Cooperative Hall of Fame Honors 2024 Inductees

Three key leaders from South Dakota’s cooperative community have been added to the South Dakota Cooperative Hall of Fame for 2024. The Hall of Fame is the highest honor that the cooperative community bestows on those who have made significant contributions to the state. Their leadership, integrity, and personal commitment have served not only cooperatives, but also their local communities.

This year’s inductees are:

- Edward Mallett, Watertown, SD – nominated by CHS, Inc., with support from Lake Area Technical College and First Premier Bank

- Don Petersen, Mitchell, SD – nominated by Central Electric Cooperative

- Dennis Rensch, Sioux Falls, SD – nominated by Madison Farmers Elevator Company

This marks the fortieth year for the Hall of Fame. Since 1985, ninety-six individuals have been inducted into the South Dakota Cooperative Hall of Fame. The SD Cooperative Hall of Fame program is sponsored by CHS, Inc., the SD Association of Cooperatives, SD Association of Telephone Cooperatives, SD Farmers Union, and SD Rural Electric Association.

Note: a more detailed description of each inductee’s cooperative contributions is below:

Edward Mallett, Watertown, SD – Ed Mallett joined the cooperative system in May 1982 with GTA in Willow Lake and Kidder, SD, under their manager trainee program, and accepted his first affiliate cooperative general manager position in 1987 under Farmers Elevator, Grover, S.D. Ed went on to serve as regional director for Farmers Elevator, Circle, Mont., and Harvest States, Watertown, S.D., both divisions of CHS. In July 1997, Ed accepted a promotion to assistant vice president in Watertown, directing operations of 50 locations. Since that time, he has served as regional vice president for the southern, midwest, and central operations, which grew to supporting the operations and staff at 121 locations across CHS. Ed’s strong leadership transformed the company, grew the business and improved operations.

The thing about Ed is that he could see the potential in people, sometimes even before they could see it in themselves. He mentored, developed and coached people to see their own potential, and their careers would flourish. He continued to mentor and check in on his people to ensure they had the tools and resources they needed to be successful. Whether it was a conversation around struggles, successes, or ideas for the future, Ed was, and still is, lending that ear to help others both in their careers and personal lives.

Ed also served as a member of the inaugural Board of Technical Education for South Dakota’s four Technical Colleges, holding a passion for the young people of South Dakota and ensuring them opportunities to further their educations. He saw firsthand the impact technical education had on the workforce CHS employed and was a champion to expand those opportunities.

Ed’s vision and strategic leadership enabled him to keep the state’s focus on our workforce needs, and were a driving force in Lake Area Technical College redefining college success as placement, not just graduation. When young people needed access to better education, Ed matched his vision for the future with leadership and innovation to drive Cenex Harvest States being the catalyst for the State-of-the-Art Precision AG lab at LATC. When more of SD youth needed access to higher education as their pathway out of poverty, Ed was there - both personally and professionally.

Don Petersen, Mitchell – Referred to as “one of the premier business and cooperative attorneys in the state of South Dakota,” Don Petersen began acting as legal counsel to Intercounty Electric Cooperative in 1990. He was an integral part of the merger process with Tri-County Electric Cooperative. The two cooperatives became Central Electric Cooperative in 2000, where Don still serves. Don attends monthly board meetings where he provides legal counsel on policy and procedures. He attends each of the cooperative’s operation Round Up board of Trustee meetings to select recipients of cooperative grant funds. On also served as legal counsel for Dakota Energy from 2007 to 2018, and continues to serve Douglas Electric, which he has represented since 1994.

Don’s counsel guided Central Electric to address several challenges, including a merger in 2000, the relocation of a new headquarters building in 2012, the hiring of a new general manager in 2015, the creation of Operation Round Up to support nonprofits within the cooperative footprint, the construction of multiple service centers, and navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past 32 years, Don has contributed significantly to economic development throughout the region and state. He has assisted Central Electric, Dakota Energy, and Douglas Electric cooperatives with an estimated 18 Rural utility Service loan applications, reduced risk through legal documentation, and assisted with updated to bylaws and policies. Don’t expertise in economic development assisted the three cooperatives in obtaining 13 zero-interest loans through USDA. These loans were made to local fire departments, development corporations, schools, medical facilities, and city governments to improve the quality of life in those communities.

Don also played a part in obtaining over 50 loans through the Rural Electric Economic Development Loan Fund. These loans were used to help fund new businesses and business expansions to create and retain jobs within the cooperative’s footprint.

Don is very active in his community of Mitchell. He has served on multiple boards, including the Mitchell Area Development Corporation, Avera Queen of Peace, Abbot House Foundation, Mitchell Untied Way, Oscar Howe Art Center, Mitchell Area Charitable Foundation, City of Mitchell Planning Commission, South Dakota State Bar Business Law Committee, Dakota Mental Health, and the Mitchell Red Cross.

He has also coached Little League, volunteered for Special Olympics, and found time to teach night classes at Dakota Wesleyan University in business/employment law. For over 35 years, he has been the key advisor and consultant to the Mitchell Area Development Corporation on every major development project in the Mitchell community.

He is a trusted counsel for Central Electric and many small businesses with their expansions, acquisitions, and government relations. His work on legal and cooperative issues has greatly benefited electric cooperative consumers across South Dakota.

Don and his wife, Cindy, are active in their church, have a 22-year-old son with special needs, and are very involved parents.

Dennis Rensch, Sioux Falls – Dennis Rensch was a member of the Madison Farmers Elevator Co. Board of Directors from 1999 until his retirement in 2023. He was vice president from 2006 to 2010 and became president in 2011 and remained president of the board until his retirement in 2023. During his 24 years of service, Rensch played an extremely vital role in the history of the cooperative and was an imperative part of the overall strategic planning for the company.

Over the course of his time at the cooperative, Rensch provided excellent leadership and personal commitment through the above accomplishments, even if one looks at just the extra time in planning and coordinating many projects alone.

His major accomplishments include facilitating a $1.6 million project to upgrade railroad tracks and loadouts, investments into additional bunkers and storage, the purchasing of “BinCity” storage facility in Madison, and many more investments that led to success. He was also selected as Dakota State University Honorary Captain in 2018 for the “Ag Bowl” because of his and his family’s contributions to area agriculture.

Rensch is a very humble and hard-working individuals. He and his wife, Donna, have been farming near Ramona, S.D., since 1974. Rensch continues to visit the office monthly even after retiring from the board.

He cares immensely for the success of the cooperative and feels very strongly toward the long-term success of Madison Farmer’s Elevator Co. He has inspired and persuaded others, including other board members and management to act to advance the cooperative system.

Dennis has set the standard for other board members’ longevity for dedication and service to the cooperative. In advancing the cooperative system, he was a part of the decision-making process and strategy that it took for the company to make annual progress and expansion since 2000.

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