Foundation Board Information

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Trail of Governors Board of Directors

President Rick Jensen – click to read biography
Vice President Patricia Van Gerpen – click to read biography
Secretary – Treasurer Tina Van Camp – click to read biography
Leroy Foster – click to read biography (605) 280-4400
Patricia Miller – click to read biography
Chuck Schroyer – click to read biography
Tony Venhuizen – click to read biography

Advisory Members

Ann Schwartz and Tiffany Sanderson – Run with the Govs
Brooke Bohnenkamp, City of Pierre
Clarissa Drefs and Micah Honeywell, Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce
Jay Vogt, retired, former director of the SD State Historical Society
Leah Haugen, State of South Dakota
Tom Tveit, former Hughes County Commissioner

In memory of Trail of Governors Foundation Advisory Member Mansour Karim who passed away on July 5, 2019

Rick Jensen

Rick Jensen is a South Dakota native having been raised on a farm in the Midland/Murdo area. Rick attended Black Hills State University prior to joining the United States Air Force which took him to Florida.

Rick is currently a Senior Financial Advisor for Wells Fargo Advisors.

Rick and his wife Ana have a passion for South Dakota history. They are involved in real estate and have several businesses in the Pierre area. Rick is active in the Pierre community and is a member of the following organizations: Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce.

Rick Jensen and his wife have a son Jesse.

**As the President for The Trail of Governors Foundation, I act in a completely separate role from my position as a Financial Advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors. 

Patricia Van Gerpen

Van Gerpen has been a South Dakota resident most of her life, growing up on a farm near Frederick, graduating from SDSU, and living in Pierre for almost 30 years. She is executive director for the S.D. Public Utilities Commission.

Her prior state government experience includes working under four governors’ administrations: Governors Janklow, Mickelson, Miller and Rounds. She spent eight years as cabinet secretary for the S.D. Department of Tourism as well as serving in several other positions at Tourism and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. She held private sector positions in publishing and marketing in Minnesota and Nebraska before returning to her home state.

Van Gerpen and her husband Charlie have two children, Katherine and Andrew.

Tina Van Camp

Tina Van Camp is from Brandon, SD but has called Pierre home since 1995 when she moved to Pierre to work in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). She has a BS in Business Economics from SDSU and spent 10 years with GOED working in the Division of Finance in various positions. She served for two governors including, Governor Janklow and Governor Rounds and continues to serve on two state boards including the South Dakota Development Corporation and the SD Board of Dentistry. She is Vice President, Business Banking, at First Dakota Bank in Pierre, working with commercial loans and she thoroughly enjoys working with small business owners. In addition to work and assisting with the Trail of Governors, she is active in her church and Junior Achievement of SD. Tina and her husband Bill Van Camp, Jr. have two sons, Will and Jack.

Leroy Foster

Leroy Foster is a native South Dakotan and was raised on a farm near Oral. He graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City with a degree in geological engineering. Leroy moved to Pierre in 1971 and worked for the South Dakota Department of Transportation as a foundation engineer. Following a 19-year career with the Department of Transportation, he became involved in the apartment rental and storage business. Most recently, he purchased several motels in Pierre area.

Leroy and his wife Charlene have two children. Both children are involved in the family rental business in Pierre.

Patricia K. Miller

Patricia (Pat) Miller takes an active interest in her family, her community and state, and the Republican Party.

Twenty years of public service within the State Departments of Education, Labor and Social Services. Ten years with Easter Seals South Dakota, including seven years as CEO. In 2008 she was chosen as the president of the South Dakota Heritage Fund, the non-profit partner to the South Dakota State Historical Society.

Mrs. Miller served as South Dakota’s First Lady for her husband, Governor Walter D. Miller, from 1993-1995.

Leadership and Volunteer positions include: Community Food Bank of South Dakota, Children’s Care Hospital and School, Delegate to the White House Conference on Aging, Habitat for Humanity, Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission, SD Tourism Board of Directors, SD Women’s Lifestyle Conference, the SD Institute of Geriatrics-USD School of Medicine and Health Services, past president of Cen-Kota and the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women, president of the Fort Pierre Development Corporation and a life long member of the Lutheran Church and the Republican Party.

Miller married Walter D. Miller on July 4, 1993 in Rapid City, SD. Between their two families they have 6 children.

Chuck Schroyer

Charles P. “Chuck” Schroyer is a native South Dakotan and graduate of the University of South Dakota with degrees in business administration and law. Arriving in Pierre, he practiced law as an Assistant Attorney General and deputy State’s Attorney before being elected as Hughes County State’s Attorney in 1976. Now retired, Chuck was a founding partner in the law firm now known as Schmidt, Schroyer, Moreno, Lee and Bachand, PC. He is also a real estate developer, has been involved in several residential properties as well as multifamily apartments and the Pierre Professional Plaza office building. He has served the community of Pierre and the State of South Dakota as a board member of the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce and Pierre Economic Development Corporation, United Methodist Church, the State Chamber of Commerce, South Dakota Community Foundation and the local chapter of the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. He was involved in the approval of funding for and development of the State Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. He and his wife Bonny have traveled extensively. They have one daughter, who with her husband and their two children also reside in Pierre.

Tony Venhuizen

​Tony Venhuizen is an attorney and a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives. He previously served as chief of staff to Governor Dennis Daugaard and Governor Kristi Noem, and spent seven years on the South Dakota Board of Regents. 

Venhuizen managed the successful Daugaard gubernatorial campaign in 2010 and worked on the successful Rounds gubernatorial campaigns in 2002 and 2006. While in the governor’s office, Tony was particularly honored to help coordinate the Capitol memorial services for former governors Bill Janklow and Walter Dale Miller. He has written extensively on South Dakota history, focusing on the history of South Dakota governors. 

Tony is an Armour native and a graduate of South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota School of Law. His wife, Sara, an electrical engineer and Dell Rapids native, was named an SDSU Distinguished Alumna in 2012. They live in Sioux Falls and have three children: Henry, Elizabeth and Madeleine.

In memory of the Trail of Governor’s Foundation’s Founding Board Member Patricia Adam who passed away on June 22, 2016.

Patricia Mickelson Adam

Patricia Mickelson Adam was a founding member of the Trail of Governors board. Pat was a lifelong resident of South Dakota. While growing up she lived with her family in Selby and for four years lived in Pierre when her father, George T. Mickelson, served two terms as Governor of South Dakota.

Patricia graduated from the University of South Dakota with a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Speech Pathology. She taught at the University for several years. Patricia and her husband, Tom Adam, moved to Pierre in 1962, where

Tom practiced law for 46 years. Tom and Pat had four children and fourteen grandchildren.

Through the years, Patricia was active in many state and community organizations. She was active in state politics during the time her brother George S. Mickelson ran for and served as governor of South Dakota. She also served as Secretary of the Senate for 12 years. Pat was an active member of the SD Community Foundation, the SD Heritage Foundation and SD Voices for Children.

Donate Today!

Preferred method mail to:
Trail of Governors
2310 Patron Parkway
PO Box 296
Pierre SD 57501

Click here to Donate Online!

Donations of any amount are welcome and will be posted on the Donors page.

Donated to Date:

$2,411,839.12

updated 9/6/2023

Endowment Balance:

$‭117,172.42

updated 9/6/2023

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