South Dakota Commissioner of Finance and Management Liza Clark is stepping down at the end of the year, saying she wants to strike a better work-life balance and spend more time with her children.
Clark was appointed commissioner in 2016 by then-Governor Dennis Daugaard and stayed on when Kristi Noem became governor in 2019, overseeing the governor’s budget recommendations and economic forecasting.
Noem released a statement praising Clark for her work, calling her “a tremendous steward of taxpayer dollars.
Noem said Clark helped South Dakota grow its budget reserves by 92% and played a central role in administering federal coronavirus relief funds.
Clark says “nothing about the budget has been normal” during the pandemic, but South Dakota is still “in a phenomenal financial situation” as a result of the Noem administration’s approach.