Thomas Daschle: “on July 10, 2000, one of South Dakota's finest mayors stepped down after two decades of public service. Nancy Ekstrum…”

“on July 10, 2000, one of South Dakota's finest mayors stepped down after two decades of public service. Nancy Ekstrum, former city council member and mayor of the town of Philip for 12 years, provided thoughtful and decisive leadership for her community during a time of considerable change. The first woman to lead Philip, Mayor Ekstrum began her service as mayor facing difficult issues that would be familiar to anyone who lives in a rural community. Poor quality water supplies made treatment expensive and difficult. An aging sewer system needed repair and road projects awaited completion. Meeting these challenges with a shrinking tax base and during a time of hardship for area ranchers required a sense of vision and tenacity. Most of all, it required a mayor who was willing to roll up her sleeves and put her heart and soul into finding creative solutions to difficult problems. Nancy Ekstrum was just that kind of mayor. Under her leadership, the city built long-needed roads and made great strides toward providing its citizens with clean, healthy drinking water. When it became clear that the Mni Wiconi Rural Water System was still several years from reaching the community, Mayor Ekstrum rallied area residents to work with the congressional delegation to find an affordable interim solution to the city's water crisis. It is my hope that this project will be funded this year so that clean water will be Mayor Ekstrum's lasting legacy to the city.”