South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard has named a new Commissioner for Economic Development.
Freeman native Scott Stern’s main job will be to get out of state and out of country businesses to invest in South Dakota.
For almost thirty years, Scott Stern worked with Stern Oil Company of Freeman, including 14 years as vice president and general manager
Four years ago, he moved to Arizona to work district sales manager for Petro-Canada America, a division of Suncor Energy that specializes in the production of crude from oil sands, according to their website.
Stern says he’s excited for that special challenge.He says the state is recession resistant, with a diverse economy and fiscal conservation.
“The people in South Dakota are inherently conservative and spend within their means," Stern says. "And the state of South Dakota spends within their means. They maintain a balanced budget. So, they can, then, during those challenged times really weather the storm effectively, compared to other states that do not live within those constraints.”
Stern says, one of the challenges of his job is dealing with workforce shortages. He says South Dakota’s unemployment rate hovers around two percent, which is one of the lowest in the nation.
Stern replaces Pat Costello, who was the Economic Development commissioner for five years in Daugaard’s administration.
Stern’s first day on the job is September 1.