Doug was born and raised in Arlington, SD where he graduated from high school in 1966.  He attended South Dakota State University and graduated in 1971 with a BS in pharmacy.  Following a year of internship in St. Paul, MN, he entered the US Army as a pharmacy officer.  After officer training in Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX he was assigned as the Chief of Pharmacy Services at Ft. McClellan, AL from May 1973 thru July 1974.  He then volunteered for overseas duty and served as the Pharmacy Officer for 3 medical clinics in the southern area of the Heidelberg Medical department of activities.  While in Germany he earned a Master of Science in Business Administration from Boston University in their overseas program.  He returned to the US in August 1977 and worked as a civilian pharmacist at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, CO and from there transitioned to the VA medical center in Denver after one year.  He remained at the VA for 4 years as a staff and a supervisory pharmacist.  During this time he was active in the Army reserves.  Doug and his family moved to Rapid City, SD in 1982 where they established The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy which they owned and operated until July 2006 when they sold their business.  Doug continues to work part time as a pharmacist. 

Doug and his wife Donna have been married for 36 years.  They have 2 children, Chad a physician living in Cincinnati, OH and Jessica, an attorney, lives in Chicago.  Both children are married and both of their spouses share their professions—needless to say, we don’t discuss malpractice at the dinner table.  At this writing there are no grandchildren but there is one on the way!  Doug and Donna enjoy golf, skiing, cooking, travelling, hunting, fly fishing (please excuse Donna from the last 2), and spending time with family and friends.  Doug and Donna have been active members of the Canyon Lake United Methodist Church and were recently honored for teaching Sunday school for the last 25 years.

Doug became a Lion in 2003 when he joined the Rushmore Lions and has served in all the leadership positions in the club.  He is on the Board of Directors for the SD Lions foundation and is a Melvin Jones Fellow through his participation in CSFII.  He is especially honored to serve as VDG in support of DG Ken Gifford who is a close personal friend and his sponsor into the Rushmore Lions Club.  Doug is eager to build on the momentum 5SW has achieved in recent years and looks forward to the challenge!