HVHV Delegates

Together, Her Vote. Her Voice. (HVHV), the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation and the Governor’s office appointed 16 women to serve as delegates and lead the 2020 campaign. This diverse group of non-partisan professionals is raising awareness and raising funds to ensure women’s history in our state is properly commemorated.

Meet the faces behind the fight.

Delegate Chairs

Patricia Miller

Former First Lady of South Dakota
South Dakota Historical Society Foundation Board President
Pierre, SD

Patricia (Pat) Miller takes an active interest in her family, community and state. Her passion to serve involved 20 years of public service with the Departments of Education, Labor and Social Services and the Office of the Secretary of State. In the private sector, she had the great opportunity to work 10 years with Easter Seals South Dakota, including seven years as CEO. In 2008, she was chosen as the President of the South Dakota Heritage Fund, the non-profit partner to the South Dakota Historical Society. Pat served as South Dakota’s First Lady for her husband, Governor Walter D. Miller from 1993-1995.

Leadership and volunteer positions include: Founding Member of the Trail of Governors Board of Directors, Africa Uplifted Board of Directors, SD State Historical Foundation Board of Directors, Deputy Secretary of State, Community Food Bank of South Dakota, Children’s Care Hospital and School, Delegate to the White House Conference on Aging, Habitat for Humanity, Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission, SD Tourism Board of Directors, SD Women’s Lifestyle Conference, South Dakota Institute of Geriatrics-USD School of Medicine and Health Services. Past president of Cenkota and the SD Federation of Republican Women, former President of the Fort Pierre Development Corporation and life-long member of the Lutheran Church. 

“It’s as important to celebrate women’s suffrage today in 2020 as it was in 1920. Earning the right to vote wasn’t and still isn’t just about politics. It’s about taking one’s rightful place in society by speaking up to shape the policies, beliefs and culture of the communities around us. It’s through the vote that our voices are heard.”

Pat Miller

Tracy Saathoff

VP of Insights & Strategy at Lawrence & Schiller
Marketing Chair, Her Vote. Her Voice.
Sioux Falls, SD

As VP of Insights, Strategy & Media, Tracy spearheads coaching and innovation and leads the Consumer Insights and Media teams at Lawrence & Schiller. She serves on the organization’s Executive Team and has pioneered agency initiatives on use of media data, optimization processes and business analytics. She’s a frequent presenter at industry conferences, sharing her research including the South Dakota Conference on Economic Development, TTRA CenStates and more. She’s a graduate of Leadership South Dakota and serves on the Board of Directors for CenStates Travel & Tourism Research Association.

“I’m honored to join the SD State Historical Society and the Historical Society Foundation in celebrating the women who fought to earn the right to vote. The women of the Delegation are incredibly accomplished and have made lasting impacts on the state of South Dakota. They’re a testament to the power and influence that can come from women having the right to vote and using your voice to make an impact on society.”

Tracy Saathoff

HVHV DELegates

Kristina Schaefer

General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer at First Bank & Trust
Sioux Falls, SD

Kristina Schaefer currently serves as General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer at First Bank & Trust. Schaefer is a member of the South Dakota Bankers Association Board of Directors, serving as its Vice Chair and on the Women and Banking and Emerging Leaders planning committees. She is also a member of the American Bankers Association, where she serves as a member of the ABA Regional Bank General Counsels Group, the ABA Emerging Leaders Council, the ABA Compliance Committee, and the ABA Cyber and Information Security Working Group. Schaefer is also a member of the South Dakota Bar Association, serving on the In House Counsel Committee. 

Mary Jean Jensen

Retired President of the Lemmon Chamber of Commerce
Retired community volunteer
Lemmon, SD

Mary Jean is past President of the Lemmon Chamber of Commerce, Lemmon Area Foundation, Twentieth Century Women's Club, Chapter AH and PEO, and she was the organist at Calvary Lutheran Church. Mary Jean and her husband, Eldon, owned and operated the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Homes in the western Dakotas and were also owners of Farmers State Bank in Faith, SD, for many years. She was a member and officer of the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women for over 50 years and served as South Dakota's Committeewoman on the Republican National Committee for 16 years.

Dr. José Marie Griffiths

President of Dakota State University
Madison, SD

Dr. José-Marie Griffiths is President of Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota. President Griffiths has spent her career in research, teaching, public service, corporate leadership, economic development and higher education administration. She has served in presidential appointments to the National Science Board, the U.S. President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee, and the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. She was appointed a member of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, part of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for 2019 and is chairman of the Workforce Subcommittee for the commission. She has led projects for over 28 U.S. federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Department of Energy and various intelligence and military agencies, over 20 major corporations such as AT&T Bell Laboratories and IBM, in over 35 countries, and worked with seven major international organizations, including NATO and the United Nations. 

Sue Gates

Former Director of Dacotah Prairie Museum
Retired community volunteer 
Aberdeen, SD

Sue Gates has worked in the history field for over 30 years, most recently as the Director of the Dacotah Prairie Museum in Aberdeen, South Dakota. During her career, she championed local history through numerous research and writing projects, historic preservation efforts, and the development and presentation of workshops and seminars for museum professionals. She shared her expertise on city, state and national boards and committees in the development of industry standards of disaster planning, ethics and professionalism in the public history field and served the Institute of Museum and Library Services for many years as a member of its grant review cohort.

Katherine (Kitty) Kinsman

President of The K Group 
Rapid City, SD

Kitty Kinsman is President of The K Group and works as a public policy consultant for non-profit organizations and businesses. Kinsman formerly served as Secretary of Health for two Governors. She has been instrumental in building alliances for major policy initiatives such as: requiring smoke-free workplaces and public places; shifting funding emphasis in long term care to less institutional settings; increasing funding for public health and social service programs; and creating South Dakota’s 3-day Memorial Day weekend. A 1989 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, Kinsman has served in leadership roles for several state and local organizations.

Susan Irons Beachler

Veterans Service Officer
Canton, SD

Susan Irons Beachler is the Veterans Service Officer for Lincoln and Union Counties and was recently appointed by Governor Noem to the Board of Military Affairs. Susan graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as a communications officer in the Army. A Desert Storm veteran, Susan has earned the Bronze Star Medal and Senior Parachutist Badge. Susan is passionate about serving her community in numerous capacities and has instilled that passion in her children, including three who have also chosen to serve their country in the United States Army.