SPEARFISH, SD – People gathered in Spearfish City Hall Monday to honor Mayor Dana Boke for her three terms of service and welcome incoming Mayor John Senden, who took the oath of office to begin his term.
Prior to the meeting, there was a reception with cake and refreshments, and during the meeting, the councilmembers presented Mayor Boke, first elected in 2013, with a plaque. The plaque reads: “With our deepest appreciation, we hereby honor Mayor Dana Boke with sincere gratitude and recognition for your unwavering support, guidance, and leadership. Your unconditional commitment to the City of Spearfish will never be forgotten.
You have truly represented Spearfish at the highest level,”
Council President Dan Hodgs said during the presentation, adding, “You will be truly missed here at the City level.”
“I am really, really truly honored to have served the Spearfish community, and I will look back at this time with very great fondness,”
Mayor Boke said. “I have served with 16 different council members, who all have 16 different personalities, and I can’t even imagine the number of meetings and issues that we dealt with. There has been much accomplished, and I want to thank the council for their service, and it has been an honor to serve beside all of you. I have a deep appreciation for the directors and the staff of this city. You guys truly are the engine that makes everything work, and I am really grateful for all you do. I want to thank my family, who is here. They have really supported me for almost the last decade in doing this. … This really has been a big part of our life.”
She described that one of her mottos is, “Just do the right thing,”
without worrying about the consequences or what may come next.
“That has really stuck with me and has served me very well in this position,”
she said. “I have absolutely full confidence that this council, and in Mayor Senden, that they will do the next right thing. I wish you all great success, very much so … Thank you all for allowing me to serve.”
The meeting of the former council was adjourned, and Mayor Boke received a standing ovation as she stepped down from the dais.
The next item on the agenda was the oaths of office for the newly elected officials, including Ward 1 Councilor Marty Clark, Ward 2 Councilor Larry Klarenbeek, Ward 3 Councilor Ana Culver Rath, and Mayor John Senden.
Certainly, I’m very humbled and honored to be in this position, and I want to take this opportunity to truly thank Dana (Boke) for nine years of wonderful service to our community,”
Mayor Senden said after taking his seat on the dais. “I’ve watched her lead Spearfish through some difficult times, and through some times of joy and ease, but we all want to thank her for those times when she really showed her leadership, her fortitude, and did a great job of leading our community during those times.”
He thanked his family for their support and also recognized the former mayors of Spearfish with whom he had the opportunity recently to meet to discuss and learn from their experiences.
“I also am really looking forward to the City staff, getting to know and work with all of you. We have a lot of talent in our community, and I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to serve … and help lead this community into the future of Spearfish,”
Mayor Senden said.
