2016 South Dakota Sales and Marketing Executive of the Year™

Tom Walsh, Sr: President GreatLIFE & Dakota King

The SME Excellence Awards® is an annual signature event for SME Sioux Falls and you’ll want to be there in February as we honor one of South Dakota best leaders, Mr. Tom Walsh, Sr. as the South Dakota Sales and Marketing Executive of the Year.

Thomas Walsh, Sr. has called Sioux Falls home for over 40 years. Since his graduation from Augustana College in 1971, he has contributed much to the community that gave him endless opportunities. In 1975, Walsh opened the first Burger King restaurant in South Dakota. Since then, he has developed over 50 Burger King restaurants in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Under his leadership, Dakota King restaurants have earned many awards – including the “Operational Excellence” award, the “Restaurant Excellence” award and the “Community and Local Store Marketing” award. When not running the restaurant world, Walsh tirelessly shares his love and compassion for children through a variety of humanitarian efforts. He founded the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation in 2002 – an organization dedicated to providing medical, educational and humanitarian assistance to children and families in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. And under his leadership, South Dakota’s “Make-A-Wish” Foundation became the #5 Chapter in the United States. Thomas was inducted into the prestigious South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2009. Thomas and his wife Kathy are blessed with 4 children and 8 grandchildren.