Larry Ness

Larry Ness is the Chairman of the Board of First Dakota National Bank and President of First Dakota Financial Corporation. Larry began his employment with First Dakota in August 1983 and retired in January 2023. Larry earned his bachelor of science degree in economics from South Dakota State University in 1969, and in 2010 was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award in the Department of Economics at SDSU. In 2015, South Dakota State University created the Ness Division of Management & Economics to honor Larry for his commitment to SDSU and its students. This division provides courses of study in the areas of economics, finance and management through undergraduate and graduate programs recognized within the Colleges of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Arts & Sciences, Education and Human Sciences, and Engineering.

Before coming to First Dakota, Larry was a national bank examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. He worked at Mitchell National Bank, Mitchell, South Dakota, as a commercial lender from 1974 to 1981, and then became executive vice president of First National Bank in Volga, South Dakota. Larry served in the South Dakota National Guard and retired as a Major in the United States Army Reserve, completing 24 years of service. He also graduated from the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 2012, Larry was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame, which honors and recognizes outstanding individuals who have shaped the fabric and culture of South Dakota.