| About Us |
Janna Emmel, Arts Council President
2010 Board of Directors
Janna Emmel, President
Kristin Donnan-Standard, Vice President
Lesta Turchen, Secretary
Rachel Taylor, Treasurer
Ray Berberich, Merlene Broer, Michael Burgraff, Dan Dickey, Nancy
Kennedy, Chris VanNess and Erica Welu
2010 Board of Directors
Janna Emmel, President
Kristin Donnan-Standard, Vice President
Lesta Turchen, Secretary
Rachel Taylor, Treasurer
Ray Berberich, Merlene Broer, Michael Burgraff, Dan Dickey, Nancy
Kennedy, Chris VanNess and Erica Welu
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Meet the Hill City Arts Council Board of Directors / 2010
JANNA EMMEL – President
Janna served as the Arts Council’s Treasurer from 2002-2005 and is finishing her second and final term as
President. She helped spearhead the Patriarch bronze monument for Hill City, has written grants for the
organization and assisted with various aspects of the Council’s annual programs. She earned her Bachelors
degree in Social Work from Augustana College in 1982. In addition to co-owning Warrior’s Work and Ben West
Gallery with her husband Randy, she works with an IMAX film production company in Southern California. As
President, Janna believes it’s important to promote the arts as critical to education (for all ages!), essential for
community spirit and pride, and key to attracting businesses and visitors to our area.
KRISTIN DONNAN-STANDARD – Vice President
A home-town kid, Kristin co-created and now co-owns two local arts-related businesses, Black Hills Bronze fine
art foundry (with her husband Grant) and Art of the Hills magazine (with designer Ray Berberich). She and
Grant, a past HCAAC board member, took an active role in developing HCAAC’s Sculpture in the Hills art show
and sale, and the foundry continues to be a strong resource for this excellent event. Kristin also is a writer,
with books and other media to her credit, and serves as a board member for South Dakotans for the Arts. Her
advocacy focus has been on how to successfully integrate the Creative Economy into communities, both local
and statewide. Educationally, she has earned a Bachelors degree in Writing (1984), a Master of Fine Arts in
Screenwriting from the American Film Institute (1990), and a Master of Science in Counseling from SDSU
(2006). She believes that art is the best medicine.
RACHEL TAYLOR - Treasurer
Owner of Jewels of the West and other business properties on Hill City’s Main Street, Rachel is both an
attorney and an accountant who has lived in the Rapid City area since she was a teenager. Rachel received her
B.S. in Accounting from National American University in Rapid City, then worked as a C.P.A. for Ketel
Thorstenson for four years, then went to USD to earn her J.D. in 1999. She practiced law with Bangs McCullen
in Business Transactions until May 2004, when she commenced running her businesses in Hill City full time.
Rachel believes that promoting the arts in the Black Hills is important to our town, to our businesses and to our
kids. Rachel lives near Hill City with her husband Shane and daughter Maggie.
LESTA V. TURCHEN – Secretary
Lesta Turchen and her husband Mike recently retired after 35 years in higher education. Lesta has a BA and
MA in history from the University of South Dakota and a Ph.D. in United States Diplomacy from Purdue
University. Lesta's career began as a history professor at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD where
she also served as Vice President for Academic Affairs before becoming President of the University of Houston-
Victoria in Victoria, Texas. She then served as Senior Fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and
Universities in Washington, DC before accepting a position with the South Dakota Board of Regents as System
Chief Academic Officer for the public universities. She was appointed by Governor Harvey Wollman to the
South Dakota Archives Board and more recently appointed by Governor Mike Rounds to the South Dakota
State Library Board. Wherever they have lived, Lesta and Mike have been involved in the arts and historic
preservation.
