By Dan Bechtold
Editor
Brady Kerkman is the new director of marketing and philanthropy for Winner Regional Health.
He has over 20 years experience in marketing and fundraising.
Kerkman says he loves healthcare. “I know Winner pretty well and I have always had a passion for rural health care. I want to make sure we have a strong presence in the community,” he explained.
Kerkman added the health care center does a good of supporting local businesses and local schools.
“I want to put convenience back into healthcare,” he said. “Knowing that you do not have to travel to Sioux Falls or Rapid City for some services that are offered here is important.”
Prior to starting his new job in Winner, he was the executive director of MentoringWorks Inc., formerly Big Brother Big Sister of Hastings, Neb.
While in Hastings he got his master’s degree from Grand View University, Des Moines, Iowa. His master’s is in organizational leadership.
Kerkman grew up in Clearwater, Neb. He graduated from Mt. Marty College in 1995 with a BA degree in social science with a double emphasis on psychology and sociology and a minor in commercial art.
For 20 years he worked in South Dakota. He worked for the Department of Corrections starting out in Redfield and then worked at the state training school where he was the residential director.
For eight years he worked for S.D. Advocacy Services which is a nonprofit disability agency. He was the director of two programs with this agency.
In this capacity he traveled all over the state and Winner was one of his coverage areas and he would come here on a monthly basis.
Kerkman was appointed by then Gov. Mike Rounds to sit on the board of South Dakota vocational rehabilitation services.
The Department of Correction then recruited him to come back. He was the policy compliance manager for three years and in that time wrote 640 policies and oversaw the corrections review team.
He left the DOC when his wife, Maria, got a opportunity for a job in Salt Lake City, Utah. The couple lived in Salt Lake for three years. While Utah he was a program director for Utah Department of Health in the birth to three program.
After Utah, the family relocated to Grand Island, Neb., and Kerkman worked in Hastings. He ran various non profits including a child advocacy center and three health care clinics.
On the side, he owns a consulting business, BMD Enterprises, where he does fundraising, marketing, strategic planning and team development.
The job in Winner is a perfect fit.
He feels it is important to tailor the services of Winner Regional Health to the local community. “It is very important we customize our services to fit the culture of the community,” he said.
Kerkman also feels it is important to educate the community on the services that Winner Regional provides. “There are a number of services that people are not aware that are offered here.”
He is also impressed with the home-grown professionals who are working at Winner Regional Health. These are Winner High School graduates who have come back to the community.
The new marketing director and his wife have an 11 year old son, Dimitri.
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