Prior to Governor Mike Rounds taking office, the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service (Extension) did not have a programming emphasis dedicated solely to community development. Governor Rounds, SD Rural Enterprise chair Dr. Gary Lemme, and Karen Pearson, Extension's West River Ag Center Director and community services advocate, helped changed that. Today, Extension has a programming area called Community Innovation and Leadership and is an active partner with South Dakota Rural Enterprise in a variety of ways.

In June of 2007, South Dakota Rural Enterprise was awarded a grant from the Northwest Area Foundation to bring the "Creating a Value Added Community" (CVAC) program to South Dakota. Seven of the first twenty facilitators trained were from Extension. To date, seven CVAC programs have been delivered to South Dakota communities. SD Rural Enterprise facilitators and SD Extension educators deliver the program. SD Rural Enterprise and SD Extension also have trained facilitators for the PEW Partnership's LeadershipPlenty, a leadership and civic engagement program.

"Teaming up with Kristi Wagner to deliver Creating Value Added Communities to the rural communities of Timber Lake, Dupree and Isabel was a way to bring value-added expertise to the community participants," said Corrine Huber, Central District Extension Director. "The team teaching approach helped the participants see many possibilities for community growth for the future."

SD Rural Enterprise has also done cooperative work in SD Extension's Horizons project, which offers small rural communities a chance to take action in building a strong leadership base to address difficult issues such as poverty, economic decline and youth leaving the area. Extension's Horizons program, funded by the Northwest Area Foundation and coordinated by Extension specialists Karla Trautman and Kari Fruechte, has been delivered to over 40 South Dakota communities with less than 5,000 people and a 10% or greater poverty rate. It is designed for communities ready to commit to gathering citizens and working toward positive change. SD Rural Enterprise has participated in Extension's resource fairs and worked with several of the Horizons communities.

A strong partnership has been built between the two organizations through these community development efforts. Each group brings a unique set of resources to each community. SD Rural Enterprise has limited staff but a wealth of experience, resources, and connections. Extension's Community Innovation and Leadership team has quickly developed a solid network throughout the state by working with its Horizons communities and other Extension sponsored events.

Leaders from SD Rural Enterprise and SD Extension met on July 16 to discuss potential future opportunities for strengthening the partnership between the organizations. Both organizations value human capacity building, research-based education and the vital importance of making connections.

"It has been my pleasure to work with Kristi Wagner and the entire SD Rural Enterprise organization on a number of highly productive programs," said Dan Oedekoven, an Extension CIL Specialist and community development Horizons coach based in Rapid City, South Dakota. "Kristi, Beth Davis, and the staff at SD Rural Enterprise continually demonstrate their professionalism and commitment to South Dakota communities. I look forward to continuing our partnership where our mutual goals can be met."

2009 SUMMER REPORT
	Introducing the first Dakota Rising Fellows
	Build our economy by playing to our strengths
	SAVE THE DATE
	South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service is a valued partner
	Vital lessons already learned from Dakota Rising
	When losers are winners