric Manager's Association, and as a member of the SDREA Strategic Issues Committee. At the national level, Brad served six years as a manger-director for National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation.
Don Truhe began his career in the cooperative world in 1980, when he was offered a full-time job at Farmers Elevator Company. Less than a year later, the co-op board promoted Don to general manager. He retired as General Manager of Southeast Farmers Coop in August 2022. He also served on the board for the South Dakota Grain & Feed Association, including two years as president.
The Co-Op Hall of Fame is a joint project of the SD Association of Cooperative, SD Telecommunications Association, SD Farmers Union, SD Rural Electric Association, and CHS Inc.
