Senior Executive Team

Joseph A. Konkol

Chief Financial Officer

Joseph A. Konkol is the Chief Financial Officer for the Foundation. Until he stepped into his current role, the he served as the Interim CEO and Vice President of Finance at the Memorial. He has been at Crazy Horse Memorial® for over 25 years with expertise in financing and nonprofit accounting management.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Joe served as the Payroll/Grant Accountant at St. John’s University in Minnesota.  Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Southwest State University (now Southwest Minnesota State University) and passed the CPA exam in 1988.

Joe enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren, working out in the yard, hunting, and sports.

Dr. Caleb Ziolkowski

Chief Mountain Officer

Caleb has several degrees, a result of his love of learning and willingness to endure countless hours researching, writing, and working through problems. His advanced degrees are a Masters of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University and two degrees from UCLA—a Master’s of Science in Statistics and a Ph.D. in Political Science.

From 2015 to 2022, Caleb worked on the Mountain Crew while earning his degrees from UCLA—he helped with technical analysis and planning while at school and, in the summers, worked full-time on the Mountain. Caleb was on the path to becoming a professor—finishing a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Princeton and ready to start another at MIT—when the chance to serve as the Director of the Mountain Carving arose.

Faced with the choice to continue his career out east or move back to the Black Hills, he decided to be part of the legacy his grandfather began; he hasn't looked back since.

Manuel Vazquez

Chief Operating Officer

Manuel Vazquez (Manny) is a strategy and operations executive with a distinguished 30+ year career spanning domestic and international leadership roles across diverse industries, including hospitality, retail, mixed-use real estate, entertainment, business development, and tribal enterprises. Throughout his career, Manny has held executive leadership positions with Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and Hall of Fame Village at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while also having the privilege of serving Native American communities through business and economic development efforts with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

Manny has led complex, high-volume commercial operations and major growth and transformational projects in some of the nation’s most dynamic guest-facing environments, including theme parks, destination venues, stadiums, retail and entertainment centers, casinos, and mixed-use developments. He has overseen portfolios exceeding $300 million in annual revenue, significant capital investments, and teams of more than 1,000 employees. Manny is committed to advancing mission-driven organizations through collaborative leadership, operational excellence, and a focus on creating lasting value for the communities they serve.