Scot Jumped out of industry for a few years and attended College at the South Dakota School of Mines, Black Hills State University, then finely Western Dakota Tech Western Dakota Technical Institute (WDT) where he graduated with a Degree in Motorcycle and Small Engine Repair.
After graduating in 1987, Scot took a position at Black Hills Harley Davison until the call of the electrical industry was too strong when in April of 1988, Scot was given the opportunity to take a position for The Boeing Co. in Seattle, Washington as an inspector of Minuteman Missile systems and an electronics installer. Scots’ role for Boeing consisted of leading installation and inspection teams on communication cabling in missile launch facilities as well as electric bundles in the Boeing 747 passenger airliner. Scot held this position until he relocated back to the Rapid City area in November of 1992 where he started his most impactful journey on the electrical industry in South Dakota by substitute teaching and tutoring students back at WDT. From then on Scot was involved in electronics training although he maintained employment in the industry for companies such as Dakota Cement Plant, Western Communications, Conrad’s Big C Electric, and Mayer Radio until November of 1997. At that time Scot took a fulltime position as an electrical instructor for the electrical program at WDT, a position which he still holds today.
Since 1997, Scot has impacted the lives of countless students in the Electronics Technology, the Industrial Electronics, and the Electrical Trades programs. Scot’s patience, dedication, and genuine care for his students, along with his background in electronics, made him a clear choice to be the first instructor that students interact with in the program, and he has been the first semester instructor for many years. Scot has a passion for learning, and he has continued his own formal education by earning two AAS degrees in the electrical field.
Scot is also a leader. He has served as the Program Director and been instrumental in training and mentoring many new instructors who have passed through the program through the years. Scot’s character has led him to be an important voice on the WDT campus where he sits on many committees that make decisions that affect all students and employees.
Scot holds a South Dakota Electrical Journeymen’s license, is an active member of the Black Hills Chapter of the South Dakota Electrical Council, member of the Black Hills Amateur Radio Club, and is an amateur radio operator.
Scot grew up in Parker SD and since, has lived in Rapid City since 1991. Scot has been married to his wife Marlene since 1985. They have 2 kids, Scot Eric (Scooter) married to Jessica and Megan married to Dr. Amit Gautam who have 2 children Micah and Olivia.
As industry member and, most importantly, faculty member of electrical trades at WDT, Scot Dannenbring has played a key role in the South Dakota electrical industry. One of Scot’s favorite quotes “Electrical Trades, It’s not just a Job, It’s a career!”