PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s newly formed Governor’s Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force (GRIT) held its inaugural meeting this week to begin its work of advising the state on critical infrastructure systems. The task force, which includes representatives from government agencies, public utilities, and academia, will focus on policy recommendations and long-term planning to prepare the state for future challenges.
The GRIT task force was established by Governor Larry Rhoden to keep South Dakota “strong, safe, and free.” The group is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Tony Venhuizen and is a proactive effort to address potential vulnerabilities in the state’s infrastructure. While the group’s meetings are not open to the public due to the sensitive nature of their work, information that does not pose a security risk will be shared as it becomes available.
The task force supports a federal initiative, President Trump’s Executive Order 14239, aimed at empowering state and local governments to take a more active role in national preparedness. The diverse membership of the task force includes experts from agencies like the Department of Transportation and the Bureau of Information and Technology, as well as private sector partners like Black Hills Energy. The group will also form working groups focused on specific areas, including telecommunications, energy, water, and transportation.
The Black Hills area is represented on the task force by John Jorgensen, Vice President and Chief Security Officer for Black Hills Energy, and Randy Hoover, a professor from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City.