Davis selected to participate in Leadership South Dakota
SURF deputy director of Surface Operations and Utilities and Harding County native believes in serving his community
Jake Davis was born and raised in Harding County in Northwest South Dakota, where his family owns and operates a cattle and sheep ranch. He graduated from South Dakota Mines with a mechanical engineering degree in 2010 and took a job with Nucor Steel in Norfolk, Nebraska. But he always wanted to return to his home state.
So, in 2014, he and his family made their way back to South Dakota and, eventually, he became the deputy director of Surface Operations and Utilities at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF).
Regardless of where he lived, Davis wanted to serve the community in which he lived.
“When we first moved back, I didn't have a good chance to become involved in the community or in the state because I was traveling so much for my job,” Davis said. “But since I’ve been working at SURF, I’ve been looking for ways to get involved.”
Through friends, he learned about Leadership South Dakota, an organization committed to developing leaders within the state. According to a press release announcing the 2024 class, “Leadership South Dakota helps homegrown leaders expand their knowledge of the state. From Brookings to Rapid City and many unique places in between, participants learn from extraordinary people who have contributed to the fabric of our state.”
After some research, Davis applied for the highly competitive program and was selected. Over a seven-month period, he’ll travel around the state with his 39 classmates to gain valuable insight on topics specific to each of six regions. They’ll hear from community and business leaders about the challenges, opportunities, and successes they have encountered on their journeys.
“Jake is a natural when it comes to being part of a team that supports South Dakota,” said Tim Baumgartner, director of Surface Operations and Utilities at SURF. “Jake will do an awesome job networking with other leaders and sharing what happens at SURF. He is absolutely the best choice.”
Through the program, Davis hopes to improve his leadership skills and promote SURF.
“I see benefit in finding opportunities to learn more about the area around you—the parts and pieces of our community and state,” Davis said. “I have a sense of pride in knowing that SURF is a South Dakota organization. It's something that South Dakota can be proud of. Something we have to offer our state—and the world. It’s important that we share the knowledge of what SURF is and the work that we do here.”