As some of you may already know, Sandy Hook has announced her retirement from the Partners Coordinator position at the end of this year's Partners class in April. Sandy has been an integral part of the Partners in Policymaking program and has had such a positive impact on those fortunate enough to have graduated from the program! Please join us in congratulating Sandy on all the things that she has accomplished in the development and management of this program.

As part of Sandy's retirement from Partners, there must be a transition. We have been fortunate to be awarded a grant from the DD Planning Council to support DRSD in this process. As a result of the grant, we have resources to hire a new full time staff position that will manage the Partners program, support the South Dakota Advocates for Change (self-advocacy group), and do some other activities for DRSD and the Council.

We have completed the interview process and have hired Mary Kay Budmayr for the position. Mary Kay is a Year 9 Partners graduate, a family member of a person with a disability, a previous Family Support Coordinator, and has a wealth of experience in working with people with developmental disabilities. Please join us in welcoming Mary Kay to the DRSD staff. Mary Kay will begin working with the agency in late September.

If you are interested in being a part of this year's Partners in Policymaking class, don't forget to apply by September 25th, 2021! All the details are available on our Partners page!