Ken Austin was a champion of dealer education and specialized training for the employees of dealers in Minnesota and South Dakota. Ken was instrumental in starting the diesel and hydraulic and parts programs at the technical schools in Minnesota in the 1960's. Throughout his career with the Association, from 1949 to 1987, Ken organized, promoted, and taught educational programs for dealers and their employees. Ken knew that the key to success for any dealer was to have employees that were well trained and for the dealer himself to continually learn new ways to be more profitable through education.

The MN-SD Equipment Dealers Association has established the Ken Austin Memorial Education Fund to carry on Ken's vision of the Association providing leadership in assisting Minnesota and South Dakota dealers in securing well-trained employees and providing continuing education and training for those employees and the dealers themselves.

The Fund will be used to provide scholarships for students, support educational institutions and farm youth groups, provide educational programs for dealers and their employees and other educational purposes deemed valuable to Minnesota and South Dakota dealers.

As a small first step in achieving the vision and objectives of the Ken Austin Memorial Education Fund, scholarships will be awarded to students each spring for the coming school year. The students must be enrolled in a community or technical college program that will lead to a career in a dealership or for continuing education for a current dealership employee. Every attempt will be made to award a scholarship a proportionate number of South Dakota and Minnesota students.