SEDC Presents SURF 2025 Award of Excellence

The Spearfish Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) presented its 2025 Award of Excellence to the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) during the organization’s 45th annual meeting in Spearfish.

“This is an incredible honor that I’m delighted to accept on behalf of our 200 South Dakota Science and Technology Authority staff members and our board of directors,” said Mike Headley, SDSTA executive director and laboratory director at SURF.

During the award presentation, Headley noted that SURF will have a $2 billion economic impact while creating 1,200 jobs in South Dakota this decade. “A lot of that economic impact is happening right here in the Northern Hills. Over a quarter of the total staff working at SURF call Spearfish home,” he said. “We also contract with many small and large businesses in Spearfish and rely on their support to make SURF successful.”

He also noted the ongoing partnership with Black Hills State University. “Our K-12 STEM education and outreach program is a partnership with BHSU. Together, we provide high-quality science instruction to 16,000 to 20,000 students in South Dakota each year. Also, our teacher professional development program provides some of the highest-quality science instruction available for over 400 South Dakota teachers each year,” Headley said.

He concluded with a note thanking SEDC executive director Kory Menken for his support during the 2023 legislative session, when SURF sought and received funding for the ongoing underground expansion effort.

“SURF is proud to be a partner with SEDC and all of the communities, businesses, and institutions in the region who are helping us achieve our mission of advancing world-class science and inspiring learning across generations,” Headley said.

SURF maintains an important presence on the SEDC board. During the annual meeting Mandy Knight, the administrative services manager at SURF, completed two terms of service on the board. Kimberly Flock, the controller in the finance department at SURF began her first term of service on the board.