Region 8 Director

Lynne Keller Forbes

Lynne Keller Forbes has been the Executive Director of the South Eastern Council of Governments (SECOG) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota since 2001.  SECOG is a planning and development district that serves six counties in the southeastern corner of South Dakota and is the entity responsible for the Sioux Falls Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).  Lynne also serves as the Executive Director of the South Eastern Development Foundation, a regional revolving loan fund that provides financing for businesses and develops affordable housing.  Lynne was instrumental in the creation of Dakota BUSINESS Finance in 2006 and serves as its Executive Director.  Dakota BUSINESS Finance provides financing through SBA’s 504 loan program and serves all of South Dakota and several adjoining counties in MN, IA, and NE.  DBF was named the national #1 Small CDC of the Year by SBA in 2010 and has been the #1 South Dakota CDC since 2009.  In addition to her duties at SECOG, Lynne serves as the Immediate Past President for the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and is a member of the Des Moines Federal Home Loan Bank Housing Advisory Board.  Lynne is a member of the South Dakota Bar Association, Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary, and a certified Economic Development and Housing Development Finance Professional.  She earned a B.A. in Business Administration from St. Leo College, St. Leo, FL and a Juris Doctorate Law Degree from the University of South Dakota, School of Law.  She is also a licensed real estate broker.