Black Hills Community Economic Development congratulates its longtime friend and colleague, Jim Mirehouse, who accepted the 2009 Distinguished Service to South Dakota Business Award October 9.
The award, presented by the Beacom School of Business at the University of South Dakota, goes to those who demonstrate exemplary character, business and community leadership, and who serve as role models.
Those qualities certainly fit Jim, who believes businesses should work to “foster change in how we do things, so that life will be better for South Dakotans.” Better jobs and higher wages are obviously keys to improving overall life, he said.
Jim is currently CEO of the Black Hills Business Development Center, and he worked with several organizations to make that facility a reality. Originally from Montana, he spent 24 years in the Air Force and was highly decorated for service in Vietnam. He retired as a Colonel and then entered banking. He eventually joined the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative staff where he helped BHCED establish its business loan funds, along with the Genesis of Innovation program.
