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2008 Person of the Year- Harold Kortum

Harold Kortum was born and raised on a ranch southwest of Presho, South Dakota where he attended High School.  He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he served during the Korean War.

 On his return to South Dakota, he married and moved to Columbia Falls, Montana.  He was employed by Plum Creek Lumber Company as an Apprentice Electrician.  He attended classes and training with the Electrical Workers Union at the Aluminum Plant near Columbia Falls.  After several years of working at Plum Creek, he returned to South Dakota and the family farm.  He raised four children and worked in the winter months as an Electrician.  He then moved to Pierre, South Dakota where he worked for Mid Dakota Electric and Ferding Electric.

 In 1978, he began employment with the South Dakota Electrical Commission.  He inspected in the Western fourth of South Dakota and in the early 1980’s he had an area from Lemmon to Martin to the Wyoming border.  He has lived in Custer, South Dakota since his employment with the State.

Harold’s philosophy with inspections was if he could not give you a reason for a code requirement you would, you have to do it.  His advice to new inspectors was you had to be able to go in a homeowner wired house that was all wired wrong and before you left everything will be done right and the owner will think it was their idea. 

Harold considered himself an electrician’s inspector because he learned everything about wiring by doing it.  He also tried to get electricians to take pride in their work and complimented then, when they did.

2007 Person of the Year - Tom Kelly

Thomas Allen Kelly was born June 29, 1950 in Linton, North Dakota to Edward and Hermina Kelly.  He was the third oldest of nine children.  When Tom was six the family moved to Aberdeen, and he has resided here since then.  Tom graduated from Roncalli High School and attended Northern State University before moving to Mitchell to attend Mitchell Area Vocational Technical School.  There he received his training as an electrician and graduated in 1973.  In 1974, he married Winnie Schumacher and together they have raised four sons, Ryan, Ross, Paul, and Travis (deceased). 

Tom began his career as an electrician working for Mac's Electric.  He went on to work for Schwan Electric, and in 1979 started his own business, Kelly Electric.  He had this business for over ten years.  In 1980 he started working for 3M in Aberdeen and is presently still there as a maintenance technician.  He graduated from NSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology in 1999, and since then has worked part time as an electrical inspector helping Dan Larson in District Six. 

Tom is a member of St. Mary's Church.  He has volunteered many hours for Habitat for Humanity and his church.  He has been an active member of the SD Electrical Council, Hub Area Chapter, for many years.  He is a member of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors.

2006 Person of the Year - Terry Kos 

Terry Kos was born in Milbank , South Dakota .  Both he and his wife Judy are graduates of Strandburg , South Dakota High School. They have made Henry , South Dakota their home for the past 40 years. They have three children,  Karen (Bret) Henricks, a graduate of SDSU and Marketing Manger of Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown, Kathy (Brian) DeJong, a graduate of NSU and a first grade teacher at Lincoln School in Watertown and Tom, a chemistry graduate of SDSU and currently a computer programmer for Cargill, in Briar, Nebraska. They have five grandchildren that keep them busy attending concerts and ball games.

 Terry started his electrical career after his 1965 graduation from Brown Institute of Electronics in Minneapolis . He began working for KELO LAND TV in Garden City, and has completed 40 years of employment with the station. About the same time he began working as an apprentice electrician for Rider Electric in Henry. Later, he received his contractor’s license and began his own electrical business.  

Terry is currently the electrical contractor for the KELO LAND stations through out the state. He, along with the engineering staff, build and maintain the TV transmitter, radar, microwave and translator sites along with doing the tower light maintenance.  

He and the engineering staff have recently completed the wiring and installation of digital transmitters across the state in preparation of the national transition from analog to digital Television which will go into effect in April, 2009.

 In the past, on a part time basis Terry has assisted Chuck Thompson of District 3 with electrical inspections in Codington and Clark County .

 Terry served two terms on the Henry School Board and also served on the Board of the Watertown Multi-District School .  Terry was President of the Board at the Henry United Methodist Church before transferring to Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Watertown where he has served as a Trustee.  Presently he is a member of the video programming committee for the Sunday morning church services.  Terry has taken an active part in local town activities and is a member of the Henry Volunteer Fire Department.

 Terry has been a long time member of the SD Electrical Council, and a charter member of the Brookings-Watertown chapter. He believes the local chapter is instrumental in earning ones continuing education credits and to learn, first hand, from presenters and inspectors on how best to do a job.

