Cody Grewing - Chair

Cody is a South Dakota native and received a degree in Rangeland Ecology from South Dakota State University. As a career conservationist, Cody has spent many hours working on conservation projects on both sides of the River along with stints in other areas of the Great Plains. Cody subscribes to the notion that “ variety is the spice of life” and South Dakota’s numerous landscapes, resources, and public access allow for lots of opportunities in pursuit of fur,fish, and fowl. Cody is excited to be part of the team at SD BHA and help find creative ways to get members involved in rewarding stewardship projects that enhance habitats and foster long lasting friendships.

Chris Gukeisen - Vice Chair

Chris is the State Energy Manager for the State of South Dakota. He lives in Pierre with his wife, two boys, and bird dog, Moga. Chris was born and raised in the small town of Platte, SD where he enjoyed the outdoors, while hunting and fishing along the banks of the Missouri River every chance he could. He spends much of his free time hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking with his family and friends mostly on public lands and waters around the state. One of Chris’s biggest passions is chasing mule deer on large wild tracks of public land along the Missouri and throughout western South Dakota. He is also very passionate about protecting these public lands, waters, and wildlife for his kids and future generations. Chris is a Public Land Owner that will do what it takes to protect these places that are so deeply important to him.

AJ Miller - Secretary

AJ Miller lives in Mitchell with his wife and five kids. A first-generation hunter, he came to the outdoors through fishing, hiking, and camping, eventually finding a deep passion for hunting and conservation. AJ believes protecting public lands is about legacy as much as access. As a father, he sees these places as something to preserve and pass down and as a way to bond with friends and family.

AJ is especially committed to helping new hunters and anglers feel welcome in the field and the conservation community. By day, AJ works in IT as a network engineer. In his free time, he’s outside scouting, fishing, hiking, gardening, camping, or chasing game. He’s proud to serve on the BHA board and to help advance the mission of keeping public lands plentiful and open to all.

Ashley Kurtenbach – General Board Member

In a perfect world, there would be endless amounts of public land with no posing threats to losing it, I could spend every second outdoors and make a solid living doing it, and consume bacon cheeseburgers and fries without getting fat… we can all dream, right?  With public land issues arising more and more, and potential loss of these lands, I aspire to use my passion and experience in aiding to help with conservation and keeping our public lands in public hands.

I am Ashley Kurtenbach, a born and raised Iowa farm girl, and love brought me across South Dakota to the Black Hills area. I spend my spare time as an avid hunter of big game and upland birds, fitness fanatic, and outdoor enthusiast, and public lands play a large role in what I love doing in my free time. I couldn’t be happier to work with an organization like BHA, and I bring a dynamic drive and work ethic to the SD committee to protect these lands for us and for future generations to come.

Paul Lepisto- General Board Member

Paul Lepisto works for the Izaak Walton League of America in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa on issues affecting the Missouri River and resource conservation. Lepisto is a member of the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) that provides guidance on habitat recovery to the Corps of Engineers and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Lepisto also organizes river clean-ups and raises public awareness to issues facing the river and conservation. Paul is proud to have produced Tony Dean Outdoors TV and Dakota Backroads Radio for 18 years, he received numerous awards for programming excellence. A lifelong hunter and angler, Paul is passionate about the outdoors. He and his wife, Donna Leslie, live in Pierre. 

Andrew Hays - General Board Member

Andrew lives in Rapid City with his wife, Lindsey, and their two sons. He has taught elementary school for around fifteen years and currently teaches STEAM to kindergarten through fifth grade.

Andrew grew up fishing, camping, and hiking on public lands in the Pacific Northwest. Although he didn't realize it at the time, a huge percentage of his most formative experiences happened on public lands and waters. After moving to South Dakota in 2014, he decided to get back into fishing and ultimately caught the fly fishing bug, so to speak. Out of a desire to take greater responsibility for the meat he and his family consume, Andrew decided to take up hunting and harvested his first deer in 2016. Since then, he's only grown more passionate about hunting, fishing, and preserving our unique ability as Americans to access wild places. His boys are four and six years old, and he and his wife try to take them on at least one outdoor adventure per week: skiing, camping, hiking, fishing, and exploring the amazing parks in and around the Black Hills.

Kevin Healy - General Board Member

Kevin is the acting Operations Manager of the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls and is a proudly born and raised South Dakota native. When not working he spends most of his free time with his family traveling around this great state in pursuit of wild game. Introduced to the outdoors by his father at an early age, his passion for the great outdoors started. Understanding the importance of public access has driven his passion past the field to the BHA board to help ensure that his family and generations to come have a place to plant their outdoor roots and the opportunity to harvest their own table fare.