Kira Kimball is Marsh McLennan’s Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer. Kira provides strategic and tactical leadership to advance efforts to attract and celebrate diverse perspectives while promoting and protecting a level playing field for all colleagues. Kira has her MSEd in counseling & human development with an emphasis in college students, an MA in English -- both from Purdue University and a BA in English -- from Minnesota State University Moorhead

Prior to becoming Chief DE&I Officer in 2021, Kira was Chief Innovation Officer of Marsh McLennan in Sioux Falls. In this role, she used her talents to create an unfair competitive advantage for the team through collaborative business & community relationships that support revenue growth, client retention & talent recruitment with a message of expertise, commitment to our community and values of integrity & passion for what we do and who we do it with. 

Kira is also a part of the Pathways to Inclusive and Equitable Workplaces Community Coalition.

Megan Howard currently leads Baird’s financial planning, estate and tax planning services. She is a graduate from SDSU and a certified financial planner. She shares value to her clients and community by being an educator, resource, and colleague.

Previous to Baird, she spent years in the banking and cosmetology industries.  While completing her bachelor's degree in entrepreneurial studies, she transitioned into banking and finance.  Growing up with two hard working entrepreneur parents and has been instilled with hard work and a relationship-based mentality.

Being an oldest child of two successful Army officers she grew up with certain traits that help her and her business grow and succeed. When Megan is not working she is a fan of the outdoors riding her motorcycle and hiking in the Black Hills.

Cindy Kirschman currently works as the transitions liaison for the Transition Services Liaison Project under the Black Hills Special Service Coop, and is a volunteer and affiliate leader for NAMI Aberdeen. She is trained as a Basics teacher, Ending the Silence presenter, and Family Support Group Facilitator. She is an advocate for mental health and our friend!

Jan Small is a retired educator, parent and grandparent. She currently lives in Watertown with her husband John. 

Matthew Stanley serves as the Vice President of the Behavioral Health Clinical Service Line and as the Medical Director of the Avera McKennan Behavioral Health Center and the Avera Addiction Care Center, Sioux Falls, SD, and the Avera Marshall Behavioral Health Center, Marshall, MN.  He received his doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, Des Moines, IA.  Dr. Stanley completed his residency at Western Missouri Mental Health Center, Kansas City, MO, and at the University of South Dakota in General Psychiatry. 

He has more than 20 years of experience as a psychiatrist at Avera and is Board Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Preventative Medicine. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. 

Sheri Nelson has over 20 years of experience working with individuals and families who have experienced mental health challenges.  Sheri holds a bachelor’s in psychology and Addiction Studies and a masters in Addiction Studies from the University of South Dakota.  As an addiction counselor Sheri worked with at risk youth and their families.

She went on to be the Director of a specialized program in which she treated both adult women and adolescent females who were pregnant, parenting, and struggled with addiction and mental health issues. Through her 20+ years of experience she also worked with clients who struggled with suicidal ideation and families who have lost loved ones to suicide. 

Prior to her new role as the Executive Director of NAMI SD, Sheri filled the role as Suicide Prevention Director at the Helpline Center for the past 5 years.  As the Executive Director of NAMI SD, Sheri brings over 10 years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector in which she was in leadership roles.

As a certified nurse practitioner (CNP), Brenda Johnson is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. This certification allows Brenda to diagnose and treat mental illnesses with medication and/or psychotherapy.

Her practice provides a nursing philosophy emphasis, shared decision making, and collaboration with other health practitioners. Brenda is licensed by the South Dakota Board of Nursing and the South Dakota Board of Medical & Osteopathic Examiners. Her 30 plus years of nursing experience also gives her a special ability in treating mental issues that co-occur with other medical conditions or end of life issues.

Mental health issues impact chronic disease management in diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, alchoholism, heart disease, etc. She also works to dispel mental illness myths by encouraging early identification and treatment of mental illness.

Trivia Afraid of Lightning-Craddock is Mnicoujou Lakota an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, she graduated in 2016 with her master’s in Leadership and Management from Oglala Lakota College. While attending Oglala Lakota College, Trivia volunteered as a community advocate as well as a working as a Uplifting Parent Mentor for Catholic Social Services. Trivia was able to use her training and life experiences helping native and non native single parents achieve their higher education academic goals while receiving mentorship and support.

Trivia has been a community advocate in the area of Lakota language preservation, suicide prevention, and mentor.  In 2021 Trivia volunteered as a Connecting With Our Youth -Community Response Team Volunteer and now is currently the Program Manager of the Connecting With Our Youth suicide prevention intervention Program at the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board.

During his 35 years with the Sioux Falls Stockyards and the Olson-Frankman Commission, and his many years broadcasting the daily markets on KELO-TV, Jim Woster has touched the lives of nearly every agriculture producer in South Dakota. As a dedicated member of the South Dakota Cattleman’s Association, Jim was awarded the Agri-Businessman of the Year (2000) and the Agriculturalist of the Year (2001) and inducted into the SD Hall of Fame in 2001. He has also donated countless hours to Avera Hospital, the South Dakota University Foundation, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Jim has stated that, “ there is nothing in the world like opening weekend of pheasant hunting in Lyman County with family and friends. I have been one of the luckiest people in the country to be able to work in the same field that somewhat matches the talents that God gave me”. Jim was born to Henry (Hank) and Marie Woster in Chamberlain, SD. He attended grade school in Reliance and high school in Chamberlain. In 1962, he graduated from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science. He married Penny Jorgenson and the couple had three children: Jim Jr., Sara, and Michelle. Jim and his wife Penny reside in Sioux Falls, SD.

Maggie Kadrlik graduated from Augustana University in 2019 with a bachelors in psychology and sociology. While at Augie, Maggie played softball for 5 years where she was a part of the team who won the national championship in 2019. After Augie, Maggie went on to work at Avera Behavioral Health as a behavioral health technician for two years. Maggie is back at Augustana University, not only working as the strength and conditioning graduate assistant but also getting her masters in sports administration and leadership. She is currently working on her thesis studying the impact of mental health awareness for athletes. Maggie plans to get her doctorate in sports psychology after graduation. 

Maggie has a passion for mental health and sports and wants to help others. Maggie enjoys traveling, dogs and is currently  training for a strongman competition.