Paul Christen

Paul R. Christen’s remarkable career of successful business ventures is accentuated by an impressive history of philanthropy and giving back to his community. Christen was born in 1929 in Minneapolis, MN. He, and his late wife Donna, called Huron, SD home for 70 years. Paul has overseen a wide range of highly successful business ventures throughout his career. He was the founder, president, and CEO of First Western Bancorp Inc. He was also part owner of the Minnesota Twins baseball team, and he founded Christen Group, LLC, a commercial real estate firm, among many other ventures.

Paul is a major donor to multiple community projects, foundations, university scholarships, and endowments. His many accomplishments include helping to launch the South Dakota Community Foundation, which has grown to administer approximately $350 million in assets for more than 850 endowed funds since its creation in 1987. Paul served on the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority Board of Directors from 2011 to 2022. He is an emeritus member of SURF Foundation Board of Directors, which he has served since it was established in 2019.