A Kansas native, Letti Lister started her career in newspapers working for the Manhattan Mercury, while studying Journalism & Ag Economics at Kansas State University. Little did she know that ink was infectious, and upon graduation, she and her husband would feel the pull to move to the Black Hills, and continue working for the Seaton Publishing family at their Spearfish operation.

Lister is now publisher and part-owner of the Black Hills Pioneer, the official daily newspaper for Lawrence, Butte, and Meade counties, and The Nation’s Center News official weekly newspaper of Harding County in western South Dakota. She is the first female publisher in the 145-year history of the Black Hills Pioneer. She and her team, including her husband Scott as production manager, produce numerous specialty publications, digital media, and the Explore Black Hills mobile app, all with the strong conviction that information is power, and humor is often the best antidote in this industry.

Lister has worked as a media buyer, marketing consultant, ad rep, ad manager, general manager, and newspaper publisher, tallying up over 30 years in the newspaper industry.

She serves on boards including the Spearfish Community Foundation; South Dakota News Watch- a non-profit providing statewide investigative journalism; and she is the past president of the South Dakota Newspaper Association, representing 115 newspaper publishers across the state.

Scott and Letti have a son, Chris who is in his senior year at Black Hills State University as an English major. Their daughter Madiera, is attending Kansas State University as a junior in Kinesiology and Gerontology. Scott and Letti are also in a livestock partnership raising Buffalo, and they are avid motorcycle riders in their free time.

What You Will Learn:

• How a willingness to change is pivotal to success in business
• Why developing rapport can help you handle people that are critical of you at work
• How Letti was able to go from intern to part-owner in the newspaper industry
• What is the impact when small towns lose their local newspapers
• How Letti and her husband can work together without many challenges
• What rules at home and the workplace help support a family first lifestyle

How to contact Letti Lister:

• Website: https://www.bhpioneer.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/letitia-lister-993ab137/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BHPioneer
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhpioneer/