Vern L. Larson

2024 Hall of Fame Inductee

Vern L. Larson is the longest-serving constitutional officer in the history of South Dakota and is the first person in the state’s history to serve in three different state constitutional offices. He was state auditor from 1979 to 2003, state treasurer from 2003 to 2011, and lastly served as the commissioner of school and public lands in 2013-2014.

Larson came from humble beginnings in the small South Dakota town of Vivian, one of six children who grew up early living a rural life on the farm. He taught high school for two years before becoming a private English tutor in Tokyo, an opportunity that broadened his horizons to a bigger world.
 
During his many years in state government, Larson was a steady presence among NASACT’s leaders, and a voice in efforts to contend with issues ranging from the creation of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, the development of the concept of a Single Audit, the advent of electronic commerce and the use of technology to serve citizens, Y2K, ERP, and that doesn’t even begin to cover the breadth of change viewed from his leadership seat.
 
In that time, Larson served not only the citizens of South Dakota, but his peers as president of the National Association of State Comptrollers and as president of NASACT. He represented state treasurer interests as the NAST representative on the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council, an early coalition working to fully leverage technology and the information era to improve government at all levels.
 
Larson saw the value of sharing national successes abroad and used his voice to carry messages of government accountability and transparency to counterparts in the country of Malaysia as part of a NASACT international program funded by the U.S. Department of State. He was also named by USAID and NAST to present the keynote address to the state treasurers of Mexico in 2006.
 
He has been recognized with President’s Awards from both NASC and NASACT, and received the NASC Louis L. Goldstein Leadership Award in March 2024.
 
In his understated way, Larson has given a lifetime of service to the citizens of South Dakota, his country, and his peers in various national organizations.