Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kristi Noem

Discover the career path of Kristi Noem, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Kristi Noem is an American politician who has served as the 8th United States Secretary of Homeland Security since 2025. A Republican, she was the 33rd governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2025. Prior to her governorship, she represented South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. Noem's political career began in the South Dakota House of Representatives, where she served from 2007 to 2011, establishing her foundation in state-level politics before ascending to national prominence.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2006: Elected to South Dakota House of Representatives

In 2006, Kristi Noem was elected as a Republican to the South Dakota House of Representatives, representing the 6th district.

2007: South Dakota House of Representatives

In 2007, Kristi Noem began her political career in the South Dakota House of Representatives, serving until 2011.

2007: Service in South Dakota House Begins

In 2007, Kristi Noem began serving in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

2008: Re-elected to South Dakota House of Representatives

In 2008, Kristi Noem was re-elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives.

2009: Vice Chair of Agriculture Land Assessment Advisory Task Force

In 2009, Kristi Noem served as the vice chair of the Agriculture Land Assessment Advisory Task Force.

2010: Election to U.S. House of Representatives

In 2010, Kristi Noem was elected to South Dakota's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2010: End of Service in South Dakota House

In 2010, Kristi Noem's service in the South Dakota House of Representatives concluded.

March 8, 2011: KRISTI PAC Formation

On March 8, 2011, Kristi Noem announced the formation of a leadership political action committee called KRISTI PAC.

March 2011: Liaison to House Republican Leadership and NRCC Regional Director

In March 2011, Kristi Noem was selected as the liaison to the House Republican leadership, and was named one of the 12 regional directors for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) for the 2012 election campaign.

2011: U.S. House Representative

In 2011, Kristi Noem began representing South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House, a position she held until 2019.

2012: Bachelor's Degree

In 2012, Kristi Noem obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from South Dakota State University while serving as a U.S. Representative.

2012: NRCC Regional Director

Kristi Noem was one of the 12 regional directors for the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 2012 election campaign.

2013: House Armed Services Committee

In 2013, Kristi Noem began serving on the House Armed Services Committee.

2014: Worked on National Defense Authorization Act

In 2014, Kristi Noem worked on the National Defense Authorization Act as a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

2015: House Armed Services Committee

In 2015, Kristi Noem served on the House Armed Services Committee.

November 2016: Announced Candidacy for Governor

In November 2016, Kristi Noem announced that she would run for governor of South Dakota in 2018.

2017: Conference Committee on Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

In 2017, Kristi Noem was on the conference committee that negotiated the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

2018: Pitched online sales tax bill

In 2018, Kristi Noem pitched her online sales tax bill to the House Freedom Caucus.

2018: Elected Governor

In 2018, Kristi Noem was elected governor of South Dakota.

January 5, 2019: Sworn in as Governor

On January 5, 2019, Kristi Noem was sworn in as the governor of South Dakota, becoming the first woman in that office in the state.

October 1, 2019: Josh Shields Appointed as Chief of Staff

On October 1, 2019, Josh Shields was appointed as Kristi Noem's chief of staff.

2019: Governor of South Dakota

In 2019, Kristi Noem became the 33rd Governor of South Dakota, serving until 2025.

2019: End of Congressional Service

In 2019, Kristi Noem concluded her service in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2019: Signed Bill Abolishing Concealed Handgun Permit

In 2019, Kristi Noem signed a bill into law that abolished South Dakota's permit requirement to carry a concealed handgun.

January 1, 2020: Josh Shields Ends Term as Chief of Staff

On January 1, 2020, Josh Shield's term as Kristi Noem's chief of staff ended.

March 2, 2020: Tony Venhuizen Appointed as Chief of Staff

On March 2, 2020, Tony Venhuizen was appointed as Kristi Noem's chief of staff.

March 13, 2020: Noem Orders K-12 School Closures

On March 13, 2020, Noem ordered the closure of K-12 schools in South Dakota in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 6, 2020: Executive Order and CDC Guidance

On April 6, 2020, Noem issued an executive order mandating that people "shall" follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also ordered everyone over the age of 65 in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties to stay home for three weeks.

April 13, 2020: Noem's Statement on Smithfield Outbreak

On April 13, 2020, Noem stated on Fox News regarding the COVID-19 outbreak at the Smithfield pork plant that "We believe that 99 percent of what's going on today wasn't happening inside the facility".

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April 2020: Peters Receives Agreed Disposition

Around April 2020, Kassidy Peters received an Agreed Disposition concerning her real estate appraisal license.

July 3, 2020: Mount Rushmore Event with Trump

On July 3, 2020, Noem did not mandate social distancing or the wearing of face masks at an event held at Mount Rushmore, which was attended by President Trump. She publicly doubted scientific recommendations on mask usage and cited analysis from the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons to defend her views.

July 20, 2020: Peters Receives Letter Regarding Appraisal Requirements

Around July 20, 2020, Kassidy Peters received a letter and/or Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law after she failed to meet the requirements of the Agreed Disposition related to her real estate appraisal license.

August 2020: Speech at Republican National Convention

In August 2020, Noem gave a speech at the Republican National Convention. This heightened her profile on the national stage, and was later called a "defining moment in her political career".

November 2020: Promotion of Tourism During Pandemic Surge

In November 2020, during a surge of COVID-19 cases, Noem utilized pandemic relief funds to promote tourism in South Dakota, while also declining to implement face mask mandates and questioning the efficacy of mask-wearing.

December 2020: No Statewide Mandates

As of December 2020, Noem was one of the few governors who had not maintained statewide stay-at-home orders or face-mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Daughter's Real Estate Appraisal License Denial

In 2020, Kristi Noem's daughter, Kassidy Peters, was denied a real estate appraisal license, which prompted Noem to summon Sherry Bren, the director of South Dakota's Appraiser Certification Program, to her office, along with Peters, Noem's Chief of Staff Tony Venhuizen, Department of Labor Attorney Amber Mulder, and Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman.

2020: Noem Opts Out of Enhanced Unemployment Benefits

In 2020, sixteen weeks after Trump's executive order for enhanced unemployment benefits, Noem opted out of the program, making South Dakota the only state to refuse the assistance despite a jobless rate of 7.2% in June.

March 8, 2021: Announced Signing of Women's Fairness in Sports Bill

On March 8, 2021, Kristi Noem announced on Twitter that she would sign H.B. 1217, the Women's Fairness in Sports Bill, into law, which bans transgender athletes from women's sports teams. This announcement generated concerns about potential economic repercussions for the state.

April 23, 2021: Tony Venhuizen Ends Term as Chief of Staff

On April 23, 2021, Tony Venhuizen's term as Kristi Noem's chief of staff ended.

June 2021: South Dakota National Guard Deployed to Texas Border

In June 2021, Noem announced that she was sending members of the South Dakota National Guard to Texas's border with Mexico, with funding donated by Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson and his wife Reba.

July 2021: Corrections Department Shakeup and Mask Mandate Ended

In July 2021, Noem placed Secretary of the Department of Corrections Mike Liedholt on administrative leave, and fired South Dakota State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young and Deputy Warden Jennifer Dreiske. Later that month, she ended the prison's mask mandate after meeting with prison employees.

August 2021: Review of Department of Corrections Operations

In August 2021, Noem announced the hiring of the CGL Group for $166,410 to review the Department of Corrections operations. Additionally, the director of the prison work program was fired, and two other DOC employees were relieved of their duties.

September 22, 2021: Center for Public Integrity Sues Over National Guard Deployment

On September 22, 2021, the Center for Public Integrity sued the South Dakota National Guard and the U.S. Department of Defense to obtain documents about the deployment to Texas's border with Mexico and the related donation by Willis and Reba Johnson.

October 2021: Government Operations and Audit Committee Investigation

In October 2021, following the publication of an Associated Press story, the State Senate's Government Operations and Audit Committee investigated the appraisal program. The Committee invited Marcia Hultman and Sherry Bren to discuss the program, leading to Bren's testimony later that year.

November 1, 2021: Government Accountability Board Agenda Set

On November 1, 2021, the Government Accountability Board created an agenda to discuss the issues surrounding Noem related to complaints brought by Ravnsborg.

November 2021: Announced Re-election Campaign

In November 2021, Kristi Noem announced she was running for re-election as governor.

November 19, 2021: Named Fifth Chief of Staff

On November 19, 2021, Kristi Noem appointed Mark Miller as her fifth chief of staff, succeeding Aaron Scheibe.

