From 1992 to 1995 Lion Joan served District 5-SE on the Audit and Finance Committee. In January 1993 she was elected to the first of two 3 year terms on the Board of Directors of the SD Lions Foundation and was immediately elected Vice President of that Board. In 1994-95 Joan served as Cabinet Secretary for District Governor Don Bradley as well serving as President of the SD Lions Foundation, the first female Lion to hold that position. In March of 1994 Joan and the SD Lions Foundation Executive Secretary attended the national foundation meeting in Portland, Oregon, where they learned about mobile screening units sponsored by other state Lions foundations. They brought the idea of a mobile screening unit back to the SD Lions Foundation and a task force to pursue an MSU was established during Joan’s Presidency. Joan served as secretary of that task force and two year’s later a mobile screening unit began operation in SD. She also served 4 years as Secretary of the SD Lions Foundation and one year on the SD Lions Eye Bank Board of Directors.

From 1998 to 2000 she served as District Leader Dog Chair. Under her leadership every club in District 5-SE contributed to the Leader Dog Program, a first for the District. In 1999 she was co-chair of the District 5-SE Fall Forum held in Redfield

Joan and her husband Gerald have 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and numerous “grand pets”.

For complete bio please go to MD5 Council of Governors Bio's

Lion Joe was born in Washington D.C., his nation’s capitol and attended school in Maryland. After high school he attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Virginia where he was an active “caver” and belonged to the Air Force ROTC. But, Lion Joe had a deep desire to fly and joined the U.S. Air Force. Lion Joe married Yvonne during his training in Sacramento, California and together they raised five sons. They are very proud of all of their sons, two of which obtained PhD’s. During this time of raising children and attending ball games, Joe and Yvonne became Foster Parents and adopted a 12 year old boy they call their own. While in the Air Force Lion Joe flew B-52 Bombers as a Radar Navigator. Joe had six combat tours in Vietnam, over 350 combat missions and was awarded medals and ribbons too numerous to mention.

Lion Joe spent the last 8 years of his 28 years in the Air Force as Chief of Intelligence on the Airborne Command Post. These around the clock operations during the cold war insured our adversaries we were ready for any global conflict.

After retirement from the Air Force, Joe and Yvonne worked for a major log home company where Joe won honors as top salesman. After a few years they started their own log home company and a little later another company that constructs homes using ICF’s (Insulated Concrete Forms).

This kept them extremely busy but Yvonne and Joe wanted to do more. They joined their local Lions Club in Hill City, South Dakota and have been very active in Lions and Cub Scouts. Joe has been Packmaster for the Cub Scouts where he initiated a clean up and remodeling project of the Scout Hall. Joe has been President of the Hill City Lions Club, on the Board of Directors, Zone Chairman and active in all service projects. Lion Joe is looking forward to continuing his work in Lions as District Governor.

For complete bio please go to MD5 Council of Governors Bio's