Brief: U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson to deliver USD commencement address

South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson will deliver the commencement address at USD’s 134th Commencement Ceremony in May at the DakotaDome.

Johnson, a USD alumnus who graduated in 1999 with a B.A. in political science and minors in business administration and history, was re-elected in November to represent South Dakota’s at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Johnson serves on the Agriculture Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He is the ranking member of the Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee and a member of the Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit Subcommittee.

Prior to serving in the U.S. House, Johnson was elected in 2004 to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, which regulates and facilitates investment in energy and telecommunications infrastructure. In 2010, Johnson was appointed to Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s chief of staff.

In the private sector, Johnson served as vice president of Vantage Point Solutions, a South Dakota-based engineering and consulting firm specializing in rural telecommunications. Johnson lives in Mitchell with his wife and three children.

“It is an honor to have Congressman Johnson as commencement speaker this year,” said USD President Sheila K. Gestring in a press release. “Congressman Johnson is a leader and a champion for South Dakota and the nation. We are extremely proud of this distinguished alumnus.”