The staff members at YFS' Western Prevention Resource Center (WPRC) are credentialed program instructors for a variety of Evidence Based Programs.
William (Bill) Elger
Bill Elger is the current Program Coordinator of the Western Prevention Resource Center in Rapid City, SD. He holds a BS degree in Criminology and a MBA-Public Administration. He is a retired police officer who served as a crisis negotiator, school resource officer, specialized child abuse/neglect investigator, trainer and supervisory commander. His police training included instruction from the FBI, the Department Homeland Security, and New Scotland Yard. Presently, Bill’s primarily assigned area of focus relates to supporting prevention efforts through training, education, consultation and other support to the westernmost South Dakota counties as well as other state and local service providers. Bill grew up in Wyoming and enjoys fishing, and spending time with his family and dogs.
Laisha Ramirez
Laisha Ramirez is the newest person to join the Western Prevention Resource Center (WPRC) and is known as Lai (pronounced as LIE) by her friends and family. Lai was born in a very small community in central Mexico. She and her family, which includes two younger siblings, came to the United States and settled into their new home in Keystone, SD.
In high school, Lai was an excellent student according to a school counselor who later became a personal friend. Lai also excelled in a number of high school sports. After graduating from high school, Lai went onto college at Black Hills State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Science. Following college graduation, she worked for a brief time in health services before accepting a position as a legal/aid and assistant to a senior partner/owner of a large Houston-based law firm. Lai held this position until accepting a WPRC position as a prevention specialist. Lai sought the prevention specialist position to pursue a career and lifelong ambition to help others, particularly children, access opportunities and improve the quality of their lives.
In her free time, Lai enjoys time with her family, which will soon include her finance, and her dog. She enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, gardening and wake boarding. Lai is also working toward becoming a certified yoga instructor.