South Dakota Right to Life Committee
Board of Directors
1107 Mt. Rushmore Rd, Suite 1B
Rapid City, SD 57701
Phone: 605-220-8678
Each of our 12 state regions is eligible to have two directors on the Board of Directors.
In addition, there may be two directors-at-large.
If you know of pro-lifers interested in filling open positions on the Board of Directors, please call 605-220-8678 or email southdakotarighttolife@gmail.com.
Dale Bartscher, Executive Director
A native of Mitchell, South Dakota, Mr. Bartscher is known and respected throughout the state as a tireless and visionary leader.
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A graduate of Dakota Bible College and Cincinnati Christian Seminary, Mr. Bartscher served for many years as a pastor in Minnesota and South Dakota. Beginning in 2007, he served three years as West River Director for the South Dakota Family Policy Council. In 2010, he was named founding Executive Director of the Family Heritage Alliance, which grew into one of the state’s most effective Christian public policy organizations.
In 2018, Mr. Bartscher served former SD Attorney General Marty Jackley as State Political Director of his gubernatorial campaign. On working with Dale, Mr. Jackley commented, “I witnessed first-hand his honesty, dedication, and ability to address complex challenges.” “Working with Dale,” he went on to say, “has always inspired me to work harder and to be a better person.”
On September 16, 2019, Mr. Bartscher began his work as the Executive Director of South Dakota Right to Life. Nationally founded in 1968, National Right To Life celebrates this year…51 years of protecting defenseless human life from conception to natural death.
Dale, and his wife Jan, have two daughters, a son-in-law and two amazing grandchildren of which they are very proud.
Our Board of Directors
Debbie Pease
President - Region 5
Debbie is the past lobbyist and state field coordinator for South Dakota Right to Life. As an educator and mother of nine, she has a passion to help our youth understand the value and dignity of each human life from conception to natural death. She greatly appreciates the opportunity to work with so many pro-life champions across the state.
Jon Hansen
Vice President - Region 4
Jon lives in Dell Rapids with his wife, Sheila, and their four children. He is a lawyer and Representative in the South Dakota House of Representatives, where he has sponsored numerous life-saving, pro-life laws. Hansen is the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and serves in leadership as a House Majority Whip. Hansen recognizes the dignity inherent in all people and is dedicated to defending the right to life of all human beings from conception to natural death.
Anne Hanson
Secretary - Region 2
Anne and her husband, Greg, have 4 children and live in Watertown. She owns a marketing agency and is SDRTL's webmaster. Growing up, Anne remembers her parents being involved in their local Right to Life group and has always felt a calling to do her part. In 2024, Anne was part of the team that opened a pregnancy resource team in Watertown: Haven Center.
Spencer Cody
Treasurer - Region 6
Spencer lives in Mina, South Dakota, with his wife and two daughters. He teaches 7-12 science at Edmunds Central in Roscoe, South Dakota. As a scientist and a teacher, Spencer understands that the pro-death mentality is anti-science.
Spencer served as SDRTL’s Vice President from 2011 to 2018 and has served as Treasurer since 2018. He has always considered it both a privilege and a blessing to serve on the SDRTL board.
Valerie Johnson
NRLC Delegate
Valerie is an at-large member of the National Right to Life Executive Committee.
She and her husband Rick have 6 children. Valerie is current the Director of Music at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchell.
There are many reasons I am active in the right to life movement and they all are rooted in the fact that humans are exceptional. We all have a duty to protect the most vulnerable among us. Being part of Right to Life increases the strength of individuals - we are stronger together.
Dr. Fred Deutsch
Past President - Region 2
Dr. Deutsch is a retired chiropractor and current state legislator from Watertown. The son of a Holocaust survivor whose grandparents were murdered in Auschwitz, Dr. Deutsch was raised to profoundly appreciate the
value of life. He is a staunch advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves including the unborn. He and his wife, Kathleen, have 4
children and eight grandchildren.
Victor Rapkoch
Region 1
Victor is Deputy State’s Attorney and has a civil practice in Britton, SD. He and his wife, Mary, have 4 children with a 5th on the way. Victor is Pro- Life because human life is God’s creation from conception all the way until natural death. Life is worth protecting at all stages, and Victor wants to help spread that message.
OPEN
Region 1
This could be you! If you are from Region 1 and interested in joining our Board of Directors, please reach out!
Dr. Leslie Heinemann
Region 3
Dr. Heinemann began practicing dentistry in Flandreau in 1981 and established a second dental clinic in Dell Rapids in 2000. He recently retired, both from dentistry and the legislature, serving 6 years in the South Dakota House of Representatives.
Leslie and his wife, Libby, have been married for 46 years, and have 4 children and 10 grandchildren. Leslie actively farms over 500 acres.
Doug Post
Region 3
Doug grew up in rural Brookings County, graduated from SDSU, and now owns a small farm raising dairy and beef cattle with his wife, Ginger and five children, Steph, Zach, Jacob, Kaden and Tory. He has been active in Volga Christian School, Volga Christian Reformed Church and served as a state Representative for District 7.
Lisa Ulmer
Region 4
Lisa lives in Hartford, SD, with her husband, Randy. She is happily retired from her financial career and continues to be involved in their Hartford-Humboldt Right to Life chapter. As St. Mother Teresa told us, 'We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.’ Lisa hopes to learn and assist in any way possible as we work together to support and defend the dignity of all human life.
Marie Dahlhoff
Region 5
Marie is a lifelong pro-life advocate who will always work hard to defend life from conception to natural death. She has been an active member of the Vermillion Area Right to Life chapter since its start up. Marie works part-time as a Home Health Physical Therapist for Avera and is very involved with church, along with her kids' school and 4-H activities. She and her husband Mark live in Vermillion where they are raising their 6 children.
