Meet Our Amazing Team
The Build Your Base Program was created as a joint effort between the Sanford Sports Science Institute and the South Dakota Beef Industry Council. Both organizations are committed to empowering athletes and the communities that support them with evidence based strategies to improve athletic performance and health.
Sanford Sports Performance
The Sanford Sports Science Institute (SSSI) serves as a trusted resource and recognized leader in conducting research, assessing athletes, providing the educational information on safe and appropriate exercise, training, and sports participation, and developing guidelines and policies. The SSSI helps athletes stay healthy and achieve their goals by making research driven services and cutting-edge technology accessible. As a leader in sports science and sports medicine, the SSSI offers athletes and active individual’s lab-based and field-based nutrition, physiological, fitness, and biomechanical assessments to provide accurate and precise measurements of an athlete’s performance. The SSSI works with athletes of all levels to get them, and keep them, at the top of their game and is excited about the partnership to provide athletes with the appropriate educational information on correct training and proper eating with the South Dakota Beef Industry Council. Learn More about SSSI.
South Dakota Beef Industry Council
The South Dakota Beef Industry Council (SDBIC) serves as a trusted resource and recognized leader within the beef industry; striving to continuously share accurate, evidence-based information about beef and the process of raising a safe, nutritious, high-quality beef product. The SDBIC works on behalf of South Dakota’s beef farmers and ranchers to ensure consumers are informed and feel connected to the beef community. They understand the value of protein in an athlete’s performance plan and regard beef as a natural, nutrient-rich, high quality protein containing all the essential amino acids. The council recognized the importance of protein consumption following exercise in maintaining a positive protein balance. The SDBIC is excited about the Build Your Base with Beef collaborative partnership with the Sanford Sports Science Institute. Providing athletes with the appropriate educational information on proper training and nutritional habits will help lead to a successful athletic experience and act as a building block towards a healthful lifestyle. Learn More about SDBIC.
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Suzy Geppert
Program Director
Suzy Geppert, Executive Director of Beef Logic, Inc., is responsible for management of staff, industry relations, consumer outreach, oversight and development of program content and leads the National Build Your Base program efforts.
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Thayne Munce, PhD
Sports Scientist, Sanford Research
Dr. Munce specializes in athletic health and performance research and assessments. He researches concussion, thermoregulation and heat stress at the Sanford Sports Science Institute.
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Holly Swee, RD
Director of Nutrition
Holly Swee, Director of Nutrition for Beef Logic, Inc., is responsible for recommending, developing, and implementing nutrition education programs and content that supports beef in a healthful lifestyle.
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Kim Schwabenbauer, DHSc, MS, RD, CSSD
Program Consultant
Kim Schwabenbauer currently serves as the Sport’s Dietitian for the Pittsburgh Steelers and an Associate Professor of Exercise Science at Penn West University-
Clarion Campus. -
Mike Roussell, PhD
Nutrition Consultant
Dr. Mike is a nutrition consultant that specializes in transforming nutrition and sports science research to practical strategies that athletes of any age can put into action to improve health and performance.
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Cagney Effling
Communications and Web Development Manager
Cagney Effling, Communications and Web Development Manager is responsible for the management and content of the Beef Logic, Inc. website and the Build Your Base website.