Casey McNulty named 2025 Hill City Prevailer News Citizen of the Year

It is not uncommon in a small town for an individual or two to wear many hats. With a smaller population and budget to pull from, smaller towns rely on volunteers to make the behind the scenes things happen. Usually, those volunteers are older or retired, with the time and money to spare for their community.

The 2025 Hill City Prevailer News Citizen of the Year challenges the usual in many ways. 

At a mere 25 years old, Casey McNulty wears many hats in the community of Keystone. He is the town board president. He sits on the Battle Creek Fire Protection Board. He brings donuts to teachers in the school district. He feeds first responders as they battle fires outside of city limits. He coordinates with multiple agencies efficiently during natural disasters, communicating to citizens in real time repeatedly. He is described by almost everyone in the community as a person who gets things done. 

Many in the community recount stories of a young McNulty, who started his own mowing business at around 12 or 13 years old. 

“He had been running his dad’s equipment already,” said McNulty’s mom Susan. “I’d be having to melt down seeing him on a skid steer.”

Susan recounted that McNulty started doing jobs around town for neighbors and even was left in charge to run cash registers for local business people, all before he could drive. Susan said when McNulty  was 14, she would often refer to him as a 40-year-old man. She is not the only person to say that about him. 

McNulty worked so hard, his mom said he qualified for a mortgage at 18 years old. Most of McNulty’s work has been in managing properties, including at a local hotel for about six or seven years. He now manages many vacation rentals for himself and others and is active in the  construction trades. Susan describes her son as a man who “likes to be in the thick of things,” and as an individual who seems “interested in everything.”

“He does do a lot. He actually enjoys it. He actually likes to get things done,” Susan said.

She said her son, one of the middle children in the family, has always been a generous person. 

“If I don’t have money for something, Casey always wants to sort it for me,” she said.

Many describe that generosity. Cathy Little Bull said McNulty “generously provided us a place to stay in Keystone” after a fire in March caused the Harney neighborhood just outside of city limits to be evacuated. 

“I believe it was an airbnb they had just finished constructing and it had not even been rented yet. We greatly appreciated having a safe and comfortable place to take my 91- year-old mom,” said Little Bull.

She noted that while her family could return home later that evening, “Casey came by twice while we were there to see if we needed anything and to update us on the fire status.” 

John Esposti, who is President of the Battle Creek Fire Protection District Board, remembered that day as he and his wife Cindy helped with that evacuation. 

“Casey was very, very generous, making some vacation rentals available for local people, like Granny Metz,” Esposti said.

Esposti serves alongside McNulty, who is vice president of the Battle Creek Fire Protection District  Board.

“Like all of us, he’s not a perfect human,” said Esposti, but “he does get things done.” 

He said McNulty is “very active in the community,” citing his frequenting of the Keystone Senior Center and Social Club.

Karen Boland, who is a Keystone Senior Center and Social Club board member said “even though Casey is not a senior citizen he has been a long time member and volunteer.”

McNulty gives “his support and energy in so many ways,” Boland said, referring to not only donations McNulty gives but the time he gives as well “to replace broken appliances or things to make the center more modern and efficient.”

“We are very grateful for everything he does for the center to be able to serve the community better,” Boland said. 

Casey also shows up to the center for meetings, lunches and brunches and supports the group at town meetings. 

Casey is also the Keystone Town Board president, and the youngest person to have ever held that position. He has served as a town trustee since 2020.

“Casey McNulty followed in his grandfather’s footsteps to become a trustee of Keystone. He’s devoted a fathomless amount of time and energy to the Town of Keystone,” said Nikki Ball, who sits on the Keystone town board alongside Casey. “The work he’s done has received kudos from past and present governors of South Dakota. It is a pleasure to see Casey recognized for his hard work, loyalty and passion for our small town.”

The work McNulty has done for the town is almost too numerous to list. In 2025 he helped secure the transfer of management of the Keystone Elderly Housing Commission to the Pennington County Housing and Redevelopment Commission, deciphering a web of paperwork that virtually no one in the community understood. McNulty pushed for a remodeling of the Keystone Community Center and was the “catalyst” in actually getting the library remodel included in that project. 

“We did not plan on remodeling the library. I’m glad he suggested it, and I really appreciate it and him for doing this,” said Keystone town librarian Robin Scott.

McNulty was described as a “rare breed” by business owner Lisa Schaeffer,  who also acknowledged he is an “excellent business owner.”

“Casey is always available to discuss issues we have,” said Schaeffer, adding he is virtually the only board member in recent history to “get things done when you have a business complaint.”

As an example  Schaeffer recognized that handicapped people accessing the Keystone boardwalk hit an unintentional dead end and that a simple sign would alert people to take a different path. 

“All we needed was a sign,” she said, but despite bringing it to the town board, the issue was not fixed until McNulty took it upon himself by providing a wood frame with Schaeffer  printing the actual sign.

“Casey is always willing to help the businesses and the residents,” said  Schaeffer, calling him a “great asset to the community.”

Town resident Jerry Przybylski calls McNulty a “go-getter” who donates a lot of his own time and money to various causes. 

“He loves this town,” said Przybylski. “I don’t know how that kid has enough energy.” 

McNulty donated money to have a bench placed in town as a memorial to a deceased and beloved community member. McNulty  also fed firefighters out of his own pocket during a recent fire in December.

McNulty manages some properties for Randy  Connelly and also acts as a general contractor for some of Connelly’s building contracts. 

“I’m doubtful if I’d continue my building in Keystone without Casey’s assistance and help,” Connelly said. “In so many ways, I consider him a partner.”

Connelly called McNulty an “integral part” of what he does in the community. 

McNulty is “indispensable to us,” Connelly said. 

Connelly described McNulty as “persevering and steadfast.” Connelly joked that while he drew the line at attending exercise classes, “Casey got me to join the Keystone Senior Center. In a subtle kind of nudging way, he got me to be sympathetic to it.” 

Casey is an alum of the Hill City School District, an entity he continues to support. Tamela Ross, human resource director for the district, said, “I don’t think you have enough room in your paper to include all the wonderful, thoughtful, kind things Casey McNulty does for the community, friends, family and strangers.”

McNulty supports district staff with food. 

“Casey brings donuts for the staff each time he comes to see us in the district office, be it for business purposes or just to say hello. His company also provided pizza for all three buildings—the elementary, middle school and high school—last year for teacher appreciation,” said Ross. 

Ross described McNulty  as a man who has “never known a stranger.”

“He greets and treats everyone with respect and kindness. He is the first to offer his time, home, food, vehicle, anything he has for someone in need. When he asks how you are doing, he really is interested. When you mention you are doing a project for a family or community project he says, ‘Just tell me what you need, and we will get it done.’ Floods? Fire? Winter storms? He is the first to organize logistics and support to help the community. Sound like Superman? Maybe! He is always there when you need him,” said Ross.