Meet the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients
Terry Rasmussen (MetE 91)
John Konechne (ME 86)
John Konechne is the President, CEO, and a Principal Owner of California Erectors, Inc. (CEI). Based in Northern California, CEI is one of the largest independent AISC Certified Steel Erectors in California and Nevada. For decades, the company has played a key role in shaping the San Francisco skyline and beyond, completing more than 1,000 structural steel projects, including office towers, hospitals, universities, and stadiums through its team of structural steel ironworkers.
Under John’s leadership, CEI has installed over half a million tons of structural and miscellaneous steel while significantly enhancing jobsite safety and operational efficiency. He launched several affiliated ventures that helped drive a 400% increase in profitability and doubled CEI’s market share. A champion of safety, John, led the development of innovative safety programs that have been adopted industry-wide to improve jobsite safety for ironworkers.
Before CEI, John spent over a decade at Dow Chemical in engineering and maintenance leadership roles in California and Texas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, an MBA in operations, and is a licensed Professional Engineer.
John serves on multiple boards and as a trustee in the steel and insurance sectors, while remaining deeply active in his community. He has contributed to school and nonprofit advisory boards and coached youth baseball and basketball for over 20 years.
James Rankin (EE 78)
Dr. James Rankin became the 19th president of South Dakota Mines in January 2018, becoming the first alumnus to serve in that role. During his presidency, he successfully headed the effort to build a new Mineral Industries Building; the purchase of the former Ascent Innovation Building from Elevate Rapid City; and the renovation of the Devereaux Library. He was involved in creating the Innovation District from east of 5th Street to campus, advocated for upgrades to the O’Harra Stadium, and led the university through the COVID-19 pandemic. He also helped secure gifts that will create lasting impacts on the university, including the largest individual donation and the largest corporate gift to the university. His fundraising efforts helped double the funds raised by the Center for Alumni Relations & Advancement. He retired in June 2024.
While at Mines, Dr. Rankin fostered growth in the university’s research and innovation activities. From FY18 to FY24, research awards grew by 88% and expenditures increased by 93%. The amount of campus research space nearly doubled with the acquisition and renovation of the Vanderboom Laboratory for Entrepreneurial Research (former Ascent Innovation building). In addition, the campus was awarded a record 14 patents in one year.
Dr. Rankin grew up in Draper and Fort Pierre, SD, and earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Mines in 1978. He earned his MS and PhD degrees from Iowa State while working as an avionics design engineer at Rockwell-Collins (Cedar Rapids, IA). After spending 11 years in industry, he moved into the world of academia as a faculty member at St. Cloud State (MN). He then moved to Ohio University and held roles as director of the Avionics Engineering Center and interim vice-president of research.
Prior to returning to Mines, Dr. Rankin’s leadership as vice-provost for research and economic development at the University of Arkansas generated more than 50 start-up companies and significantly increased annual external funding to $103 million. He led efforts to develop the institution’s first strategic plan in research and economic development and developed an expedited industry contracting process.
Among his involvement throughout his career: Dr. Rankin was heavily involved with the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), serving as a member of the Board of Trustees. He was elected to two terms of the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Board of Governors.
He and his wife, Dr. Wendy Rankin, have three children (Kara, Anna, and Daniel) and 5 grandchildren. They currently live in Greensboro, NC.
Chad Glanzer, PE (IE 92)
Chad Glanzer grew up on his family farm near Carpenter, SD where like any SD farm kid he learned the value of family, integrity, faith and work ethic. He attended Mines for Industrial Engineering, and upon graduating in 1992, began work in the telecommunications industry. In 2002, he cofounded Vantage Point Solutions (VPS) in Mitchell, SD and has served as President of the company since that time. The company began with 25 employees and 0 clients; today, VPS employs more than 550 employees, have grown to 12 offices, and serve over 1,000 clients across the country. In addition to telecommunications engineering, VPS has expanded into areas such as consulting, power engineering, data engineering and cybersecurity. Chad values the relationships of the outstanding teammates at Vantage Point and the client relationships that he has made over the years. His greatest fulfillment, however, comes from his family: His wife Joni, their four children, and one granddaughter.
Craig Willan (MetE 76)
Wm. Craig Willan is founder and Chairman Emeritus of Omega Research an aircraft engineering and testing firm whose clients include major U.S. and European aircraft companies, NASA, the FAA and the NTSB. In 2017, Omega Research was purchased by Goff Aerospace. Craig continues as Chairman Emeritus and advisor to Omega and Goff Aerospace.
Craig graduated from SDSM&T in 1976 with a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering, received his Masters from Tech in 1978, and is a Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the States of Texas, and Utah. Craig has worked over 52 years in the aerospace industry, hiring into Bell Helicopter in 1977, finishing his tenure there as V-22 Project Metallurgist - New Materials & Processes. His unique metallurgical development work at Bell Helicopter in the early 1980’s gave birth to the industry wide use of premium structural titanium investment castings for airframe use. He is the sole holder of 6 United States Patents
Craig continues his desire to “change the world” via new medical device projects for the treatment of glaucoma of which United States Patent applications are in work now. He is passionate about inherent human dignity and health via his volunteer work with Engineers Without Borders assisting in the design and implementation of safe drinking water systems for third world nations.
Craig has authored a multitude of aerospace industry articles and publications dealing with aircraft materials and processes. He serves on numerous technical committees within SAE and ASTM. dealing with metallurgy and aerospace. In 2014, he served as Technology advisor to the Chief Scientist of the USAF. The N.T.S.B has engaged Craig to assist in numerous aviation accident investigations over the past 35+ years.
Craig was the 2017 recipient of the Wright Family Award for his contributions in the understanding of the materials making up the 1903 Wright Flyer, and also the 1910 Wright B Flyer propulsion drive system redesign.
Craig is Chairman Emeritus of SAE Committee B, a past officer of the North Texas Chapter of ASM, a distinguished member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and the recipient of the EAA Presidents Award for 2011. The Willan Space Gallery at EAA-Oshkosh is named in his honor. SAE, ASTM, and NASA have bestowed a multitude of honors on Craig for his contributions to aerospace. He is a pilot and a designer and builder of experimental aircraft, & well known in aerospace. The W. Craig Willan STEM Learning Hall USAF Museum, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, is named in his honor.
Craig was a Virgin Galactic-Scaled Composites astronaut candidate before a catastrophic injury forced him to relinquish his flight manifest position in 2018.