A strategic and collaborative leader with experience in higher education teaching and management, non-profit leadership, and interdisciplinary projects, Darla Biel, MA, CFRE, is the Assistant Director at the South Dakota Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment at the University of South Dakota’s School of Health Sciences She serves as the SD Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Lead, convening an interagency advisory board and community partners to build a shared vision and plan for ensuring a strong start for all South Dakota children. Biel is also project lead for Resilient Communities, a community-led initiative that increases collective capacity to know about, respond to, and prevent child abuse.

As a lifelong learner, Biel holds degrees from Bethany College (Lindsborg, KS), Iowa State University (Ames, IA), and Pacific University (Forest Grove, OR), as well as graduate certificates in Child & Adult Advocacy Studies (USD) and Certified Fund Raising Management (Indiana University). She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in adult learning and administration in higher education from the University of South Dakota.

Darla also volunteers as the Chair for the South Dakota Nonprofit Network and as a Board Member of Ascension Lutheran Church in Brookings, where she and her husband, Marc live.