After 39 years of advocating for children and families in western South Dakota, Susan Fedell, Chief Executive Officer for Youth & Family Services (YFS), will retire from the organization on September 30, 2020.

“Susan leaves behind an incredible legacy for Youth & Family Services,” says Tonya Johnson, President of YFS’ Board of Directors. “She’s played a critical role in building an organization that supports children and families in achieving their goals.”

When Susan assumed the position of Executive Director in 1986, YFS was operating as Girls Club of Rapid City. Recognizing that several programs had been added throughout the years to meet the most urgent needs of children and families, it was decided the organization needed a new name to better reflect the range of services it was providing. Under Susan’s leadership in 1991, the agency became known as Youth & Family Services, Inc. This change allowed programs to offer wrap-around services and enabled staff to develop stronger relationships with families and work with them for a longer period of time to promote transformational change. Additionally, as YFS, the organization was able to operate under one experienced Board of Directors with a broad community picture, reduce administrative costs, and commit more funding directly to programming.

Under Susan’s leadership, YFS has experienced tremendous growth. Some of the most notable developments include:

• Going from an annual operating budget of $1.08 million to more than $15 million
• The evolution of several key programs
• Expanding to serve 24 counties in western South Dakota
• The organizational change of Youth & Family Services, Inc. becoming an umbrella of related services
• The establishment of Youth & Family Services Foundation
• Becoming one of the largest youth-serving organizations in the state of South Dakota, serving more than 14,000 children and their families annually
• Undertaking three capital campaigns
• The construction (and later expansion) of YFS’ East Adams Street campus

“Susan has brought attention to important issues such as poverty and gender equity, and she has worked to ensure that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have access to quality services that help prepare them for life,” Johnson stated.

Susan was quick to point out, “YFS’ successes wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance of its dedicated Board of Directors, compassionate staff, and the thousands of individuals in our community who have invested in the lives of children and families. I’m confident this organization will continue to look at existing needs and gaps in services to ensure that YFS continues to thrive and be impactful.”

Stepping in to fill the position of Chief Executive Officer for YFS is John Julius. Earlier this year, John retired as Principal of Rapid City Stevens High School after being an administrator there for 19 years. John was the head principal for 13 years after being an assistant principal for 6 years. Prior to being an administrator, John taught for 13 years in Rapid City Area School District.

“We are excited to be welcoming John to the YFS family,” stated Johnson. “His expertise in youth development and his proven ability to provide strong leadership will certainly serve the children, families, and staff of YFS well.”

In addition to decades of experience in child development and administrative leadership, John has a bachelor’s degree in education from Black Hills State University and a master’s degree in administration from South Dakota State University.

John is honored to be part of Youth & Family Services where helping kids and families is the priority.