Al Novstrup
Region 6
Al and his wife, Kathy, live in Aberdeen, SD. Kathy works at the United Methodist Church. They have 2 children six grandchildren. In his ‘spare time’ Al serves as a SD State Senator from District 3 (Brown County). Roger Hunt and Al were the prime sponsors of HB1217 in 2011 that required counseling and a waiting period prior to an abortion being preformed. Fred Deutsch and Al were the prime sponsors of HB1051 in 2021 called the Born Alive Bill.
Marilyn Mendenhall
Region 7
Marilyn and her husband have eight children (four are deceased) and her goal in life was to be a mother. Her parents were very prolife and faithful Catholics. They valued education and were proud of the fact that all their children graduated from SDSU. She enjoys visiting her sons and grandchildren. She has been a school librarian since 1999. Currently she serves as District Librarian at Crow Creek Tribal School at Stephan. Recently she was president of Brookings Area Right to Life. Her greatest accomplishment is her sons. She is looking forward to serving South Dakotans through the SDRTL Board of Directors. One of Mendenhall's favorite quotes is “The soul is healed by being with children.”― Fyodor Dostoevsky
Mary Unterbrunner
Region 7
Mary grew up on a farm near Iroquois SD. She is a farm wife. She and her husband, Charlie, will celebrate 45 years of marriage in October this year. They have 7 children and 10 grandchildren. She works as the assistant cook at Sanborn Central School in Forestburg and they are members of St. Charles Catholic Church in Artesian.
Dan Hargreaves
Region 8
Dan and his wife, Marlene, farm in Stickney, SD. They have 3 grown children and 8 grandchildren. Dan has served on the SDRTL board since 2003. Dan believes that in the short time we are here on earth, it is to prove where we will spend eternity, we must be totally committed Jesus first and also to others, beginning with basic life itself.
Michael Boyle
Region 8
Michael is an ambassador for Jesus Christ. He serves as Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in Parkston, SD. His wife Isabel is great helpmate. With God's blessing they have a full quiver of children and are thankful for each one of them! Michael is passionate about seeing our God ordained institutions fulfill their God given purpose!
Spencer Gosch
Region 9
Spencer is an American politician who served in the South Dakota House of Representatives. He served as the Speaker of the House during the 96th and 97th Legislative Sessions. Prior to that, he served as Speaker pro tempore during the 94th and 95th Legislative Sessions. He and his family reside in Glenham, SD.
OPEN
Region 9
This could be you! If you are from Region 9 and interested in joining our Board of Directors, please reach out!
Doug Schueller
Region 10
Doug has been involved with pro-life since moving to Pierre, South Dakota, in 1991. He has served on the SDRTL board since 2003. Doug and his wife, Joan, have been married for 28 years and are blessed with a daughter (married), and three sons. Life from beginning to end has dignity and priceless value. Be boldly pro-life within this culture of death.
Jason Williams
Region 10
Jason Williams lives in Pierre with his wife and two children. Since 2019 Jason has served as South Dakota Deputy State Treasurer. Prior to joining Treasurer Josh Haeder's team, he worked in a senior advisory/public relations capacity in the Secretary of State's office. Jason was born and raised on the family quasquicentennial farm in rural Brown County twenty-five miles outside of Aberdeen. He appreciates this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
Dr. Russ Enns
Region 11
Dr. Enns, retired Biotechnology Scientist & Corporate Officer, specialized in the development of DNA diagnostic tests for infectious disease, cancer and genetics. He joined the SDRTL Board as a region 11 member in 2019. Russ and his wife Shirley (retired Registered Occupational Therapist) are Evangelical Christians, and have been active Pro-Life supporters for decades. They have three adult children who they and their spouses are also all active Pro-Life supporters.
OPEN
Region 11
This could be you! If you are from Region 11 and interested in joining our Board of Directors, please reach out!
Jeanette Oliver
Region 12
Jeannette says, "Although I was privileged to study education and receive my master’s degree in Speech Therapy and Special Education, I have found more joy in being a Christian helpmate of 52 years to Don, a mother to six children, three adopted; a foster mom for 28 years; and now a grandmother to sixteen wonderful grandchildren."
She has volunteered in various roles at her church, as a soccer coach, for political campaigns, and is President of of Bountiful Baskets, Co-President of South Dakota Christian Homeschool Educators, President of the Black Hills Pregnancy Center board, Activities Director at Rapid City Area Right to Life.
Amanda Hadden
Region 12
My name is Amanda Hadden. I am a Georgia Native, but have called South Dakota my home for 11 years. I have been married to Matt Hadden for 17 years, and together we have 4 children, 3 biological, and 1 foster. We reside in Porcupine, South Dakota, and run Chanku Waste Ranch, a non-profit organization on Pine Ridge Reservation. I am the Camp Director and Operations Manager for Chanku Waste Ranch and have a heart for our Lakota community. I am passionate about life and advocating for the most vulnerable.
Pastor Craig Werling
At Large
Pastor Werling and his wife, Janine, live in Watertown. They co-pastor Hosanna Lutheran Church (LCMC) in Watertown. They have three grown children and one grandson. Pastor Werling
has always believed that we are created by God, and that life begins at conception. Experiencing the birth of his children made this belief very real.
Corey Chicoine
At Large
Corey Chicoine is a 6th generation farmer outside Elk Point. Graduating from SDSU with an Agronomy Degree, Corey worked as a District Sales Manager for Prairie Brand Seed and later Dairyland Seed out of Sioux Falls covering over half the state before returning home to farm. Corey has been a YDisciple religious education mentor and ris president of Union County Right to Life.
Corey is on the South Dakota Agricultural and Rural Leadership (SDARL) board and the Elk Point Economic Development Committee.