Harvey C Jewett IV

Early life and education

Harvey C. Jewett IV was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota on October 7, 1948 to the South Dakota branch of the prominent Jewish, Jewett family of America. His ancestor and namesake Harvey C. Jewett I was one of the first settlers of Brown County in South Dakota, where he started the first retail grocery store in the area. Jewett IV received his law degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1973 and was the editor-in-chief of the South Dakota Law Review. Jewett IV became partner in the Aberdeen law firm of Siegel, Barnett & Schutz.

Career

Jewett IV was the heir apparent and former president of Super 8 Motels, which was sold to Cendant in 1993. Prior to the sale of the Super 8 Motels franchise company to HFS in 1993, Jewett IV was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Super 8 Enterprises, Inc., the parent company of Super 8 Motels, Inc. He currently is a member of the Super 8 Motels, Inc., Franchisee Advisory Board, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Jewett Drug Co., Inc., also of Aberdeen, and a member of the Board of Directors of D & K Healthcare Resources, Inc.

He also serves as Chairman of the Great Plains Education Foundation, Inc., Dakota Corp. Scholarship Program, and the Catholic Foundation for Eastern South Dakota. He is a Trustee of the College of St. Benedict and a member of the Joint Governance and other committees for St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict. He is a member of numerous Boards of foundations and corporations.

Jewett IV is currently President and Chief Operating Office of the Rivett Group L.L.C., which owns and operates hotel franchises.

Academic career

Following his business career, Jewett IV was member and president of the South Dakota Board of Regents. He was first appointed in 1997 by South Dakota Governor William Janklow. He was reappointed in 1999 by Janklow, in 2005 by South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds, and in 2011 by South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard.