Melissa Magstadt, Secretary of Health
Melissa has been involved in South Dakota healthcare for over 30 years. She is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and co-owner of Quick Care SD. She served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2014 and was a member of the House Committee on Health and Human Services. Her education includes a Master’s in Science from South Dakota State University with a focus on family nurse practitioner. She also has a Master’s in Business Administration from Mount Marty University. She graduated from the Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute at the University of Nebraska and recently completed her fellowship at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrated Medicine. Magstadt is a born and raised South Dakotan residing in the northeast part of the state.
Lynne Valenti, Deputy Secretary and Division Director, Licensure and Accreditation
Lynne Valenti serves as the Deputy Secretary and Director of the Division of Licensure and Accreditation with the Department of Health. Prior to joining the DOH team, Lynne held several key positions in South Dakota state government. Prior to working for the State of South Dakota Lynne focused her legal practice in disability law.
Lynne is a graduate of the University of South Dakota and the New England School of Law, magna cum laude.
Lynne and her husband Mike have four children. In her spare time, Lynne enjoys volunteering and serving on the board for the Pierre area animal shelter.
Emily Kiel, Division Director, Healthcare Access
Emily is a Watertown native where she basically grew up outside; hunting, fishing, and camping. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from the University of South Dakota. For over 18 years, she has served the state of South Dakota working in leadership positions focused on marketing and public relations, issues and change management, customer service, and strategic communications at the Department of Social Services, the Department of Tourism, the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications, Game, Fish and Parks as well as Governor Noem’s Office.
In early 2022, Emily transitioned to the Department of Health to lead the Division of Healthcare Access. The Division exists to promote and provide access to timely, high-quality healthcare services while ensuring relevancy to enhance rural emergency medical services via telehealth and other life-saving equipment while effectively planning and preparing for public health threats to ensure individuals and families are well informed. None of this work can be done without using the latest information systems, technology, and communication strategies to ensure the Department provides excellent customer service and meets our customers where they are in their healthcare journey. Telling the story of what we do, why we do it, and how we do it is critical to our mission of ensuring a stronger and healthier South Dakota every day.
Emily and her husband, Chad, reside on an acreage north of Pierre with their two children, horses, and a black lab. Together they enjoy everything about the great outdoors and watching their kids play baseball and rodeo.
Beth Dokken, Division Director, Family and Community Health
Beth Dokken serves as Director for the Division of Family and Community Health within the South Dakota Department of Health. In this role, Beth oversees a wide variety of public health programs, including infectious disease prevention and treatment, chronic disease and injury prevention, the South Dakota WIC program, various maternal & child health programs, and community health nursing services. Beth graduated from South Dakota State University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Beth has worked in various capacities and settings as a Registered Nurse throughout her career, including acute care, long-term care, and public health. Outside of work, Beth enjoys spending her free time boating, camping, traveling, attending sporting events, reading, and watching movies with her husband and three children.
Josh Clayton, State Epidemiologist
Josh Clayton serves as the State Epidemiologist at the South Dakota Department of Health (SD-DOH). He received his MPH and Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the University of Michigan and completed a fellowship with the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, assigned to the Tennessee Department of Health. He worked previously as the Deputy State Epidemiologist and Director of the Epi Resource Center with the Indiana State Department of Health. He joined SD-DOH in November 2017 and focuses on informatics for data analytics and visualization, data governance, and infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance, and response.