Gov. Rhoden appoints cheese guru to South Dakota Legislature

Tim Czmowski to fill District 6 House seat vacated by Herman Otten

Gov. Larry Rhoden has appointed a former county GOP chairman and longtime cheese industry leader to the South Dakota House of Representatives.

The governor’s office on Wednesday announced that Tim Czmowski of Lincoln County will fill the vacant District 6 House seat from which former legislator Herman Otten resigned prior to the beginning of South Dakota’s 100th Legislative Session in early January.

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“He will bring a servant’s heart, creativity, and a strong work ethic to this role,” Rhoden said in a news release.

According to the governor’s office, Czmowski graduated from South Dakota State University, was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2023, and spent 10 years in the South Dakota Army National Guard, where he was once recognized as the “Battalion Soldier of the Year.”

(Courtesy of SDSU Alumni Magazine)

Beyond his public service, Czmowski has more than 40 years of experience in the cheese industry and is an assistant chief judge of the United States and World Cheese Contests, as well as the president and technical consultant at CheeseWorld, LLC. Czmowski also served as the chairman of the Grant County Republican Party.

“I am grateful to Gov. Rhoden for trusting my abilities and giving me the privilege to serve the people of District 6 and South Dakota,” he said. “I will approach these duties similarly to my past business and public service experience. I believe in clear, open communication to gather information from all perspectives to determine the best decision among the choices available.”

Czmowski has been married to his wife, Patty, for nearly 40 years. Together, they have four adult children and three grandchildren.