2005 Person of the Year - Jim Mergen

 Mergen

Mike Sprange on the  left presenting award to Jim Mergen.

James “Jim” Mergen was born at Chester , SD. He joined two brothers and five sisters. Jim lived with his parents, Arthur and Cecelia, and brothers and sisters on a farm north of Dell Rapids, SD until he left for the army.

Jim attended the first eight years of school at a country school called DeVaney School. He attended high school at St. Mary’s in Dell Rapids, SD. After graduating from high school in 1960, Jim entered the National Guard and spent six months in training. His National Guard unit was called to active duty in the summer of 1961 to serve during the Berlin and Cuban crises. He was released from duty the fall of 1962. Jim re-entered the 5043rd Army Reserve in 1975. He served in that unit as a Supply Sergeant until retirement in 1996.

Jim began his employment in the spring of 1963 as an Apprentice Lineman for Sioux Valley Electric in Colman , SD. In 1967 he took a job in northern Minnesota as a Transmission Lineman. Jim started working for the city of Sioux Falls Electrical Department in March 1971 as a Lineman. He was appointed Line Supervisor in 1977 and Electrical Superintendent in 1995. Jim retired from his position with the city of Sioux Falls in October 2003. Jim has served on various committees and boards during his forty years of employment. He served on the South Dakota Electrical Council Board (SDEC) for seven years; SDEC Sioux Chapter, 30 years; Joint Utility Training School , 20 years (JUTS); and South Dakota Municipal Electrical Association, 30 years (SDMEA). As chairman, Jim organized the Safety Committee for SDMEA. He is serving as Co-Chair for the 2005 SDEC Annual Conference and he is treasurer of the Sioux Chapter. Jim has been a member of the Elks, American Legion, APWA. APPA, and St. Therese Church in Sioux Falls for thirty years. When the army asked for a volunteer to coordinate a Family Outreach Program, Jim accepted the position along with his wife, Cheri. The program organizes activities and various functions for the families of the U.S. Army Reserve. He served the Family Outreach for fifteen years. Jim was nominated Army Reservist of the Year in 1992.

In between all the organizations and committee service, Jim always has time to go fishing with his two sons and friends on the Missouri River . If the fish are not biting, he enjoys walking a cornfield with his dog looking for ring necked pheasants. Jim and his wife Cheri live in Sioux Falls , SD. They have two sons, Todd and Troy . Todd and his wife Heather live in Sioux Falls where Todd is a civil engineer at HDR Engineering. Troy and his wife Marianne live in Brookings , SD where Troy is a senior at SDSU majoring in electrical engineering.

SDEC 2004 Person of the Year:

Robert "Bob" Rademacher has been employed by Dakota Energy Cooperative, Inc., Huron, formerly Beadle Electric Cooperative, since 1972. He has served as CEO since 1983. He also was employed by Rosebud Electric, Gregory and the South Dakota Rural Electric Association, Pierre.

He was a licensed electrician for many years and run the wiring department at Beadle Electric. He was a certified electric heat installer and estimator and a certified energy conversion specialist.

He has served as a board member of the South Dakota Electric Council and was co-chairman of several South Dakota Electric Councils annual conventions.

He has served as a president of South Dakota Rural Electric's Member Services Association and the South Dakota Rural Electric's Manager's Association.

He has served as chairman of the East River Electric Power Cooperative Managers for three years and served on the Basin Electric Power Cooperative Manager's advisor committee for three years. He presently serves on the board of the Rural Electric Economic Development, Inc. and the Cooperative Service Alliance both headquartered in Madison, South Dakota.

Nationally, Rademacher has served on various rural electric committees and as a board member of Federated Rural Electric Insurance, Inc.

Locally he has served as a board member of the Huron School Board, the Community Council Board, the Norwest Bank Community Board, the Habitat for Humanity Board, the Huron Safety Council, the Huron Historic Area and the Huron Chamber of Commerce. In many of these he served as the chairman.

He presently serves on the board of the Center of Independence and its foundation board. He also serves on the board of the Greater Huron Economic Development Corporation.

He is a member of the American Lutheran Church, Huron, the Huron Masonic Lodge and the El Raid Shriners.

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Last modified: June 24, 2008

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