James S. Nelson
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CURRICULUM VITAE OF JAMES S. NELSON BORN: July 18, 1934, Rapid City, South Dakota. HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated Spearfish High School, Spearfish, South Dakota, 1952 -Varsity Football and Basketball -National Athletic Scholarship Society -Member, Student Council -Senior Class President COLLEGE: Attended University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1952-1953 Graduated Black Hills State University, Spearfish, South Dakota, 1956 (B.S. Math, History, Social Science, Psychology, and Education) -Student Body President, 1954-55 -Who’s Who in American Colleges -Varsity Football and Basketball -Member, Student Council -Senior Class President -Voted Most Representative Senior -Member, Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity -Outstanding Alumnus Award LAW SCHOOL: Graduated University of South Dakota School of Law, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1959 (J.D.) -McCusick Scholarship Award -Member, Board of Editors, South Dakota Law Review -Member, Moot Court Team -Contributed two legal articles in South Dakota Law Review: -“Charitable Immunity from Torts in South Dakota” -“Survey of Comparative Negligence in South Dakota” -Member, Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity -Distinguished Alumnus Award, South Dakota Law Review (2012) MILITARY SERVICE: Captain, United States Army Judge Advocate General Corps (Army Lawyer), 1959-1962 -Graduated Officer Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia -Graduated Judge Advocate General School, University of Virginia Law School -Stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and served in the Staff Judge Advocate General’s Office of the Military Prison, the Staff Judge Advocate General’s Office at the Headquarters, and was a law lecturer at the Command and General Staff College -Prosecuted and defended cases in General and Special Court Martial trials PROFESSIONAL: Practicing Attorney and Senior Partner, Costello, Porter, Hill, Nelson, Heisterkamp & Bushnell, Rapid City, South Dakota, 1962-1985 Individual private law practice, Rapid City, South Dakota, 1985-1988 Practicing Attorney and Partner, Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore, Rapid City, South Dakota, 1988-present -56 years’ legal experience with criminal, civil, and military litigation, together with extensive corporate, real estate, and business practice -General Counsel, Rushmore Mutual Life Insurance Company and Mount Rushmore Casualty Insurance Company -General Counsel, South Dakota State Cement Plant Commission, 1995-2001 -Member, The State Bar of South Dakota (President-elect, 1995-96; President 1996-97) -Member, American Bar Association -Member, Pennington County Bar Association -Admitted to practice before the United States Court of Military Appeals, the United States Supreme Court, United States District Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and all South Dakota state courts -“A” Rating in Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory -Advocate, American Board of Trial Advocates (President, South Dakota Chapter, 1992-93; National Director, 1998-2000) -Member, Federation of Insurance and Corporate Counsel -Member, Association of Trial Lawyers of America -Member, South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association (Vice President, 1983-84; President, 1984-85; member of Board of Directors for 5 years) -Member, American College of Trial Lawyers -Member, Superlawyers -Former Member, International Association of Gaming Attorneys -Former Member, South Dakota Claims Association -Former Member, Black Hills Claims Association -Former Member, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute 2 -Member, Defense Research Institute -Member, South Dakota Board of Bar Commissioners, 1975-77 -Former Trustee, South Dakota Law PAC -Chairman, South Dakota Law School Committee (in charge of the statewide program to build a new law school building at the University of South Dakota, which was accomplished in the 1979 legislative session) -Member, Law School Dean Selection Committee, 1980 -Former member, Prepaid Legal Services Committee of The State Bar of South Dakota -Former member and chairman of the State Bar of South Dakota Indigent Defendants Committee -Lecturer, State Bar CLE Program -Served as expert witness in legal malpractice cases and insurance bad faith cases TWO SPECIAL SESSIONS OF THE SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATURE: As legal counsel for the ETSI Pipeline Project and the South Dakota State Cement Plant Commission, organized and planned with Governor Bill Janklow two separate special sessions of the South Dakota Legislature. The first special session was for two days on September 23 and 24, 1981, to sell Missouri River water for a water pipeline across Western South Dakota. The second special session was for one day on December 29, 2000, to sell the South Dakota State