The former warden of the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility and the North Central Correctional Facility has been named the new secretary of the South Dakota Department of Corrections.

Nick Lamb, who served as warden of the prisons in Fort Dodge and Rockwell City from July 2021 to February 2023, was appointed Monday by South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden to run that state’s prison system.

Lamb currently serves as the deputy director of institutional operations in the Iowa Department of Corrections. In that role, he oversees nine facilities, 2,500 employees, and approximately 8,500 inmates.

Lamb also served as warden of Anamosa State Penitentiary from February to November 2023.

“After an extensive interview process and aggressive national search, we found the right person that will help keep our corrections system strong and safe for both inmates and officers,” Rhoden stated in a news release. “Nick’s leadership will ensure strong implementation of rehabilitation services that will reduce recidivism and keep our communities safe.”

Rhoden said he believes Lamb will “pick up the torch with excellence, tenacity and a heart to serve.”

According to the governor’s office’s press release, Lamb will begin his work in South Dakota “mid-November.”