The Sioux Falls Development Foundation added two business executives to the organization’s board of directors. Elected through a vote of the membership, Kurt Brost and A.J. Saigh began their terms on January 1st.
Kurt Brost, Senior Director of Community Relations, Sanford Health
Kurt Brost currently serves as the Senior Director of Community Relations for Sanford Health. He has served in various capacities within the Sanford Health system since 2008 including Director of Real Estate Services, Chief of Staff, Director of Profile Store Development, and Head of Executive Affairs. Prior to his career at Sanford, he spent a decade with Gateway Computers in sales, training, corporate communications, and program management; as assistant campaign manager with the Thune for Senate race; and five years as a Broker Associate at NAI Sioux Falls.
Born and raised in Presho and Pierre, the South Dakota native graduated from Augustana University with a BA in English and obtained an MBA through the University of Sioux Falls. Brost is married with two children. His wife Krista is a teacher in the Sioux Falls School District, his daughter is attending Augustana, and his son is a student at Lincoln High School.
A.J. Saigh, Chief Financial Officer, Burwell Enterprises
A.J. Saigh is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Burwell Enterprises and the other affiliated companies under the Burwell umbrella. These companies include C&B Operations, LLC – 38 John Deere/powersports dealerships located in Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming; C&B Material Handling, LLC – 20 material handing dealerships located in Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Louisiana, Alabama, Virginia, and West Virginia; ProForm Fabrication, LLC – a stainless steel fabrication and custom manufacturing company located in Minnesota and South Dakota; and Silvertree Hospitality, LLC – a hotel management company which manages two family-owned hotels in Wisconsin.
In addition to the above, A.J. helps manage the Burwell family external investments which include e-commerce, defense, health care, and real estate.
Assuming pivotal roles within the Burwell executive team, A.J. encompasses key functions such as mergers and acquisitions, treasury services, debt management, tax planning, estate planning, and the oversight of relationships with external family advisors.
Tenure with the Burwell family began in 2015, following a five-year tenure at Carlson Companies. During this period, A.J. dedicated three years to the management of financial operations for the Asia Pacific region in Singapore. Subsequently, A.J. spent two years at the Carlson Companies corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, where responsibilities included financial planning and analysis, mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, and family reporting.
A.J. started his career at Deloitte & Touche in Minneapolis with a focus on audit practices. Clients were focused primarily on financial services and family offices.
Relocating to Sioux Falls from Minneapolis in July of 2022, AJ and his wife, Melissa, have three children: Linna, Jimmy and Tony. His hobbies include driving kids back and forth between dance and hockey.
