Kathy Callies
Vice President of Advancement
Email: Kathy.Callies@RuralLearningCenter.org
About Me: I was raised on a farm in south of Howard, (five of my six siblings make their home in Miner County). Following graduation from Howard High I attended Dakota State University and completed my bachelor's degree in 1983. While pursuing my degree I worked at Dakota State University in the areas of admissions, financial aid and records for a total of 21 years. I have also completed work toward an MBA at the University of South Dakota/Vermillion. In 1998 I came home to work as human resources manager at PBM Packaging, Inc. During that time I volunteered as a member of the Miner County Strategic Planning Committee and served on the charter board of directors for MCCR. In 2001 I joined the MCCR staff as the development director. Since that time we have created 13 new organizations - 11 not for profit organizations and 2 for profit organizations. One of these is Children's Care Corner, licensed day care center located in Howard. I serve on their board of directors. Today I work with the Rural Learning Center as the VP for Advancement.
My husband Greg and I raised a family of four children in Miner County and today enjoy our seven grandsons - all of whom now live in Miner County. Greg is an active partner in Callies Farms - a diversified family farm managed and operated by the Callies family in Miner County.
What I do at the RLC: I am Vice President of Advancement for the Rural Learning Center.
Hometown: Howard, SD
What I wanted to be when I was little: I've always known that I needed to fill up my day with three things - 1) I wanted to do work that somebody really needed - that what I did mattered to someone else; 2) I have always focused on jobs that provided service to others and 3) I wanted to be working at something that was constantly changing with the energy of new ideas.
Interesting previous job(s) I've held: Whatever I'm currently doing is always my favorite job! Seriously I have always found opportunity to work with others and for others to be very motivating. I've always tried to attach myself to positive and productive people - at home and at work - and commit myself to returning the favor.
A place I want to visit at least once in my lifetime: I love small towns and the places and people that make them great. Whenever I can I leave the big roads behind and re-connect with what makes South Dakota, the plains and the mountain states so interesting. Later when I conjure up a place and the people there I feel as though I understand them better than before I visited.
Favorite rainy day activity:
I have been a book worm since I learned to read before I went to school. That was my mom's way of occupying me and I guess I've never needed to be occupied since! I read in themes or binges - I read everything I can on one topic or by one author before going on to something else. Some is heavy duty and some is just for fun, but the immersion helps me remember and recall great stories and great ideas from what I've read.
