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Watertown’s premier networking and professional development event is set to return for its fourth year.
The Day of Development is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, at the Goss Opera House, with the Night of Development scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, at the Lake Area Technical College Student Center.
As in previous years, the events will also feature awards for the “Top 4 under 40” on Wednesday, and the four Community Builders on Tuesday evening.
Speakers for the Tuesday night event include: Mike Donahue, an author and speaker specializing in youth, Mark Leinweaver, an MLB agent and broadcaster; and entrepreneur and author Brad Montgomery. This event is free of charge. Although all are welcome, it is primarily geared to those in education.
Teachers attending on Tuesday may earn a continuing education credit through the University of Sioux Falls by attending and writing a reflection paper.
Leinweaver and Montgomery return as keynote speakers on Wednesday, with Donahue leading one of four breakout sessions. Additional breakout speakers on Wednesday include Dr. Tim Mahoney, mayor of Fargo, ND; Jess Jasso, Chief Financial Officer with Northwestern Mutual; and Lake Area Technical College President Tiffany Sanderson.
Sanderson’s presentation is entitled “The Influence Advantage: Making Effective Work Happen.”
“We’ve got so much variety, people who are looking for something different are going to be able to find it,” organizer Mitch Reed said.
Wednesday’s festivities are slated to conclude with the naming of the “Top 4 under 40,” honoring young leaders in the Watertown Area. The awards are sponsored by the Rotary Club of Watertown.
The 2025 Night of Development. Photo by Brandon Heim, Watertown Current.
The Day of Development is once again organized by local author and superintendent of Florence School, Dr. Mitch Reed, who does so without financial compensation. “It’s my service to the community,” he said.
“The cool thing this day is it brings like-minded folks together. A lot of them have the same goals and aspirations… being able to bring them all in and have them communicate is good for our community and it’s good for the surrounding area,” Reed said.
Additional sponsors include KXLG Radio, Stein Sign Display, American Bank and Trust, Reliabank, Summit Contracting, Active Heating, First Premier Bank, Sioux Valley Co-op, Dakotaland FCU, Hurley and Associates, State Farm, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, Wurth Electronik, Plains Commerce Bank, Watertown Development Company, Midwest Medical, Colliers, Seppanen Contracting, Gray Construction, Co-Op Architecture, Moffatt Products, True North Wealth Management and Northwestern Mutual.
In the past, participants have come from as far as Yankton and Rapid City. This year, Reed said that more than 60 percent of the tickets for the Wednesday event have already been sold.
Visit www.thedayofdevelopment.com to purchase tickets and submit nominations.
For more information on the continuing education credit, contact Dr. Reed at Mitchell.Reed@k12.sd.us.
