Stan Adelstein

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About Stan

Stan's Parents

Stan's father, Morris Adelstein grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. As a young man, Morris served with distinction in World War 1, earning a battlefield commission. After the war, he moved west to Kadoka, South Dakota, where his mother Bertha ran the general store. He later met and married Stan's mother, also Bertha (Greenberg) from Sioux City, Iowa. Morris ran and was elected as a Republican for county engineer for Stanley, Jackson and Haakon Counties. In 1924, Morris left county government and founded Northwestern Engineering Company with L.A Pier.

The Hometown Boy

Stan Adelstein was born in 1931. Although his parents were living in Kadoka at the time, Bertha returned to her home in Sioux City, Iowa for the birth. A month after Stan was born, the little family moved to Rapid City, living first at 1305 St. Joe and then 1702 West Blvd. Stan attended school in the same district he now hopes to serve. He walked to Wilson Elementary School and Rapid City High School (now Dakota Middle School).

Second Generation Soldier

In 1945, Stan enlisted in the Colorado Air National Guard, serving as a private for three years while attending the University of Colorado. He acted as radar operator and squadron clerk. At the start of the Korean War, Stan was called to active duty with the National Guard. Due to a shortage of trained engineer officers, he was discharged to return to college. He'd been accepted for advanced ROTC training. Upon graduation from college in 1952, with degrees in Civil Engineering and Business Management, Stan was commissioned into the Army Corps of Engineers as a 2nd Lieutenant. He first served as Platoon Leader and Executive Officer Company C, 9th Combat Engineer Battalion. He later served as Executive Officer and Company Commander (1st Lieutenant) 557th engineer Equipment Company.

Family Business

Stan reached the rank of Captain… 109th Engineer Group South Dakota National Guard before resigning his commission to work in the family business, Northwestern Engineering. Eventually Northwestern Engineering grew into one of the largest businesses in western South Dakota.

Family

Family has always been Stan's first priority. Stan has three grown sons; Daniel, (3rd generation soldier) a graduate of West Point and Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces, James a graduate of Brown University and writer in California and Jon, a graduate of Stanford University, is a member of the Federal Communications Commission where he is known as a champion of rural state issues. Stan lived and raised his children in the same neighborhood where he himself grew up.

Elective Office:
JAN 2001-DEC 2004: South Dakota House of Representatives (Dist. 32)
JAN 2005- DEC 2006: South Dakota Senate (Dist. 32)

Community Service:
1955-57 Lieutenant, U S. Army Corps of Engineers
1958-61 Member, Executive Committee, United Fund of Rapid City
1959-60 Vice-President, Executive Committee, United Fund of Rapid City
1959-71 Associated General Contractors of America (member of three national committees;
Board of Directors, 1959-69; President, 1961)
1962 National Executive Board, The American Jewish Committee
1963-66; 2001-2004 President, Synagogue of the Hills, Rapid City
1963-78 Member, Board of Directors, Boys' Club of Rapid City (President, 1969)
1966 Vice-President, Synagogue of the Hills, Rapid City
1966-73 Member, Lay Advisory Board and Board of Directors,
St. John's McNamara Hospital, Rapid City
1971-73 Chairman, Board of Directors, St. John's McNamara Hospital, Rapid City
1971-77 Member, Black Hills Playhouse Board of Trustees
1972-present Member, Board of Governors, The American Jewish Committee
1958-61 Member, Executive Committee, United Fund of Rapid City
1959-60 Vice-President, Executive Committee, United Fund of Rapid City
1962 National Executive Board, The American Jewish Committee
1963-78 Member, Board of Directors, Boys' Club of Rapid City (President, 1969)
1978-81 National Vice-President, The American Jewish Committee
1972-95 Member, Board of Trustees, Mt. Rushmore National Memorial Society of the Black Hills
(Executive Committee, 1973-88; 1st Vice-¬President, 1981-88)
1973-80 Member, Board of Directors, Rapid City Regional Hospital (Secretary, 1973-76;
Chairman, Professional Practices Committee, 1976-78)
1973-95 Rapid City Concert Association Board (President, 1976-77 & 1987-88)
1975-77 Advisory Board, South Dakota Indian Businessmen's Association
1975-82, 1986 US. Delegate to the World Assembly of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem
1978-84 Member, American Israel Public Affairs Committee National Council; Member,
Executive Committee, 1982-84; Member, National Council, 1985-87
1979-81 South Dakota Chairman, 1981 Maccabiah Games
1979-present Board of Directors, Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs
1983-present Community Advisory Council, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
1984-88 Board of Directors Black Hills Aero Space Museum
1985-1995 Member, Rapid City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (Vice President 1990-93; President 1993-94)
1990-present Publication Committee Commentary magazine
1992-93 Honorary Commander, 44th Maintenance Support Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota
1992-94 Advisory Board, Black Hills Pow-Wow Association
1992-94 Rushmore Presidential Institute
1993-94 Board of Directors, Rapid City Economic Development Partnership
1997-present Board of Directors, Youth and Family Services
2001-2003 Board of Directors, Lutheran Social Services Foundation
2003-present Board of Governors, Lutheran Social Services
2002-2003 Rapid City Club for Boys Foundation Board
2002-present

National Board of Trustees, National Symphony Orchestra
2004-present Member, Children's Care Hospital & School, Children's Care Foundation Steering Committee
2006-present Board Member, YMCA

