Meet the Museum Team

Meet the faces behind the fun!

At the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, we’re passionate about helping children learn through play. Our team of creative and innovative thinkers inspires kids (and kids at heart) to spark their imaginations.

Interested in joining our team? Take a look at our career opportunities.

Not sure who to talk to? Start with our general contact form.

Museum Team

Kate Treiber

Executive Director

Arian Bunde

Deputy Director

Kerrie Vilhauer

Director of Marketing & Communications

Kati Hanson

Director of Education & Guest Experience

Lauren Dietz

Education Manager

Blanche Froelich

Play & Learning Educator

Mari von Fischer

Welcome Center Manager

Lauren Cloud

Business & Administration Manager

Brenda Teal

Administrative Coordinator

Melissa Timp

Operations & Exhibit Manager

Mandy Lyons

Exhibit Coordinator

Mark Schultz

Facility & Exhibit Maintenance Technician

Bob Ullom

Maintenance & Landscape Technician

Dora Castano

Custodian

Chris Hartman

Café Manager

Cody Bietz

Café Coteau Assistant Manager

Board of Directors

Kate Treiber

Executive Director

Kate Treiber

Deputy Director

Arian Bunde

Director of Marketing & Communications

Kerrie Vilhauer

Director of Education & Guest Experience

Kati Hanson

Education Manager

Lauren Dietz

Play & Learning Educator

Blanche Froelich

Welcome Center Manager

Mari von Fischer

Business & Administration Manager

Lauren Cloud

Administrative Coordinator

Brenda Teal

Operations & Exhibit Manager

Melissa Timp

Exhibit Coordinator

Mandy Lyons

Facility & Exhibit Maintenance Technician

Mark Schultz

Maintenance & Landscape Technician

Bob Ullom

Custodian

Dora Castano

Café Manager

Chris Hartman

Café Coteau Assistant Manager

Cody Bietz

President

Janet Brown

Janet Brown, of Sioux Falls, SD, is the former president and CEO of Grantmakers in the Arts and shares her experience and passion for the arts serving as a speaker, instructor, and consultant in philanthropic and nonprofit organizational structure.

As an arts advocate, Janet believes that play is art at its basic level.

Her favorite Museum exhibit is the Art Studio.

Vice President / Secretary

Anne Karabon, PhD

Dr. Karabon, Brookings, SD, is the director of the Marlys and Wendall Thompson School of Education, Counseling, and Human Development and associate professor of early childhood education at South Dakota State University. She shares her passion for informal learning environments that meet the diverse needs of all types of learners.

As a child, Anne’s favorite place to play was outside. She has fond memories of blasting down her driveway on her Care Bears Big Wheel and leaving blue skid marks on the concrete at the bottom.

At the Museum, her favorite place to play is Splash!

Treasurer

Erick Rangel

Erick Rangel, Brookings, SD, is a strategic finance executive with comprehensive experience in financial planning, business strategy, and forecasting.

He appreciates the intentionality in the Museum’s design and how it allows kids to be themselves. Eric recognizes the Museum as an economic engine for the Brookings community, as it draws visitors from all over the country.

His favorite exhibit is the Cloud Climber.

Director

Anelis Coscioni

Anelis Coscioni, Sioux Falls, SD, is the founder and executive director of the Toy Lending Library of South Dakota, an organization that creates opportunities for children ages 0-5 years to enhance their learning and development through play.

 As a child, Anelis loved being close to nature. Her favorite place to play was with friends in her front yard. At the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, her favorite exhibit is the Outdoor Prairie, where she can explore the sand, flowers, and dinosaurs.

Director

Nikki Eining

Nikki Eining, Brookings, SD, is the statewide pediatric mental health care access program coordinator for USD Center for Disabilities and a licensed social worker. In addition, Nikki owns Grow With Grit and Grace Therapy, offering mental health services, including Thera Play for children in the Brookings area.

As a child, Nikki’s favorite place to play was on the impressive Rocket Slide at Prospect Park in Huron, SD, with all the neighbor kids.

At the Children’s Museum, her favorite place to play is the upstairs classroom where Play Dates happens. This play and learning space is specially designed for babies and their caregivers.

Director

Bridget Larson Ennevor

Bridget Ennevor, Wayzata, Minn., is a founding board member of the Children’s Museum of South Dakota. She has a background in occupational therapy and believes the business of childhood is play.

