9:00 AM - 9:15 AM
Welcome
Location: Room 186 | Darla Biel and Jay Perry
Darla Biel
Assistant Director, SD Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment
Board President, South Dakota Nonprofit Network
Speaker Bio: A strategic and collaborative leader with experience in higher education teaching and management, non-profit leadership, and interdisciplinary projects, Darla Biel, MA, CFRE, is the Assistant Director at the South Dakota Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment at the University of South Dakota’s School of Health Sciences. She serves as the SD Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Lead, convening an interagency advisory board and community partners to build a shared vision and plan for ensuring a strong start for all South Dakota children. Biel is also project lead for Resilient Communities, a community-led initiative that increases collective capacity to know about, respond to, and prevent child abuse. As a lifelong learner, Biel holds degrees from Bethany College (Lindsborg, KS), Iowa State University (Ames, IA), and Pacific University (Forest Grove, OR), as well as graduate certificates in Child & Adult Advocacy Studies (USD) and Certified Fund Raising Management (Indiana University). She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Administration and Leadership with a specialization in Adult & Higher Education from the University of South Dakota.
Jay Perry
Vice President, University of South Dakota – Sioux Falls
Speaker Bio: Jay Perry has been the vice president for the University of South Dakota – Sioux Falls campus since its inception in 2022. Prior to that, Jay worked for the South Dakota Board of Regents office, including serving time as the vice president for academic affairs and the senior advisor for policy and planning. Jay holds an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Evansville and a doctorate in history from Bowling Green State University. He is a former member of the advisory board for the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment and past chair of the South Dakota Humanities Council Board of Directors.