RAY BERBERICH - President and owner of Berberich Design, Inc. Ray moved to Hill City with his family four
years ago. The primary focus of his business is environmental graphic design that combines his background in
both industrial design and civil engineering to provide clients with unique design solutions for their
architectural graphics and wayfinding signage needs. Ray earned his bachelors degree in Industrial Design
from University of Cincinnati - Design, Art, Architecture and Planning (DAAP). He worked with a design firm in
Cincinnati as a Design Director working on national and international projects. Over the years he has worked
on large-scale public art projects in Cincinnati and he designed and implemented a public plaza that is located
on Broadway near Times Square in Manhattan. Currently, he is providing design services to area businesses
and to companies across the nation. Ray also serves on Hill City’s Economic Development Board and is co-
creator of the Art of the Hills magazine.
MERLENE BROER – Retired from teaching kindergarten in Kent Washington, Merlene moved with her husband,
Roger, to the Black Hills in 2006. Roger and Merlene are grandparents to 3 grandsons and 1 granddaughter.
Since arriving here, Merlene loves to garden with the help of a green house. She became Secretary of the
Evergreen Garden Club in Hill City and publishes a monthly newsletter for them. She was asked and has
become president of the Hill City Public Library board. Because of her experience as "wife of a professional
artist," Merlene wanted to be a part of the Hill City Arts Council. When the concept of a "Sculpture in the Hills"
show arose in 2008, she involved herself in the development of that idea and became the organizer of the
artists' committee. "I love what is "growing" in our town and enjoy being a part of that growth."
MICHAEL BURGRAFF- Executive Director of the Black Hills Playhouse since 2008, Michael has been engaged in
theatre and performing arts and events management since he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts (1982) and
Master of Arts (1989) from the University of Wisconsin. From Performance Manager at Wichita State
University, where he supervised 500 events at five venues annually, to Associate Director of Operations at the
Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, to Managing Director of the Fairmont Opera House in Minnesota, Michael has
vast experience and commitment to bringing the arts to audiences of all ages. Michael lives in the Hill City area
and in addition to serving on the Hill City Arts Council, is on the Advisory Board for South Dakotans for the
Arts.
DAN and PAT DICKEY -Dan and Pat are owners of Desperados, one of Hill City’s anchor restaurants during the
summer months. During the season, Dan spends every waking hour—and many hours normally reserved for
sleep—monitoring each and every aspect of the restaurant’s operations; Pat works as a Registered Nurse in
oncology at Rapid City Regional Hospital. In their previous life, before moving full-time to Hill City in 2008, they
lived and worked in Minneapolis, where Pat stayed at home with their three children, Josh, Erin, and Brianna.
Building on his MBA from Indiana University, Dan worked for 30 years in retirement plan consulting and sales.
In this capacity, he helped small to mid-sized companies develop 401K and investment choices.
NANCY KENNEDY –Director of Theatre and 8-12 Guidance Counselor for the Hill City School District, Nancy
Kennedy and her husband Louie relocated to the Hill City area eight years ago. Nancy earned her Bachelors of
Science Degree in Theatre at SDSU, did a summer with the Prairie Reparatory Theatre in Madison, SD, received
an education degree from BHSU and her Masters in Educational Psychology and Counseling from USD. Active
in theatre for most of her life, Nancy worked with the high school theatre in Pierre, SD, was President of the
Pierre Players Community Theatre for three years, and has acted in, directed, or worked tech for more than 100
productions. Nancy joined the Hill City Arts Council because it was a great way to meet like-minded people -
people who believed in the importance of the arts in our community and our society.
CHRIS VANNESS – A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in Theatre Arts, Chris VanNess
worked as a choreographer and costumer for the Paul Bunyan Playhouse in Bemidji, MN., the Children's
Theatre, the Guild of Performing Arts, and the Minnesota Dance Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. She became
interested in video, and after taking classes in production, she started her own video business part time in
1991. The business was incorporated under the name of Crow Ridge Productions in 2001, becoming her full
time career. Chris and her husband Rick moved themselves and their business from Minneapolis, MN to the
Black Hills in 2004. Crow Ridge Productions has continued to expand, and in 2006 the company began
providing crew and equipment for film and television production companies on location in South Dakota.
