RAPID CITY, S.D. — The 2025 Black Hills Defense and Industry Symposium will be held April 9 through 10 at the Box Elder Events Center.
The public is encouraged to attend and be part of the local and national security conversation.
“Our goal for this symposium in opening it up to just everybody, whether it be in the Black Hills area or or anyone across the nation, is to understand that they do have a role in the national security conversation,” said Tony Nishimura, Military/Community Relations Director for SD Ellsworth Development Authority.
Discussions and breakout sessions will include energy infrastructure, cyber security, intersection of national security and foreign trade, Ellsworth Air Force Base updates, drone defense, and discussions about the B21 program.
New this year will be a general session about cyber threats and the impact on national security.
Organizers say the symposium is an opportunity to network and collaborate with community, business leaders, and military.
“ Collaboration between the military and the public, it’s extremely important. Not only does the military, in essence, work for the public in defending the public and defending the United States, but it’s important that the public understands the role of the military and supports that role,” Nishimura said.
The symposium is hosted by the Black Hills Military Advisory Coalition in partnership with Northrop Grumman.
To learn more and register, go to bhsymposium.com.
Jerry Steinley has lived in the Black Hills most of his life and calls Rapid City home. He received a degree in Journalism with a minor in Political Science from Metropolitan State University in Denver in 1994.