Cement Plant to a private company and create a permanent trust fund for the money received from the sale. LEGISLATIVE: Member, South Dakota House of Representatives, 1969-74 -Member of numerous committees, including State Affairs and Judiciary and committees on insurance and liquor control -Chosen outstanding freshman Republican legislator in the 1969 session by vote of all members of the House and Senate -Received the Black Hills State College Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity Public Service Award on March 25, 1969 -Instrumental in drafting and passing of legislation implementing South Dakota’s new Unified Judicial Court System -Participate in the drafting of legislation and legislative consulting and lobbying with the legislature for numerous clients since retiring from the legislature CIVIC: -President, Director, and one of the original founders, The HOPE Center (2011-present) -President, Mount Rushmore Institute (2006-present) 3 -President, Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society (1999-2005) (former Director, Chairman of the Parking Facility Committee during construction of parking ramp, and actively participated in The Golden Anniversary Campaign, a $40 million fundraising drive for Mount Rushmore; received “Friend of the Faces” award for exemplary service) -Member, Rotary Club and past member of Board of Directors -Member, Rapid City School District Blue Ribbon Task Force (formed to review and implement study by tax coalition committee in 1987 and to consider sources of revenue to fund education) -Member, Rapid City School District Tax Coalition Committee, 1987-88 -Member, Citizen’s Advisory Group, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology -Member, Board of Directors, Black Hills State University Yellow Jacket Foundation, 1973-1991 -Former member, Board of Directors, South Dakota Chamber of Commerce -Former member, Board of Directors, Rapid City Chamber of Commerce -Former Chairman, Rapid City Chamber of Commerce Committee on State and Local Government -Former member, Rapid City Elks Club -Former member, Board of Directors, West River Mental Health Center -Former member, Advisory Board, Rapid City Rural Area Health Center -Former president and member, Board of Directors, Black Hills State University Alumni Association -Vice Chairman, Republican Central Committee for Pennington County, 1978 -Participated in numerous political campaigns, including raising funds for presidential candidates, governors, U.S. Senators, and U.S. Congressmen -South Dakota Treasurer for Reagan for President, 1980 and 1984 -Reagan delegate to the Republican National Convention in Detroit, July 1980 -Reagan delegate to the Republican National Convention in Dallas, August 1984 -South Dakota Chairman of Lawyers for Reagan for President, 1980 -Member, Council of Legal Advisors to the Republican National Committee -Member, Advisory Board, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC -Former member, Lay Advisory Committee for the University of South Dakota School of Medicine CHURCH: Member, First United Methodist Church, Rapid City, South Dakota -Member, Pastor-Parish Committee (Chairman of the Committee, 1982-1986) -Chairman, Administrative Board, 1976-1977 -Member, Board of Trustees of the Church for 10 years and Chairman of the Board in 1978 -Member, Church Vision Committee 4 BUSINESS: Have served on numerous Boards of Directors of various businesses -Past Owner/Operator of the Villa Ranchero Mall, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota -Past Owner/Operator of Security Abstract Company -Member, Board of Directors, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, 1986-1994 -Chairman, Compensation Committee, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines -Member, Board of Directors of Mt. Rushmore Insurance Company, 1973-1988 -Member, Board of Directors of Rushmore Mutual Life Insurance Company, 1982-1988 -President, Rushmore Mutual Life Insurance Company, 1985-1988 -President, Mt. Rushmore Casualty Insurance Company, 1985-1988 FAMILY: Married Gloria Moorhead, June 17, 1956, and have four children: -Christine Christopherson, graduated from Rapid City Regional Hospital School of Nursing, R.N., 1980; presently resides in Houston, Texas; husband, Kent, and two children, Garrett and Lisa -Dr. James S. Nelson, graduated from Black Hills State University, 1982, and University of Minnesota, 1986; practicing dentist in Rapid City, South Dakota; wife, Delana, and four children, Amanda, James, Cassie, and Tyrel -Elizabeth Goeken, graduated University of Minnesota, B.S. Psychology, and University of South Dakota, M.S. Psychology/Counseling; past Juvenile Court Services counselor and school counselor and currently a realtor in Las Vegas, Nevada; husband, Greg, and one son, Hunter -Jennifer Sartorius, graduated Black Hills State University, B.S. Education and M.S. Education; teacher in the Rapid City School District; two sons, Ruger and Mason *Revised September 2015 5 .