Dennis Clark comes to O’Brien County from a long career in the engineering office with the City of Sioux Falls and a resident of Brandon, SD. Most recently, Clark served as Fire Protection Engineer (FPE) under the Sioux Falls Fire Marshall. He worked his way up through the engineering department for 12 1 / 2 years. He worked for private contractors for approximately 10 years. He was the Brookings County Engineer prior to returning to the City of Sioux Falls in the Fire Department. “I’m not one to sit still,” stated Clark about his career advancement.
Clark moved to Brandon in 1972 and lived most of his life in Sioux Falls except for school in Rapid City and a few years in Iowa.
South Dakota School of Mines is where Clark received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He advanced his management learning through USD while with the City. That program was within the Public Administration program.
The retirement of the Sioux Falls Fire Marshall left the city uncertain of how they would organize the department going forward. South Dakota has few FPEs, so Clark chose to return to his educational roots, public engineering. He chose a fresh start when he saw the O’Brien County opening.
Changes to the O’Brien County Engineer’s office procedures are not happening quick under Clark’s leadership. He is not planning to change what Scott Rinehart has set up. “It’s working well,” he said. He is learning from the existing staff what is working and taking in what needs to be addressed in the future. He also pointed out that he needs to start working on the budget in November.
Clark has taken up residency during the week in Primghar. And he didn’t wait long to get involved. Clark has joined the Primghar Golf Course and is making himself at home.
Clark is married to Tami. He has 2 boys and 2 girls. Since Dennis and Tami are empty-nesters, they are beginning the downsizing process and anticipating building the retirement nest egg for a few more years.