ERICA WELU - Erica and her husband Mike moved to Hill City in June 2009. They have 2 daughters, Courtney
and Jessica, who attend Hill City schools. Erica received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech-Language
Pathology and Audiology in 1991 at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and a Master of Arts in 1993 at UNI
with graduate emphases in Childhood Communication Disorders, Clinical Speech Science, and Neurogenic
Communication Disorders. She spent 5 years working as a speech-language pathologist in schools, hospitals,
and nursing homes and has spent the past 11 years raising her daughters. Erica is a great supporter of the arts
and wants to help promote them in Hill City.
JANNA EMMEL – President
Janna served as the Arts Council’s Treasurer from 2002-2005 and is finishing her second and final term as
President. She helped spearhead the Patriarch bronze monument for Hill City, has written grants for the
organization and assisted with various aspects of the Council’s annual programs. She earned her Bachelors
degree in Social Work from Augustana College in 1982. In addition to co-owning Warrior’s Work and Ben West
Gallery with her husband Randy, she works with an IMAX film production company in Southern California. As
President, Janna believes it’s important to promote the arts as critical to education (for all ages!), essential for
community spirit and pride, and key to attracting businesses and visitors to our area.
KRISTIN DONNAN-STANDARD – Vice President
A home-town kid, Kristin co-created and now co-owns two local arts-related businesses, Black Hills Bronze fine
art foundry (with her husband Grant) and Art of the Hills magazine (with designer Ray Berberich). She and
Grant, a past HCAAC board member, took an active role in developing HCAAC’s Sculpture in the Hills art show
and sale, and the foundry continues to be a strong resource for this excellent event. Kristin also is a writer,
with books and other media to her credit, and serves as a board member for South Dakotans for the Arts. Her
advocacy focus has been on how to successfully integrate the Creative Economy into communities, both local
and statewide. Educationally, she has earned a Bachelors degree in Writing (1984), a Master of Fine Arts in
Screenwriting from the American Film Institute (1990), and a Master of Science in Counseling from SDSU
(2006). She believes that art is the best medicine.
RACHEL TAYLOR - Treasurer
Owner of Jewels of the West and other business properties on Hill City’s Main Street, Rachel is both an
attorney and an accountant who has lived in the Rapid City area since she was a teenager. Rachel received her
B.S. in Accounting from National American University in Rapid City, then worked as a C.P.A. for Ketel
Thorstenson for four years, then went to USD to earn her J.D. in 1999. She practiced law with Bangs McCullen
in Business Transactions until May 2004, when she commenced running her businesses in Hill City full time.
Rachel believes that promoting the arts in the Black Hills is important to our town, to our businesses and to our
kids. Rachel lives near Hill City with her husband Shane and daughter Maggie.
LESTA V. TURCHEN – Secretary
Lesta Turchen and her husband Mike recently retired after 35 years in higher education. Lesta has a BA and
MA in history from the University of South Dakota and a Ph.D. in United States Diplomacy from Purdue
University. Lesta's career began as a history professor at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD where
she also served as Vice President for Academic Affairs before becoming President of the University of Houston-
Victoria in Victoria, Texas. She then served as Senior Fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and
Universities in Washington, DC before accepting a position with the South Dakota Board of Regents as System
Chief Academic Officer for the public universities. She was appointed by Governor Harvey Wollman to the
South Dakota Archives Board and more recently appointed by Governor Mike Rounds to the South Dakota
State Library Board. Wherever they have lived, Lesta and Mike have been involved in the arts and historic
preservation.
RAY BERBERICH - President and owner of Berberich Design, Inc. Ray moved to Hill City with his family four
years ago. The primary focus of his business is environmental graphic design that combines his background in
both industrial design and civil engineering to provide clients with unique design solutions for their
architectural graphics and wayfinding signage needs. Ray earned his bachelors degree in Industrial Design
from University of Cincinnati - Design, Art, Architecture and Planning (DAAP). He worked with a design firm in
Cincinnati as a Design Director working on national and international projects. Over the years he has worked
on large-scale public art projects in Cincinnati and he designed and implemented a public plaza that is located
on Broadway near Times Square in Manhattan. Currently, he is providing design services to area businesses
and to companies across the nation. Ray also serves on Hill City’s Economic Development Board and is co-
creator of the Art of the Hills magazine.
