Meet the Board: Beth Benning, Board Chair

It has been said that good nonprofit boards deliver “governance” and great boards help build a legacy. The South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) has been fortunate to have had great board members building a legacy for the last 34 years. SDCF’s Board Chairs have encouraged, dreamed, and shaped the leadership of the staff, and the current Board Chair is no exception.

Beth Benning is no stranger to many in South Dakota. She was born and raised in Redfield and moved to Spearfish to continue her education. A Spearfish resident since 1973, Beth has contributed her time to many organizations: Northern Hills Training Center, Spearfish Foundation for Public Education, Good Shepherd Clinic, Black Hills State University, Monument Health, Spearfish Economic Development Corporation, Zonta Club, and others. In addition to her volunteer positions, she excelled in her role in local government for the City of Spearfish, retiring in 2008 after 35 years as the Spearfish City Finance Director. During her career in city government, Beth was honored with two prestigious awards: the Outstanding Finance Officer Award from the S.D. Governmental Finance Officers’

Association and the Excellence in Municipal Government Award from the South Dakota Municipal League. Her alma mater, Black Hills State University, recognized Beth with the Distinguished Alumni Award, and she has been the recipient of the Spirit of Spearfish award from the Spearfish Chamber of Commerce two times: in 1989 and 2018.

During her tenure as SDCF chair, Beth worked tirelessly to stay engaged with her colleagues during the pandemic. “It was arguably a difficult time to stay connected, so I did what I could to make sure every board member had a voice even if we weren’t allowed to sit across the table from one another,” she said. In addition to reaching out to each board member by phone, Beth and SDCF staff convened the regularly scheduled board meetings via Zoom, provided virtual updates, and hosted a virtual board member social hour. As Board Chair, Beth also demonstrated her support of the Foundation’s mission through giving. Together, Beth and her husband Jim embraced SDCF as a partner in accomplishing their philanthropic goals. “We are so grateful for the life we built together in Spearfish, and we are committed to doing our part to support our community now and in the future,” she said.