After graduating from WDT, Jeff started working with his dad and brother in the family business, J & L Electric. Working with his dad is where Jeff learned the practical knowledge of being an electrician.

In November of 1990, Jeff started working for the City of Rapid City as an Electric Inspector and continues to work within the Building Services Division today as a combination inspector. Jeff mostly performs electrical inspections these days and is one of the longest-tenured Rapid City employees.

Early in Jeff’s career, he became an active volunteer with Big Brothers and Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Black Hills. Jeff and his “Little” stayed matched from John’s start of middle school until his graduation from high school. Along with spending time with his “Little,” Jeff was also active on the local BBBS Board of Directors. Jeff was awarded both Local Big Brother of the Year and Regional Big Brother of the Year, as well as Rapid City Citizen of Month for his work with BBBS of the Black Hills.

Jeff married Kae in February of 1997 and they became a Big Couple with BBBS of the Black Hills. They were awarded Big Couple of the Year along with Rapid City Citizen of the Month. After Chris, their “Little” from BBBS, outgrew the program and Jeff and Kae had their son, Jessy, they decided to leave BBBS of the Black Hills and start doing foster care for the Casey Family Program. A couple years later, they had their daughter Tabitha.

Over many years, Jeff and Kae fostered four girls through high school, along with many other boys and girls for varying amounts of time. Stevette, who came to be a part of Jeff’s and Kae’s family when she was in middle school, continues to be a major part of their lives and, with a family of her own now, has blessed Jeff and Kae with their first grandchildren. 

Jeff became an active member of the Pennington County Search and Rescue team in 1989 and continued as a team member for over 30 Years. During those years, Jeff held various positions at the leadership level, as well as obtained many certifications in the areas of Search & Rescue, Medical, Fire and Incident Command.

Over the past 20 years, Jeff has taught many electrical continuing education classes for WDT, AE Tech, Lake Area Tech, and South Dakota Electrical Council (SDEC). He has earned numerous licenses and certifications from the State and City, along with the International Code Council, International Association Electrical Inspectors, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, and Uniform Building Code. One of the highlights of Jeff’s professional career was being asked to be a member of Mike Holts Code Panel for the 2008 Code Cycle where he attending filming in Florida. 

Jeff has been an active member of SDEC since 2004 and previously served as president of the Black Hills Chapter. He joined the SDEC Board of Directors in 2011 and became Council President in 2016. Jeff still holds that position today and also chairs the Conference, Bylaws and Personnel Committees of the State Board of Directors. As the longest-serving President of SDEC, Jeff has demonstrated distinguished leadership in the electrical industry in South Dakota, in addition to his many years of dedicated service to his community.