USD to Recognize Alumni at Time-Honored Event

Join us at 5:30 p.m. on the Friday of Dakota Days for a trademark celebration on the James W. and Colette Abbott Court inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

This distinguished Dakota Days event is offered at no cost to guests and will feature curated refreshments and elevated dining options. While the event is free to attend, RSVPs and table reservations are accepted and appreciated. All table requests will be confirmed in advance. The 2026 Alumni Achievement Award and Legacy Family of the Year recipients include:

Rachelle Norberg ’15 – Young Alumni

Rachelle Norberg, a fifth-generation Burke, South Dakota, farm kid, earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of South Dakota in 2015 and a law degree from the USD Knudson School of Law in 2018. She returned home through South Dakota’s Rural Attorney Recruitment Program and now serves Burke and surrounding communities as a general practitioner and title abstracter.

In 2025, Norberg was appointed co-chair of the State Bar of South Dakota’s Project Rural Practice Committee, where she supports efforts to expand access to legal services across rural South Dakota.

She also serves on the board of Community Memorial Hospital and the Burke Business Promotion Corporation, focusing on housing and rural health care development. Norberg and her husband, Noah, support area youth programs and USD Athletics.

Casey Peterson ’75 – Public Service

Casey Peterson, CPA, has dedicated nearly five decades to public service across South Dakota, with contributions spanning economic development, healthcare, education, science, philanthropy, youth programs and community development.

A graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Business, he passed the CPA examination in a single sitting prior to graduation in 1975 and founded his accounting firm in 1977. The firm has since served businesses, agricultural operations, nonprofits, government entities and families throughout the five-state region.

Peterson has provided more than 20 years of leadership as chair of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, helping guide the transformation of the former Homestake Gold Mine into the Sanford Underground Research Facility, a global center for scientific discovery and STEM education.

His service also includes leadership roles with numerous healthcare, economic development and civic organizations. He and his wife, Kathryn, have established scholarships supporting students at USD, Chadron State College and the Kadoka Area Community Foundation. He is a recipient of the AICPA Public Service Award.

Mike Kujak ’88 – Professional Achievement

Mike Kujak, originally from Yankton, South Dakota, earned dual degrees in chemistry and physics from the University of South Dakota in 1988. During his time at USD, he was active in campus life as a resident assistant, intramural athlete, USD Strollers member and Dakota Days royalty candidate. He later earned an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in 2008.

Kujak has built a 36-year career in healthcare, with more than two decades in the medical device industry focused on commercialization, business development and growth strategy.

He currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Francis Medical, a medical technology company developing minimally invasive treatments for prostate, bladder and kidney cancers.

Under his leadership, Francis Medical has advanced its Vanquish® water vapor ablation technology and achieved key clinical and regulatory milestones. Kujak and his wife, Adria, reside in Chaska, Minnesota, and have two children, Conner and Elizabeth.

Pierce McDowell ’83 – USD Legacy

Pierce H. McDowell III earned a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota. Throughout his career, he has served on numerous nonprofit boards and State Bar committees, including as a founding member of South Dakota’s Governor’s Trust Task Force.

McDowell built a distinguished career in trust and estate planning, helping establish South Dakota as one of the nation’s premier trust jurisdictions. He previously served as co-founder and president/chief trust officer of Citicorp Trust South Dakota and also practiced law at Woods, Fuller, Shultz and Smith in Sioux Falls. He held additional trust administration and business development roles at Norwest and First Bank.

McDowell later co-founded South Dakota Trust Company, where he served as co-chairman and co-chief executive officer until his retirement. Following the company’s 2023 merger with Jersey Trust Company, the organization became JTC South Dakota Trust Company, part of a national independent trust company with more than $220 billion in assets under administration. He is widely recognized as a national authority on trust law and is frequently quoted by Forbes and other publications. McDowell resides in Sioux Falls.

The Nelson Family – Legacy Family of the Year

The Nelson family’s connection to the University of South Dakota spans four generations. That legacy began in the early 1950s when Wes Nelson earned his accounting degree from USD, where he also met his wife, Gail. After serving in the Korean War, he joined his father, Jim Nelson, at Nelson & Nelson in 1957. The firm was originally founded in 1923.

Chuck Nelson continued the family tradition, earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting from USD in 1983 before joining Nelson & Nelson. During his time at USD, he was active in campus life as a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, while his wife, Kristi, was a member of Alpha Xi Delta. He remains active with the fraternity as a board member. Chuck’s brother also attended USD, earned his medical degree in the early 1990s and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.

The next generation carried the tradition forward. Jillian Nelson graduated from USD in 2013 with a degree in accounting and joined Nelson & Nelson full time that fall after serving as treasurer of the Alpha Phi house corporation. Sarah Nelson graduated from USD in 2016 with a degree in marketing and was also a member of Alpha Phi, continuing the family’s longstanding connection to the university.

To learn more, check out our Alumni Achievement Award page.