Lori has 40 years of experience working professionally in Leadership Development, Business Consulting and Civic/Community leadership engagement. Early in her career she served as the Executive Director of the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce.
Lori served as Executive Director of the South Dakota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Foundation, a statewide leadership program providing professional leadership training & development to farmers, ranchers, and allied agriculture partners.
In 2020, Lori assisted the newly formed Elevate Rapid City Organization as part of a team who“founded” the Elevate Leadership Institute. She served as the Leadership Program Consultant for their inaugural Class and again for class two.
In October 2022, Lori returned to school and in April 2023 – was awarded certification as a Leadership Life Mastery Coach through Brave Thinking Institute, Los Angeles, CA.
She has three adult daughters:
• Zoe who live in Toronto Canada and is pursuing her Doctorate of Architecture from McGill University.
• Leslie is a Graphic Designer for the Agricultural division of Curious Plot in St. Paul, Minnesota. She and her spouse Christian Custer are owners of “Owner Built”Construction Management Co and together they have a daughter Helen.
• Audrey, employed with Senator John Thune in Washington DC. Her spouse Jordan Beckis an Attorney for Husch Blackwell, Washington DC.
Of the titles that Lori has had over the years, she feels the most valuable to her are spouse of 37 years, mother, mother-in-law, friend and now grandma!
Fun fact: Lori has gained some of her greatest inspirations and even aspirations from Dr. Suess. Two quotes that inspire her:
“To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.”
“Sometimes you will never know the value of something, until it becomes a memory.”
.png)
