DWU alumnus, board member to speak at commencement

Mitchell – Terry Nebelsick will be the keynote speaker at the Dakota Wesleyan University Commencement on Sunday, May 11, at the Corn Palace at 1:30 p.m. The title of Nebelsick’s speech is “On This Solid Rock.”

Nebelsick, of Huron, is a 1978 Communications/Theater graduate, the middle of three generations who attended Dakota Wesleyan, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. Retiring from full-time work in 2021, his career included radio broadcasting in Winner, teaching and coaching in Artesian and Gregory, serving as high school principal in Salem, Lead-Deadwood, and Huron, concluding his career as Huron Superintendent of Schools. He served four South Dakota governors on education committees. He was a high school and college basketball official for 35 years. Nebelsick was named South Dakota’s “Secondary Principal of the Year” in 2000, “Outstanding Superintendent" in 2020, and "Basketball Official of the Year" in 2011.

Nebelsick continues to speak and present to school faculty and students, professional organizations and businesses. He is the lay leader at Huron Riverview United Methodist Church, serves on the UMC Dakota Conference on both the Common Table Committee and the Wisdom Council and is a lay speaker for area churches.

Nebelsick and his wife Diana have three children: Jennifer '04 (Brian) Lowery, Kayla Nebelsick, and Jeremy (Rachel) Nebelsick, and five grandchildren. His parents are Rowena Nebelsick MSN '55, and the late Earl Nebelsick '59.

The ceremony will be livestreamed at www.dwu.edu/live.

A baccalaureate service will be held prior to the commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. in the Sherman Center on the campus of Dakota Wesleyan.