Our Team

Mr. Brock Rops is the Deputy Director for South Dakota Area Health Education Center and Executive Director for South Dakota HOSA-Future Health Professionals. Mr. Rops has been involved as a leader in education for 23 years. He has a passion for inspiring and instilling confidence in students as they begin to get more engaged in their pursuits as future health professionals. Mr. Rops believes the South Dakota HOSA program will answer students' questions regarding careers in health care and the pathway involved to getting there.

Outside of his duties as the SD HOSA State Advisor, Mr. Rops enjoys spending time with his wife Nancy, who is an OBGYN nurse, and two kids Finely(10) and Sutton (8). He relaxes by enjoying a round of golf or a game of basketball.

Hi! I am Shadia Dakam, your 2023-24 President. I'm from Chamberlain, SD and am so honored to be apart of this amazing team. This is my 4th year of HOSA. I absolutely love HOSA and the many opportunities it offers. It allows you to know many things about the health field that you may not have known before. HOSA has taught me that there are so many branches to helping others than you can ever imagine. I hope HOSA helps you all too in discovering your passion in health field. Sadly this year, I am a long distance member of the team. I am currently in New Mexico at United World College - USA. Even with the distance, I am here to help. South Dakota HOSA will always have my heart. Feel free to reach out if you need anything.

Hello! I am Mazzi Moore, a junior at Brandon Valley High School. During the 2023-2024 HOSA year and my third year in the program, I will be serving as your South Dakota State HOSA President-Elect. Although I participate in a wide variety of extracurriculars and clubs ranging from academics to community service, HOSA has a special place in my heart. It has helped me explore an incredible range of careers in the medical field, guiding my future pursuit of biomedical engineering. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity to lead as your President-Elect, and I look forward to a great HOSA year!

Hi! My name is Zaynah Qamar and I am a senior at Harrisburg High School. This is my fourth year in HOSA. I love to stay involved in my school's activities and am passionate about serving the community. After graduation, I hope to major in biology, and I am interested in pursuing a career related to oncological research or clinical oncology. I am so excited to be a part of the state officer team and am looking forward to all the opportunities that this year will bring!!

Hi! My name is Payton Colter, and I am a senior at Harrisburg High School. This is my fourth year in HOSA. Science and art have always been my two favorite subjects. As your 2023-2024 South Dakota State HOSA Social Media Coordinator/Historian, I believe I will implement those two passions well. As for after high school, I am undecided. But one thing is for sure, the knowledge and skills that I have gained from HOSA will be used in my future no matter what my path looks like. Thank you for this opportunity, and I look forward to this year!

I amHello! My name is Siyanne Redda and I am your 2023-24 SD HOSA Treasurer! I am a senior at Washington High in Sioux Falls and have been apart of HOSA since my sophomore year! After high school I plan to go to a four-year college and study neuroscience! I'm so excited for this year and to meet you all!

Like many HOSA students, Amy Bialas solidified her interest in healthcare after taking Health Careers I & II in high school. Dr. Bialas is the executive director of medical education for Sanford Health and also an assistant professor within the department of family medicine at the Sanford School of Medicine. A Sioux Falls native, Dr. Bialas has worked in healthcare since 2001. Dr. Bialas had the pleasure of attending the 2011 HOSA National Conference in California, and was convinced that HOSA would inspire South Dakota students to pursue careers in healthcare.

Susan Anderson has been a family physician for 13 years. She is Vice-Chairman and Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. She is the Director of the Frontier And Rural Medicine Program, the medical school's rural track. She has been active in teaching since she was a medical student and resident. She lives in Canistota, SD and has an outreach clinic in the community and also serves as the medical director of the long-term care facility. She regularly participates in educational activities at the Canistota Public School.

Pam Hilber, PhD, is a 15 year Avera employee. She originally joined Avera as a Psychologist in the Behavioral Health segment of their services. She was then trained and prepared for leadership through Avera's informal and formal staff/leadership development programs. 6 ½ years ago she was named the Director of Workforce Planning for the Avera system. Essentially, this includes securing an adequate workforce to allow for Avera's mission into the future.

Coming soon.

Mr. Josh Hall is the Principal of the Career and Technical Education Academy in the Sioux Falls School District. Prior to his current position, Josh served as Assistant Superintendent (Sioux Falls School District), Middle School Principal (Sioux Falls School District), Middle School Assistant Principal (Sioux Falls School District), and Career and Technical Education Teacher (Rapid City, Brandon Valley, and Sioux Falls).

Josh earned his Bachelor's Degree (BSED) from Black Hills State University; Master's Degree in education (MSCI) from Black Hills State University; and Educational Specialist Degree (Ed. S.) in Secondary School Administration from the University of South Dakota. Josh also earned his School Superintendent certification through the University of South Dakota.

Outside of work, Mr. Hall enjoys spending time with his wife Heather, who is a Special Education teacher, and his three children Carter (13), Berklee (8), and Hadlee (2). Josh also enjoys golfing when he gets an opportunity to do so.

Kristin Larson is a Career Development Specialist with the South Dakota Department of Education, Career and Technical Education Program. In this role she supports the career and college readiness programming for over 30 schools in the southeast region of the state. She is also the statewide career cluster specialist for Health Sciences and Information Technology and the state specialist for K-12 Work-Based Learning (WBL) programs. Before joining the Department of Education, Kristin worked for nearly a decade in K-12 classrooms teaching both CTE and core content classes. Prior to this she worked in human resources, recruiting, and adult training and development in the private sector. She has Bachelor's Degrees in HRM and Secondary Education and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration. Kristin is married with a daughter and lives in Harrisburg, South Dakota, where she also serves on the local Planning & Zoning and Parks & Recreation Boards.

Josie Petersen is the Manager of the South Dakota Healthcare Workforce Center which is a part of the South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health. She oversees numerous programs including workforce development projects, the Healthcare Workforce Report, recommendations from the Governor's Primary Care Task Force, South Dakota Healthcare Workforce Initiative newsletters, and Emergency Medical Services leadership trainings. Prior to this work, Josie was the Primary Care Program Coordinator and has expertise in areas such as healthcare recruitment programs, federal healthcare designations, and community assessments. Josie graduated from the University of South Dakota. She enjoys living in Pierre with her husband and two children.

Tom has been involved in business for over 30 years. Twenty-eight of those years have been spent in supervision and managerial positions. Tom is a proactive advocate on multiple boards. He is passionate towards giving time to the common cause. One, in which HOSA, obviously, belongs.

Mikayla Titus is the Associate Director of Community Programs for Northeast South Dakota Area Health Education Center, NESD AHEC. Her role with NESD AHEC works to get youth interested in health occupations, secondary students interested in rural healthcare, and educational resources to rural communities. She has a passion for working towards sustainable health solutions for underserved areas which can be seen in her efforts with NESD AHEC for the rural and underserved communities in South Dakota.

Mikayla received her Bachelor of Science in Health Administration and Policy from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She has a multidimensional understanding of health through her work and volunteer experiences. She enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering with various organizations in the Aberdeen community.

TBD