Kristi Noem is officially the governor of South Dakota.

Noem took her oath of office Saturday afternoon in the State Capitol Rotunda. She’s the 33rd governor in the state and the first woman to hold the office.

South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice David Gilbertson swore in Noem as well as Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden and several others taking the oath of office for statewide positions.

Following the swearing in ceremonies, Noem, a 47-year-old former Congresswoman, addressed a full room in Pierre as she set a forward-looking tone for her next four years of leadership.

Her inauguration address focused on her goal to solve problems future generations in South Dakota from the meth crisis to strengthening schools to keeping taxes low.

“I want to be a governor for the next generation,” Noem said.

More:South Dakota Gov.-elect Kristi Noem is ready to hit the ground running after inauguration

Noem grew up on a family farm in Hamlin County in northeastern South Dakota. Her career in politics began in 2006 as a state representative, and she rose to national office in 2010 when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Her inauguration is a historic one, and while Noem did not mention her gender on the campaign trail, she acknowledged in her remarks the lengths women have come in the last century.

“One hundred years and one day after this great state extended women the right to vote, they elected the first woman as governor,” Noem said. “I am proud of how far we have come.”

More:Read South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's full inauguration speech

The governor also acknowledged the important role her family played in her political success. She took her oath with her hand on her father’s bible and described how she looked up to him and wanted to farm and ranch with him before he died.

“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about him, about the accident, the life he lived and the example he gave to us kids,” Noem said.

She also thanked her children, Kassidy, Kennedy and Booker and her husband, First Gentleman Bryon Noem.

Noem plans to hit the ground running with the start of a new legislative session next week. South Dakota legislators also took the oath of office Saturday. The 2019 session is set to begin Tuesday.

More:Here's what South Dakota lawmakers will consider during the 2019 session

Follow Politics Reporter Lisa Kaczke and argusleader.com for full coverage of the upcoming session.