MERLENE BROER – Retired from teaching kindergarten in Kent Washington, Merlene moved with her husband,
Roger, to the Black Hills in 2006. Roger and Merlene are grandparents to 3 grandsons and 1 granddaughter.
Since arriving here, Merlene loves to garden with the help of a green house. She became Secretary of the
Evergreen Garden Club in Hill City and publishes a monthly newsletter for them. She was asked and has
become president of the Hill City Public Library board. Because of her experience as "wife of a professional
artist," Merlene wanted to be a part of the Hill City Arts Council. When the concept of a "Sculpture in the Hills"
show arose in 2008, she involved herself in the development of that idea and became the organizer of the
artists' committee. "I love what is "growing" in our town and enjoy being a part of that growth."
MICHAEL BURGRAFF- Executive Director of the Black Hills Playhouse since 2008, Michael has been engaged in
theatre and performing arts and events management since he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts (1982) and
Master of Arts (1989) from the University of Wisconsin. From Performance Manager at Wichita State
University, where he supervised 500 events at five venues annually, to Associate Director of Operations at the
Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, to Managing Director of the Fairmont Opera House in Minnesota, Michael has
vast experience and commitment to bringing the arts to audiences of all ages. Michael lives in the Hill City area
and in addition to serving on the Hill City Arts Council, is on the Advisory Board for South Dakotans for the
Arts.
DAN and PAT DICKEY -Dan and Pat are owners of Desperados, one of Hill City’s anchor restaurants during the
summer months. During the season, Dan spends every waking hour—and many hours normally reserved for
sleep—monitoring each and every aspect of the restaurant’s operations; Pat works as a Registered Nurse in
oncology at Rapid City Regional Hospital. In their previous life, before moving full-time to Hill City in 2008, they
lived and worked in Minneapolis, where Pat stayed at home with their three children, Josh, Erin, and Brianna.
Building on his MBA from Indiana University, Dan worked for 30 years in retirement plan consulting and sales.
In this capacity, he helped small to mid-sized companies develop 401K and investment choices.
NANCY KENNEDY –Director of Theatre and 8-12 Guidance Counselor for the Hill City School District, Nancy
Kennedy and her husband Louie relocated to the Hill City area eight years ago. Nancy earned her Bachelors of
Science Degree in Theatre at SDSU, did a summer with the Prairie Reparatory Theatre in Madison, SD, received
an education degree from BHSU and her Masters in Educational Psychology and Counseling from USD. Active
in theatre for most of her life, Nancy worked with the high school theatre in Pierre, SD, was President of the
Pierre Players Community Theatre for three years, and has acted in, directed, or worked tech for more than 100
productions. Nancy joined the Hill City Arts Council because it was a great way to meet like-minded people -
people who believed in the importance of the arts in our community and our society.
CHRIS VANNESS – A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in Theatre Arts, Chris VanNess
worked as a choreographer and costumer for the Paul Bunyan Playhouse in Bemidji, MN., the Children's
Theatre, the Guild of Performing Arts, and the Minnesota Dance Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. She became
interested in video, and after taking classes in production, she started her own video business part time in
1991. The business was incorporated under the name of Crow Ridge Productions in 2001, becoming her full
time career. Chris and her husband Rick moved themselves and their business from Minneapolis, MN to the
Black Hills in 2004. Crow Ridge Productions has continued to expand, and in 2006 the company began
providing crew and equipment for film and television production companies on location in South Dakota.
ERICA WELU - Erica and her husband Mike moved to Hill City in June 2009. They have 2 daughters, Courtney
and Jessica, who attend Hill City schools. Erica received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech-Language
Pathology and Audiology in 1991 at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and a Master of Arts in 1993 at UNI
with graduate emphases in Childhood Communication Disorders, Clinical Speech Science, and Neurogenic
Communication Disorders. She spent 5 years working as a speech-language pathologist in schools, hospitals,
and nursing homes and has spent the past 11 years raising her daughters. Erica is a great supporter of the arts
and wants to help promote them in Hill City.