Federal, State and Local Government Activities:
1961-67 Commissioner, Industrial Development and Expansion Agency, South Dakota
1967-94 Reservist, Federal Emergency Management Agency (National Defense Executive Reserve: assigned to Federal Emergency Management Agency)
1976-77 National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity, Washington, D.C. (Presidential appointment)
1977-85 State Advisory Committee, United States Civil Rights Commission
1965 Member, Rapid City Library Board
1985-88, 1992-98 Board of Directors, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City; Board of Directors (Vice Chairman 1993-94; Chairman, 1995)
1989-2001 Director, Museum Alliance of Rapid City (President 2000-01)
1992-94 Member, Advisory Council, Ninth Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis
1994 Attended 41st Annual National Security Forum, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
1995-2000 Member, Governor's Board of Economic Development
1995-96 Member, Governor William Janklow's Task Force on the Department of Transportation Reorganization
1997 Attended National Security Seminar, U. S. Army War College
1997-2004 Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, State of South Dakota
1999-present Member, West River Economic Development Commission

Business Resume:
1953 B.S. in Civil Engineering, University of Colorado
1955 B.S. in Business Administration, University of Colorado
1957-60 Engineer/Estimator, Northwestern Engineering Company
1960-63 Assistant to Executive VP, Northwestern Engineering Company
1963-66 Vice-President, Northwestern Engineering Company
1966-present President, Northwestern Engineering Company
1969-85 Vice President and Treasurer, Ade1 Jewelers
1981 Adjunct Professor, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
1981-99 Chairman of the Board, Hills Materials Company
1976-81 Director, Perpetual Savings & Loan Association, Rapid City
1983-2004 Board of Directors, Rushmore Bank and Trust (n.k.a Great Western Bank)
1983-present Chairman of Board, Rapid City Defense Housing Corp
1990 Director, RapidCare, (medical ambulatory center)
1997-present Director KFx, Inc. (American Stock Exchange listed)
1997-present Partner, Rapidnet, Dakota Connect (ISP provider)

Recognition and Awards:
1961 Received Distinguished Service Award from Junior Chamber of Commerce
1966 Listed in "Outstanding Young Men in America"
1970 Received RA. Pier Good Government Award from Junior Chamber of Commerce
1980 Doctor of Business Administration, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
1971 Listed in "Who's Who in American Politics"
1973-75 Listed in "Who's Who in Midwest"
1982 Listed in "Who's Who in Midwest"
1983-86 Distinguished Lecturer, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
1991 Received the "George" award from the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce ("He didn't let George do it; he did it himself.")
1994 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, University of Colorado
1995 Public Service Award, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
2001 Association of the U. S. Army Award for Distinguished Service
2002 Selective Service System Meritorious Service Award
2004 South Dakota Philanthropist of the Year
2005 South Dakota's Governor's Awards in the Arts
2006 Goldwater Award, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Republicans for Choice
2006 South Dakota Hall of Fame

Community Involvement:
1961 With Dr. Robert Lee, started the concept of donations and organized the first public fundraising for Black Hills Playhouse Donated all funds to construct the parking lot at Black Hills Playhouse
1965-67 Rapid City Public Library Board of Directors; responsible for organizing plans for a new library building and rejection of initial "usual" architecture for a library building and changed to a building with aesthetic characteristics Designed and contributed the concrete for new seating at Black Hills Playhouse. Mid-1960s Edelweiss Mountain, Black Forest Development – a year into Edelweiss Mountain/Black Forest Development, worked with Arnie B. Larson on the possibility of locating a historic music and musical instrument museum in the Black Hills. While the museum's location in the Black Hills ended up falling through, encouragement and participation to facilitate the eventual sucess of the concept in the state.
1971-77 Black Hills Playhouse Board of Trustees member South Dakotans for the Arts board member
1973-95 Rapid City Concert Association board member
1974 Consulted with Art Dahl and his architect; participated in the planning and construction of the Dahl Fine Arts Center. At that time, Art Dahl was considering the construction of Staav Kirke in Rapid City; worked with Mr. Dahl encouraging and supporting that effort.
1976-77 President, Rapid City Concert Association
1976 Arranged to bring the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra to Rapid City SD for the opening of the new Civic Center Theatre, by chartering a jet from North Central Airlines
1976 Served on the Planning Committee for a proposed Civic Center in Rapid City; responsible for inclusion of a complete theatre, with full-depth drops, etc. otherwise, the building would not have had an arena and meeting areas
1981 Vice-President Mt. Rushmore National Memorial Society, and organizer of fund-raising and plans for the present Tourist Center, Educational Center, new entrance, and presidential walk at Mt. Rushmore
1984-88 Board of Directors and founding board of the Black Hills Aerospace Museum
1987-88 President, Rapid City Concert Association
Major contributor to the National Symphony Orchestra for its South Dakota tour
1989-2001 Director of the Museum Alliance of Rapid City (Journey Museum)
1992-94 Rushmore Presidential Institute Board of Directors member – an organization founded to establish lectures and educational programs at Mt. Rushmore
2000-2001 President of Museum Alliance of Rapid City – raised funds and ensured the of the Journey Museum, and has continued involvement since 2001 to present
2002-present National Symphony Orchestra board member
2003 Provided all funding for refurbishment and new lighting for the Charles Halloway mural The Peace that Passes Understanding, located in the South Dakota House of Representatives Chamber ceiling
2003 Provided matching funds for the purchase and installation of the Termesphere, Cultural Heritage Center, Pierre
2003 Provided funds for City of Presidents bronze sculptures located throughout Rapid City
2000 Established and funded $9,500 annually an uncommitted fund in the Rapid City Arts Council to permit payment for arts, music, dance, and other related events as artists, speakers, etc. are available to community organizations, schools, etc.
2005 Recipient of Governor's Awards in the Arts for Outstanding Support of the Arts by an Individual
2006 Provided funds for the restoration of the Harvey Dunn Collection at the South Dakota Art Museum - Brookings