GENERAL | EDUCATION
MARILYN HOHM HOYT Huron, SD
Public Service Innovator Marilyn was born in Chicago, Illinois, while her father was in medical school. But she has been a life-long resident of Huron. She grew up with two younger siblings in a loving and caring family, with parents who lived the lessons of life – honesty, integrity and loyalty – for her to observe and emulate. She watched her father, who was busy doing most of the medical procedures as family practitioners did at that time, often being called away from the supper table or on the weekend to the clinic or the hospital to care for his patients while her mother kept things going at home with their young children. She watched both of her parents befriend and care with compassion the neighbors and others who may have needed a helping hand, teaching her another lesson of life, to be kind to one another.
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from each of the trustees did she accept. She believed her organizational skills could help guide the board forward, but she needed the expertise of the professional members who were her fellow trustees. But six months later, the team faced a $1 million debt and the bankruptcy of the college.
After graduating from the School of Business at the University of South Dakota, Marilyn returned to Huron where she married and started a family, getting involved with her children's activities.
After many meetings, a plan emerged. An entity was secured that was willing to take over the college for $1, but assume none of the debt. The plan involved a citywide campaign to ask voters to extend the one-cent sales tax in order to raise the revenue so the city could purchase the newest building on the campus, the Fine Arts Center, and enter into a net/net lease with the college. In that way, the trustees would be able to have the funds to retire the $1 million debt and the new entity could take over ownership of the college debt free. The hard work of the trustees paid off when the votes were counted. With a turnout of 51 percent, the highest in 30 years, there was a 70 percent favorable response from the public to extend the sales tax and keep the college alive.
The Hohms were heavily tied to and loyal to Huron College. At the college's 100th anniversary celebration, they were named the Centennial Family. She grew up singing the college fight song and wearing her dad's letter sweater at all of the basketball games, which set the stage for her loyalty and responsibility to help Huron College. She was asked to serve on the Board of Trustees, and after one year was asked to chair the board. Only after a verbal commitment to the college
As the three-year sales tax extension was nearing an end, Marilyn was asked to co-chair another campaign to retain the one-cent tax to make up for the loss of federal revenue sharing funds, to allow for property tax reduction, to retire bonded indebtedness on the water treatment plant and to purchase needed city equipment. It was evident to her that this needed to happen, especially when voters agreed by approving the extension with an 83 percent approval.
2018 HONORS CEREMONY
