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Dr. Aelred J. Kurtenbach is co-founder of Daktronics, Inc. and currently serves as chairman of the board of directors. Kurtenbach, a native of Dimock, South Dakota, has B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, all in electrical engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, the University of Nebraska and Purdue University, respectively. He also taught electrical engineering at South Dakota State University and Purdue University. While on the staff of SDSU, he cofounded Daktronics, Inc. in 1968.
Dr. Kurtenbach served on the Brookings School Board for twelve years and on the South Dakota Board of Regents from 1984-1986. He also served as Chairman of the South Dakota Manufacturers & Processors Association from 1984-1986 and as Director for the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves as Chairman of the Education Committee for the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chairman of the South Dakota District Export Council and as Chairman of the South Dakota EPSCoR Committee, a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Kurtenbach was twice named South Dakota's Small Businessman of the Year. He was honored in 1994 as the South Dakota Executive of the Year, and the South Dakotan of the Year by the University of South Dakota School of Business. He was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1992. Additional awards are SD School of Mines & Technology Outstanding Alumni 2000; SDSU Family of the Year 2000; and Purdue University Outstanding Electrical Engineer 2001.
Over the years Dr. Kurtenbach and Daktronics have been recognized with numerous awards for entrepreneurism and quality. Dr. Kurtenbach was chosen as the Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000 for manufacturing in a national competition sponsored by Ernst & Young. Daktronics, Inc. was named the 1994 Entrepreneurial Success of the Year by the Small Business Administration for South Dakota and the Denver Region. Daktronics was also chosen the South Dakota Business of the Year in 2000, 1993, 1989 and 1987 by the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry | 