Midco donation to fund new Joe H. Floyd Education Center at Great Plains Zoo

A $2 million gift from Midco will fund a new education center planned at the Great Plains Zoo and name it in honor of Joe H. Floyd.

Floyd, who died early this year at age 88, was the former president of Midco and also served on the board of the Great Plains Zoo for almost 30 years, including as board president.

The new Joe H. Floyd Education Center is part of the zoo’s master plan — a 15,000-square-foot space that will include a mix of classroom, administrative and animal learning spaces.

It will be incorporated into the same building as the new aquarium and butterfly garden.

The Animal Ambassador wing will house mammals, parrots, raptors and reptiles, and make it possible for the Great Plains Zoo to offer twice as many children the opportunity for animal-related summer experiences through its ZooCamp.

“Because of this gift, we will have the capacity for a threefold increase in our early-childhood programs that provide opportunities for little ones ages 5 and under to engage with animals,” Great Plains Zoo CEO Becky Dewitz said in a statement.

“It will facilitate the complete rollout of our new Literacy Project partnership with the Sioux Falls School District, which includes educational aquarium and zoo visits for all Sioux Falls students grades K-2. Additionally, the new enclosure space for ambassador animals will allow us to increase our reach into the community, with improved housing for the animals that educate alongside us.”

When completed and fully scaled, the Joe H. Floyd Education Center will support:

• More than 1,500 campers annually.
• Over 160 early-childhood families annually.
• Approximately 4,500 K-2 students through the Literacy Project every year.

“In addition to leading Midco across decades of transformation that created the vibrant company we are today, my friend Joe H. Floyd cared deeply for people and helped many throughout his life,” said Midco chair and CEO Pat McAdaragh.

“Joe believed in the power of education, and he would have been so proud to support a center like this at the Great Plains Zoo. This center will open the eyes of children to the wonder of the world around them. It will show them the beauty of nature, science and the environment. It will transport them to new places without having to leave Sioux Falls. It’s a fitting legacy for Joe H. Floyd, a man who saw limitless potential in every student he ever met.”

Floyd’s father, Joe L. Floyd, was a co-founder of Midcontinent Theatre Co. and owned KELO Radio and TV. As a teen, Joe H. Floyd worked wiring racks in the backroom of KELO-TV and later became the first live cameraman on the legendary “Captain 11” TV show. He earned degrees in physics and electrical engineering, beginning his career in Colorado before returning to South Dakota in 1968 to start South Dakota Cable in Lead.

In 1971, he became vice president of Midcontinent Cable in Aberdeen, helping grow the small company into a major player in the telecommunications industry as he eventually was named president and chief operating officer.

As Midcontinent grew, the company was a collection of small cable systems scattered across the Upper Midwest. Floyd brought a vision to connect them, creating a network that became the backbone for Midco to eventually deploy internet service.

In addition to his board service at the zoo, Floyd served on the board of the directors for the South Dakota Broadcasters Association, Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation and Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.

“It is incredibly special for us to see Dad’s legacy grow through this new education center,” Floyd’s family said in a statement. “It speaks volumes about Dad’s life and impact that his colleagues at Midco felt moved to make this gift in his honor. Now, families across Sioux Falls, our state and region who visit the center will get a glimpse of the man who touched so many lives.”

Construction on the center, designed by Sioux Falls-based JLG Architects, is planned to begin next year and estimated to be completed in 2028.

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