Autism Awareness

On March 1, 2020 Joe was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He was 42 years old. 

​A year later, he made a video for his birthday to help raise awareness for Autism Awareness Month and raise money to grow a peer support community for autistic adults in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area. 

Support "Autistic Birthday"

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A New Chapter for Dakota Resources

As only the second President of Dakota Resources, Joe combines his passion for rural economic and community development with his deep experience in community building, systems thinking, group processes, leadership and innovation. He served as Vice President of Community Innovation at Dakota Resources for three years before being selected to lead the organization in April, 2018.
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We Are Rural Shapers
Check out Joe's keynote at RuralX 2018 and RuralX 2019.

The future of rural is here.
Dakota Resources is connecting capacity and capital to empower rural communities.
Visit dakotaresources.org.​

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Book Joe for Your Event

Joe offers keynotes and workshops on dozens of topics related to

• Rural community building
• Leadership in communities, non-profits and companies
• Evolutionary organizational structures
• Community engagement
• Shaping communities and organizations
• ​Team culture
• ​Tiny Goals and Habits
• Design and systems thinking
• Strategic mapping

Book Joe

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Looking for Weaver?

Joe’s and his friend and mentor Dr. Jim Beddow ran a process co-design shop called Weaver for 6 years. They loved helping community and non-profit leaders facilitate dialogue and change that mattered in thier world.

Jim and Joe retired Weaver at the end of 2017 to both pursue work in different ways--Joe decided to focus his energy on Dakota Resources' mission.

If you're curious, you can check out the old site and see what they were up to.

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design:South Dakota

About 12 years ago, Joe and some friends started a community co-design project in Corsica, South Dakota. They convinced a team of architects, town planners, economic developers, community organizers and other design professionals to spend 3 days in a small rural town helping that community name and illustrate visions for it’s future.

See where it’s gone from there at designsd.org.

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Books featuring Joe’s work

I Choose to Be Unstoppable by Niranjan Nerlige V

Sky Theater: Essays on Rural Life and Community from the Editor of Dakotafire Magazine by Heidi Marttila-Losure

Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results by David Peter Stroh

Wisdom for Dad: Advice for Dad in 140 Characters or Less by Hugh Weber
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​Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath