The impact South Dakota State University alumni have on our state and communities is wide, varied, loud, and quiet. Personally, I am often drawn to the quiet stories. The stories about people who are consistently out there trying to do good work. The stories about people who are showing up to advocate for what they are passionate about and want to expand. Recently, I was lucky to have a conversation with one of these people.
Jim Speirs is a graduate of South Dakota State University, and he currently serves as the Founding Executive Director of Arts South Dakota. Arts South Dakota is a statewide arts advocacy and service organization, which focuses on celebrating the arts across the state and—as Jim says—our “really dynamic arts ecosystem.” They host many different cohorts through educational programming, professional development sessions, and conferences geared towards either arts education professionals or arts organization leaders. They also work hard as advocates for the arts, which includes meeting with congressional leaders in Washington D.C, and state representatives. There are often legislative bills that carry potential impact to supporting arts in our communities and Arts South Dakota works hard to advocate for support during legislative sessions.
Jim’s career has been primarily in the arts sector within non-profits. He got his start as an intern at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. From there he served as the first Operations Director for the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. Additional experiences include working for the Alumni Association at South Dakota State University and Fresh Produce—a marketing agency in Sioux Falls. Jim is also a trumpet player. You can find him on the stage at Trio in Sioux Falls, performing with the Fellowship Jazz Collective as well as other ensembles in Sioux Falls and throughout South Dakota.
You can learn more about Jim in my episode of Career Connections. In our episode he highlights his career path, and we discuss different aspects of what teamwork means as a concept and a career readiness competency. Teamwork is a crucial part of anyone’s work and Jim has many comments that illustrate how being skilled as a team member brings value to any organization.
Follow these links to learn more about Jim’s work with Arts South Dakota and other endeavors:
