Opportunity Through Technology with Roger Musick

Roger Musick, a 2018 South Dakota Hall of Fame Inductee, has spent his life quietly building the technology infrastructure and opportunities that help South Dakota thrive.

An engineer, entrepreneur, and community leader, Roger helped bring cutting-edge communications systems and software to the region long before the technology industry became widely known. Yet for Roger, success has always been about more than innovation. It is about creating opportunities for others.

From building a technology company in Mitchell to supporting education across the state, Roger’s work reflects a belief that South Dakota is not just a good place to live. It is a place where great things can be built.

Curiosity at an Early Age

Roger was born in Mitchell, South Dakota, the second of four children in a hardworking family. His father drove a truck, and his mother worked part-time, strongly encouraging education.

From an early age, Roger learned the value of effort and independence. By the fifth grade, he had two paper routes and earned his own spending money.

A major influence came from his uncle Lyle Storla, who lived next door. Despite losing the use of his legs and one arm to polio as a child, Uncle Lyle lived an active life and shared Roger’s curiosity about electronics.

“He always had magazines like Popular Electronics and Popular Science around,” Roger recalled. “So I got to reading them when I was in grade school, and that stimulated an interest in technology.”

That interest quickly became a clear path. By junior high, Roger had earned his amateur radio license. In high school, he passed the First Class FCC license required to operate a radio or television station. He also worked after school repairing televisions and rebuilding picture tubes, gaining hands-on experience that deepened his interest in engineering.

“I kind of knew in the seventh grade that I wanted to be an electrical engineer and go to the School of Mines,” he said.

A Career Shaped

Roger became the first member of his family to attend college. He paid his own way to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, where he studied electrical engineering while working part-time, operating a television station and radio station in Rapid City.

“It was a great job for a college student,” he said. “I had to be there, but I could work and study at the same time.”

After graduating in 1971, Roger originally expected to move to California or Texas to work in the growing electronics industry. But after visiting those cities, he realized they were not where he wanted to build his life.

“There were just too many people and too much concrete,” he said. “I decided I wanted to stay in South Dakota.”

That decision would shape his entire career.

A Legacy in the Making

Roger returned to Mitchell to work with Martin and Associates, designing telephone systems across South Dakota. During the 1970s and 1980s, the company helped modernize communications networks across the region. At the same time, he began exploring the emerging world of computers.

A pivotal moment came in 1975 when he saw the Altair 8800 computer on the cover of Popular Electronics magazine.

“It had lights and switches on the front,” Roger said. “You could put your program in using little switches and see if it worked by looking at the lights.”

The machine was primitive, but Roger could see where technology was headed. He began teaching himself programming and software development in his spare time. Those efforts eventually led to the creation of a billing software system for telephone companies. This grew into a major software division serving hundreds of telecommunications providers.

When Martin and Associates was sold in 1999, Roger launched a new company, Innovative Systems, in Mitchell with a small team of ten employees.

Over time, Innovative Systems grew into a major technology company employing about 200 people and providing advanced communications software, voice platforms, and IPTV systems used by service providers across the country.

Rooted in South Dakota

While many engineers left the state for opportunities elsewhere, Roger’s vision was always rooted in South Dakota. He wanted to prove that a successful technology company could thrive right here.

“I tried to hire people who really enjoyed computers,” he said. “People who wanted to work with them not only as a job, but as part of their life.”

He also focused on creating opportunities for graduates of South Dakota universities.

For years, he maintained an office in Rapid City near the School of Mines, offering internships to students and encouraging them to build their careers in South Dakota. Many of those interns eventually joined the company in Mitchell.

Technology itself has never intimidated Roger. Even as new developments like artificial intelligence emerge, he sees this innovation as a tool to help people learn and grow.

“The better the tool, the smarter you yourself can be,” he said.

A Lasting Impact

Beyond business, Roger and his wife Vicki have made a lasting impact through their commitment to education.

Together, they made a transformational gift of $30 million to support education in Mitchell and at Dakota Wesleyan University. The goal was to strengthen learning opportunities from kindergarten through college and ensure the programs could continue for generations.

“I wanted to give enough money so it wasn’t just something that lasted a year or two,” Roger said. “I wanted it to be endowed so it would go on forever.”

Roger says his inspiration came from the teachers who shaped his own life.

“I’ve always had very good teachers,” he said. “And teachers in South Dakota are typically very underpaid. I wanted to show appreciation for them.”

Today, Innovative Systems continues to create high-quality technology jobs in South Dakota, while Roger’s philanthropic efforts help strengthen education and opportunity across the region.

From repairing televisions as a teenager to building a technology company that employs hundreds, Roger Musick’s story is a testament to curiosity, innovation, and a deep commitment to South Dakota. 

Watch the full interview with Roger Musick, hosted by Angela Kennecke, below to hear his story in his own words.