Annie Averitt, the new SURF Foundation director, brings vision to life

Twenty-five years ago, the announcement of the closure of the deepest gold mine in North America rocked the town of Lead. The Homestake Gold Mine, once the biggest employer in the Northern Black Hills, had a massive economic impact on the entire region—its loss was catastrophic for a wide swath of area residents. 

Major crises can sometimes drive innovative problem-solving. The closure of Homestake brought together a group of world-class particle physicists and South Dakota business and political leaders. Their vision and hard work lead to the formation of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF).  

The spirit and ambition that drove the creation of America’s Underground Lab two decades ago is continuing today in the newly formed Institute for Underground Science at SURF and its role in building a strong scientific community while advancing world-class science and inspiring learning across generations.   

SURF’s vision in the next 25 years includes growing the Institute for Underground Science with a new building, continuing to inspire future generations into careers in STEM, and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration that leads to breakthroughs in science to benefit all of humanity. 

Annie Averitt, the new Director of the SURF Foundation, is ready to help lead this vision forward.  

She brings an impressive career in fundraising and relationship building, that includes a wealth of experience and passion for this new role. Averitt’s path to South Dakota has been one defined by her ability to create meaningful connections and transformative opportunities. Her work in fundraising began unexpectedly during her college years at the University of Idaho. "I was one of the students that they would take around to introduce to donors, to show how scholarships and other contributions made a difference,” Averitt shared. "That's where I first learned that fundraising was actually a job, a profession. And I just thought it was fantastic. It was absolutely all about the relationships and meeting such wonderfully kind people."

That early experience, and her subsequent time studying mechanical engineering and rhetorical studies at Idaho State University, sparked a passion that carried Averitt through impactful fundraising roles at institutions like the University of Illinois, Berkeley Engineering, and the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute. Now, as the Director of the SURF Foundation, Averitt is poised to forge new connections for the Institute for Underground Science at SURF.

For Averitt, relationship-building is at the heart of everything she does. “People have to be able to trust you as the representative for the organization. The organization always comes first," she explained. "They have to have an affinity for the cause, believe in its mission and vision, and trust that their resources will be used wisely. When that all comes together, it's just, it truly is magical."

Averitt's role will be critical in carrying the vision for SURF and the Institute into the coming decades. 

"The Black Hills are a national treasure. We are now at a time and place where we are poised to uncover treasures of knowledge that humanity will be able to utilize globally," she said. "It's really exciting and awe-inspiring to carry that message forward to potential donors."

The value of contributing to world-class research that benefits humanity for generations is one of the things Averitt hopes to convey to those potential donors. 

“Once people see what a difference they can make in other people's lives, and they see they can have a lasting contribution to science; it's not only about one experiment or one study, it’s about the potential, the knowledge that will come from these discoveries, and the process of learning that benefits society as a whole--that’s the exciting part for me, the realm of possibility for the future of research at SURF,” Averitt said.  

Beyond the professional aspects of her role, Averitt has quickly developed a deep appreciation for the Black Hills. "I didn’t realize exactly how quickly I was going to fall in love with South Dakota and the people here. It was almost instantaneous,” she said with a smile.

When asked about her goals, Averitt noted her excitement about spending time in the community and exploring South Dakota’s varied landscapes while taking part in some local activities. "If someone wants to take me ice fishing, I would be completely up for that," she laughed. “I'm glad that I have the chance to actually be in this community, feet on the ground here.” 

The community where Averitt is standing has seen massive transformation over the past quarter-century, a mining town that continues to thrive thanks to visionary leadership and hard work.  With the help of Averitt, this vision will be carried forward in the coming decades. The brightest days of this small Black Hills mining community are yet to come, and the global impact of the work underway at America’s Underground Lab is only just beginning.