Bridget was born and raised in Brookings, SD and is proud of her home state and the way the Children's Museum of South Dakota offers an incredible breadth of programming and inclusive exhibits.

Her favorite exhibit is the Market Fresh Grocery.

Director

Nancy Halverson

Nancy Halverson, Sioux Falls, SD, is the executive director at Levitt at the Falls, an outdoor music venue in Sioux Falls. She also served as president and CEO of the Children’s Museum of the Upstate located in South Carolina.

Nancy believes that people of all ages and backgrounds should have access to performing arts and enjoys sharing her expertise in exhibit design and development.

At the Children’s Museum, her favorite exhibit is Splash!

Director

Mike Holbeck

Mike Holbeck, Brookings, SD, is the vice president for finance and budget at South Dakota State University. He has enjoyed playing with his children at the Children's Museum of South Dakota over the years and uses his expertise to ensure all children and families will have the same playful learning experiences at the museum for generations to come.

As a child, Mike’s favorite place to play was outside with his brothers, especially if they had a ball to kick, shoot, hit, or throw.

At the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, his favorite place to play is fishing in the outdoor pond with his children.

Director

Carmelle Jackson

Carmelle Larson Jackson, St. Louis Park, Minn., is a founding board member. She brought forth the vision for the Children’s Museum of South Dakota that was inspired by her travels all over the country with her parents and later her 4 children.

Bringing those playful experiences to her home state of South Dakota has been a lifelong dream and one she loves sharing with children and families from all over the country.

Her favorite exhibit is the fishing pond on the outdoor prairie, inspired by her father, Dale.

Director

Dale Larson

Dale Larson, Brookings, SD, is a founding board member of the Children’s Museum of South Dakota and the former CEO and President of Larson Manufacturing Company, a leading North American maker of storm doors, retractable screens, and exterior window products headquartered in Brookings, SD for over 70 years.

His vision of using an existing place of learning, Central Elementary School, and transforming it into a world-class children’s museum has ignited playful experiences in Downtown Brookings for the local community and beyond.

Dale’s favorite exhibit oversees the outdoor prairie space, Mama T. Rex.

Director

Maree Larson

Maree Larson, Chanhassen, Minn., is a founding board member of the Children’s Museum of South Dakota and serves as executive director of the Larson Family Foundation, a private non-profit supporting basic human needs in communities all over the region.

Maree has fond memories of visiting children’s museums all around the country when her nieces were young. The opportunity to bring that experience to her home state of South Dakota has been rewarding.

Maree’s favorite exhibit is the place where kids can broadcast the news, Kids Live.

Director

Gail Lust

Gail Lust, Minneapolis, Minn., is the chief financial officer of Sawmill Trust Company and uses her wealth management expertise to support the sustainability of the Children's Museum of South Dakota's mission to spark imagination for all children and grown-ups through play, creativity, and discovery.

Director

Sarah White

Sarah White, Black Hawk, SD, is the founder and executive director of the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition.

She is a passionate advocate for Indigenous education and student success and believes that the best investment we can make for the prosperity of our nations is positive youth development.

Director

Robert Yellowhawk

Rob Yellowhawk, Box Elder, SD, is the business manager overseeing operations and administrative staff at Rural America Initiatives (RAI), a key non-profit aiding low-income Native American Families in Rapid City, SD.

Rob has dedicated much of his life to serving Indigenous youth through mentoring and suicide prevention programming. He is a passionate advocate for cultural preservation and empowerment while offering essential educational and mentoring programs to kids of all ages.

As a child, Rob’s favorite place to play was at the Boys Club in Rapid City.

At the Museum, his favorite exhibit is ... all of them! As a father, he finds it meaningful to see his own children, along with families of all backgrounds, engaged in hands-on learning.

Executive Director

Kate Treiber

Kidoodle Council Youth Advisory Board

Group of children in turquoise shirts smiling at camera. They are ages 6-12.

The Kidoodle Council is a youth advisory board that works as ambassadors for the museum in the community. They meet 11 times a year to generate ideas for programs and exhibits and provide feedback to museum staff guiding direction in future operations. They also provide book reviews, consult for the gift shop, and volunteer at special events. The application to become a Kidoodle Council member takes place in October.

The 2026 Kidoodle Council Members are:

Adalyn, Charlie, Declan, Eli, Emmanuel, Everly, Madi, Micah, Mya, Palmer, Phoenix, Regan, Rylan, Thad, Veda, Will, and Zanna.