On Jan. 21, at the Annual South Dakota Tourism Conference in Pierre, our very own Lora Schaunaman, recently retired Curator of Exhibits won the Ruth Ziolkowski Outstanding Hospitality Award! Here is a portion of the nominating award text: Lora Schaunaman is the very definition of South Dakota hospitality. At the Dacotah Prairie Museum in Aberdeen she has been the Curator of Exhibits for 20 years; and she has always been the best ambassador for our institution. Whether she is greeting guests at our front desk, giving tours to school groups and adults, presenting workshops both at the Museum and offsite for women’s groups, homeschoolers, or at community events, or working with artists and contributors on exhibits, she is always exemplifying the spirit of hospitality. In 2020, Lora exemplified South Dakota steadfastness in the face of a looming pandemic. The museum was closed to the public for nearly four months but Lora immediately switched gears from in-person interactions to virtual tours of exhibits, creating YouTube videos of historic figures in Brown County, creating and handing out 900 summer art kits for area families, and creating window displays for downtown visitors. She never stopped reaching out to our community with grace and good cheer, the very definition of South Dakota hospitality. Congrats Lora! Thank you for everything!