Mike Knutson
Consultant, Reimagine Rural Blog

About Me: When I was nine years old, my parents bought an old, dilapidated farmstead outside of Hartford, South Dakota, thus beginning my life in rural places. While my parents were never fulltime farmers, I had chores to do including: milking a cow (by hand), feeding the pigs, and baling the hay. It was a great childhood.

After graduating from Dakota Wesleyan University with a history degree, I taught social studies and computer classes for three years in Tripp, SD (pop. 700). After marrying my wife, Jodi, we moved to Beaufort, SC where I helped run a carriage tour business. (For SC, Beaufort is pretty rural.) But home kept calling, and we made a decision to move back to SD. I was fortunate to be hired as a teacher and coach in Howard, SD (pop. 1100) where the school was embarking on an ambitious plan to embed "place-based education" throughout the school. What an opportunity!

As a community member, I worked to help establish Miner County Community Revitalization, and then accepted the job as the economic development/housing coordinator for the organization. Currently, I'm doing consulting work in rural community development, primarily working with the Rural Learning Center.

What I do at the RLC: I currently work in a consulting capacity with the RLC. My focus is on the ReImagine Rural blog, but I help out on a few other projects around the state.

Hometown: Right now, I'm not sure what my hometown is, but I live at Lake Kampeska, just outside Watertown, SD - which in my mind is a suburb of Howard.

What I wanted to be when I was little: Besides starring in both the NFL and the NBA (at the same time), I saw myself as a teacher and coach - probably because I had several aunts and uncles who were educators.

Interesting previous job(s) I've held: Driving a horse carriage while giving tours was probably the most unusual job I've ever had. It showed me how small the world really is; even though I was over 1500 miles from South Dakota, hardly a week went by where I didn't meet someone with a connection to my home state.

A place I want to visit at least once in my lifetime: Anywhere overseas. I've never been outside the United States.

Favorite rainy day activity: Eating chili and chocolate cookies.