Mount Marty College Welcomes New Member to Board of Trustees

YANKTON, SD – The Mount Marty College Board of Trustees welcomed six new members in the fall of 2018. The newly appointed board members include:

·       Carol VanDenHemel: Theology teacher, AdvanceEd Committee, Department Chair, Mount Michael Benedictine          High School, Omaha, Nebraska

·       Daryl Thuringer: Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, SD

·       David Johnson: CEO, Board Chairman, Reliabank, Watertown, South Dakota

·       Donald Roby: Partner, R&R Investments, LLC, Watertown, South Dakota

·       Rev. James Keiter: Pastor, St. John the Baptist, St. Boniface and St. Joseph Parish, Fordyce, Ne

·       Jim Fitzgerald: Chiropractor, VP — First Chiropractic Centers P.C., Yankton, South Dakota  

Sister Carol Jean VanDenHemel is a native of Woonsocket, SD and has been a member of the Sacred Heart Monastery (SHM) for twenty years. She is currently a theology teacher and department chair at Mount Michael Benedictine High School in Omaha, Nebraska where she also serves on the AdvanceEd Committee. Sister also serves on the SHM Monastic Council and during her free time enjoys writing for the monastery's social media accounts and voracious novel reading.

Daryl Thuringer is the Director of Parish Services Delegate for Discipleship and Evangelization at the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls and the Vice President of Corporate Communications for Avera Health. Thuringer brings his extensive experience in fundraising, marketing and public relations to the MMC Board of Trustees. He is also on the board of the Bishop Dudley House, Sioux Falls Catholic Schools and Aberdeen Catholic Schools, and has served with the Catholic Family Sharing Appeal at St. Michael and aided the Banquet as both a volunteer and development chair. He also enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and golf.

David Johnson of Watertown, South Dakota is the CEO and Board Chairman of Reliabank. A life-long member of ELCA Lutheran, Johnson has served his church and community in many capacities including worship team, choir member and council participant. Johnson served as the president of the Estelline Area Development Group as well as president of the Watertown Rotary Club and the Assistant District Governor for Rotary District 5610 and also took part in the Hope Haven/Rotary Wheelchair project to Romania. When he is not working in his community, David enjoys playing the guitar and lends his voice to various organizations and events as a National Anthem singer.

Donald Roby, Watertown native, and Partner at R&R Investments, LLC in Watertown, SD brings his wealth of knowledge in the sales, marketing, and financial industries to the MMC board. Roby is active in the Watertown community, currently serving on the Watertown City Council, South Dakota Transportation Commission, Kempeska Capital Angel Fund, Watertown Ice Committee, Junior Achievement of South Dakota and various other community activities. His is also past-president of the Arrow Education Foundation, Lake Area Technical Institute Foundation and the Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation.  In addition, he has volunteered his time as a youth soccer and baseball coach. When Roby isn’t out serving his community, he enjoys biking, boating, and reading.

Rev. James Keiter is a graduate of Cedar Catholic High School in Hartington, Nebraska and has been the Pastor for St. John the Baptist, St. Boniface and St. Joseph Parish in Fordyce, Ne since 2015. Rev. Keiter has served as President for both Assumption Guadalupe Catholic School and Cristo Rey Catholic Schools in Omaha, has been the pastor of various parishes. He is on the board for Cedar Catholic High School, Rebuilding Together Platte Valley East, the Archdiocese of Omaha Priest Council and the Christ the Child Society of Omaha. He has also lent his marketing, public relations, and fundraising skills to various capital campaigns. When he's not working with the people of his community, Rev. Keiter likes reading, going to the movies and tackling small woodworking projects.

Yankton-area chiropractor, Dr. Jim Fitzgerald has been a Yankton resident for the past twenty-five years. A graduate of Scotland High School, Fitzgerald started his educational journey as an MMC student,  eventually completing his graduate studies at Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Minnesota. He is currently administering chiropractic services in the Yankton and Scotland areas and holds the position of  Vice President for First Chiropractic Centers P.C. His past board involvement includes six years on the board for the Yankton School District, three years with Sacred Heart Schools, sixteen years on the board of the South Dakota Chiropractors Association, four years with the Hillcrest Golf and Country Club and 25 years of service to Pheasants Forever. Dr. Fitzgerald and his wife Sheila were one of the first couples to participate in the formation and development of what is now called the Sacred Heart School “Gala.”  In his free time, Dr. Fitzgerald enjoys golfing, motorcycling, hunting and flying with his wife and children.

Mount Marty College welcomes these new members to the Board of Trustees and thanks them for their service and dedication.