December 14, 2021: Bren's Testimony Before Government Operations and Audit Committee

On December 14, 2021, Sherry Bren testified before the Government Operations and Audit Committee regarding Kassidy Peters' appraisal program situation. She stated that Peters received an Agreed Disposition around March/April 2020 and a letter and/or Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law around July 20, 2020, for failing to meet the requirements of the Agreed Disposition.

December 15, 2021: Government Accountability Board Refers Complaints

On December 15, 2021, the Government Accountability Board referred one of two complaints to Noem for a response while sending the other back to the complainant for further information.

December 2021: Signaled Support for Women's Sports Bill

In December 2021, Kristi Noem and her office signaled their support for a bill called "An Act to Protect Fairness in women's sports," which would require young athletes to join teams based on their biological sex at birth.

2021: Signed Religious Refusal Bill

In 2021, Kristi Noem signed a religious refusal bill into law, amending the state RFRA to allow business owners to deny products or services based on religious beliefs related to sexual orientation or gender identity. This legislation, S.B. 124, faced criticism for potentially enabling discrimination.

2021: Lawsuit Seeking Fireworks at Mount Rushmore

In 2021, Noem sued U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to reinstate fireworks at Mount Rushmore for Independence Day. She hired a private Washington D.C. law firm, Consovoy McCarthy, with South Dakota state taxpayer money for the suit.

February 3, 2022: Second Complaint Referred to Noem

On February 3, 2022, the Government Accountability Board referred the second complaint to Noem for a response, giving her until April 15, 2022, to answer both pending complaints.

February 2022: House Democratic Minority Leader Announces Candidacy

In February 2022, House Democratic Minority Leader Jamie Smith announced he was seeking the Democratic nomination.

February 24, 2022: House Resolution Introduced Against Noem

On February 24, 2022, Republican State Representative John Mills introduced House Resolution 7004 against Noem, addressing her "unacceptable actions in matters related to the appraiser certification program".

March 14, 2022: Lawsuit Filed Alleging Retaliation for Reporting Sexual Harassment

On March 14, 2022, Stephany Bawek, the former prison work program director, filed a lawsuit in federal district court alleging that she was fired for reporting incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace.

April 15, 2022: Deadline for Noem to Answer Complaints

April 15, 2022, marked the deadline for Noem to respond to two pending complaints referred to her by the Government Accountability Board.

2022: National Defense Authorization Act

In 2022, the National Defense Authorization Act banned National Guard members from crossing state borders to perform duties paid for by private donors.

January 2024: Noem's Comments on Southern Border and Cartels

In January 2024, Noem stated that an "invasion is coming over the southern border" of the United States, and that the "enemy is the Mexican drug cartels", who are "perpetrating violence in each of our states, even here in South Dakota" and "using our reservations to facilitate the spread of drugs throughout the Midwest."

March 2024: Noem's Allegations of Tribal Leader Involvement with Cartels

In March 2024, Noem claimed that "some tribal leaders" were "personally benefiting from the cartels being there" without providing evidence, adding that people "who actually live in those situations" had contacted her expressing fear and requesting help in Pine Ridge, citing high unemployment and a lack of parental support.

November 12, 2024: Selected as Secretary of Homeland Security

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Trump selected Kristi Noem to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security in his second term.

2024: Tribal Lands Ban

In 2024, nine tribes of South Dakota banned Noem from entering their tribal lands, which constitute almost 20% of the state. However, reports indicated that one tribe, the Yankton Sioux, did not officially impose the ban.

January 2025: Noem Apologizes to Tribes; Flandreau Santee Sioux Rescinds Ban

Around January 2025, Noem apologized to the tribes, leading the Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe to dissolve its order banning Noem from its land. The tribe expressed support for Noem's nomination as Secretary of Homeland Security.

January 25, 2025: Sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security

After resigning as governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem was sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security on January 25, 2025.

January 28, 2025: Led Raid on Illegal Immigrants

In the early morning of January 28, 2025, Kristi Noem, as Secretary of Homeland Security, joined federal law enforcement agencies to lead a raid on illegal immigrants in New York City.

2025: Secretary of Homeland Security

In 2025, Kristi Noem began serving as the 8th United States Secretary of Homeland Security.

2025: Imagining Presidency and Biden's Dog

In 2025, in her memoir, Noem wrote about envisioning herself succeeding Joe Biden as president. She mentioned that her first action would be to remove Joe Biden's dog, Commander, from the White House grounds, implying a similar fate to her own dog, Cricket. This statement followed Commander's removal from the White House due to multiple biting incidents.