Jarrod Johnson is coming back to School and Public Lands for a year to allow Governor Noem to plug holes in her continual staff churn. According to a press release issued yesterday, Johnson is returning to Pierre to serve as Commissioner of School and Public Lands, a position to which he was elected in 2006 and 2010. He quit the job early in August 2013 to spend more time with his kids. Now Johnson is returning to fill in for Ryan Brunner, who is quitting his elected post to go work in the Governor’s Office:
Today, Governor Kristi Noem appointed Jarrod Johnson as Interim Commissioner of School and Public Lands, effective February 1, 2022. The current commissioner, Ryan Brunner, will step down from his position and join Governor Noem’s office as a senior policy advisor. Ryan’s last day in elected office will be January 31, 2022.
“Ryan has been a tireless servant to the people of South Dakota as Commissioner of School and Public Lands, and he has earned respect throughout the halls of the Capitol and across the state. We are excited to have him join our team in the Governor’s Office,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Jarrod will be a capable and qualified steward of the office until the next commissioner is elected by the people” [Office of the Governor, press release, 2022.01.26].
Johnson says he’s strictly interim and will not seek the nomination for the office at the Republican convention this summer. Johnson thus leaves the path clear for Senator Brock Greenfield and former Senator Jordan Youngberg to duke it out for the quietest and least powerful statewide elected office in South Dakota.
His parents really loved the show The Big Valley.
Well..it is the most quiet and least powerful of all state constitutional offices and, if not for William Henry Harrison Beadle, it would have its duties handled by a couple of part time positions in the State Treasurer or State Auditor’s Office. Instead we have a well paid cabinet position and a robust staff looking after what remains of school lands. I am unsure what their duties are relating to “other public lands” which are usually under the purview of other departments (GF and P for example). Abolishing the office hasn’t come up for years.
To clarify, it would take a vote of the people to abolish school and public lands as a constitutional office and there has been no sympathy among the public for that position. Bernard Linn became the longest serving constitutional officer being elected Commissioner of School and Public Lands for several terms in the 40’s and 50’s. Vern Larson may have the record now. Linn pushed several reforms and efficiencies during his terms and generally protected school and public lands from being exploited for their mineral rights. He was among the leading vote getters for the Republicans during this period.