Prairie People

Nurse practitioner joins CHI St. Alexius Health

BISMARCK, N.D. – Melissa Horner joined CHI St. Alexius Health Archway Mental Health Services as a family nurse practitioner. She specializes in mental health and general health problems, as well as promotion of health-maintaining behaviors.

Horner received her bachelor of science in nursing, master of science in nursing and doctorate of nursing practice from the University of Mary in Bismarck.

She is board-certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and holds her North Dakota Family Nurse Practitioner License with Prescriptive Authority. Horner was the American Association of Nurse Practitioner’s 2016 state award winner of Excellence in Clinical Practice.

Associate dean named at NDSU College of Engineering

FARGO, N.D. – Scott Pryor, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, has been named associate dean for undergraduate programs for the College of Engineering at North Dakota State University.

Pryor joined the NDSU faculty in 2006. He has been a researcher participating in 16 grants totaling $4 million. He also is an associate editor of the energy systems division for journals of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

Pryor earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural and biological engineering and doctorate in biological and environmental engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

North Dakota OMB Director Pam Sharp to retire

BISMARCK, N.D. — Gov. Doug Burgum recently announced the retirement of North Dakota Office of Management and Budget Director Pam Sharp.

Burgum extended his gratitude to Sharp for her dedication to the state of North Dakota for more than three decades.

Sharp’s retirement is effective Nov. 30. She will assist in a temporary position throughout the transition to new leadership.

Sharp was appointed OMB director in 2003 by then-Gov. John Hoeven and reappointed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Burgum. Prior to serving as OMB director, she spent five years as deputy director and nearly six years as a budget analyst.

During her 31 years in state government, she also served in the Tax Department, Auditor’s Office and State Treasurer’s Office.

“Pam Sharp’s vast experience and expertise in government finance have been a tremendous asset for North Dakota,” Burgum said. “She has done an exceptional job managing the state’s challenging budget during both prosperous and lean times. We thank her for loyalty and exemplary service and wish her all the best in retirement.”

As OMB director, Sharp is responsible for the fiscal administration for the executive branch of state government as well as the supervision of the divisions of Human Resource Management Services, Fiscal Administration, Facility Management, Central Services and Risk Management.

A national search for a new OMB director is underway.

Catherine Dekkenga joins JLG Architects

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. –Catherine Dekkenga has joined the staff of JLG Architects, the Grand Forks, N.D.-based firm that expanded to Sioux Falls in 2016.

Dekkenga is a Sioux Falls native who previously worked for Architecture Incorporated for seven years.

She chairs the Levitt Shell Facilities Committee, serves on the executive board of the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation and is a trustee at Central Church in Sioux Falls. She’s also the vice chair of the Citizen Advisory Committee for the Urbanized Development Commission of the South Eastern Council of Governments.

Dekkenga earned her Master of Architecture degree at Iowa State University.

Clare Carlson has been named North Dakota state director for rural development.

Carlson previously served in this role for eight years during the Bush Administration. He has served as agriculture adviser to Govs. Ed Schafer and John Hoeven and has a farming interest in northwest Minnesota. Then-Gov. Hoeven appointed Carlson deputy director of North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance in 2009.

Brad Thykeson has been named North Dakota state director for the Farm Service Agency. A farmer of 33 years in Barnes and Steele counties, Thykeson has firsthand knowledge of FSA policies and programs and how they will affect North Dakota producers. He has served as president of the North Dakota Grain Growers and been active in several other farm associations.

Hall joins NSU Foundation as chief financial officer

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Northern State University Foundation has hired Cathy Hall as its new chief financial officer.

Hall began her duties on Oct. 30. She is a graduate of Northern State University with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and did postgraduate work in accounting at the University of South Dakota.

She has worked for more than 30 years in public accounting, higher education and nonprofit accounting. In addition, she has served as a finance team member on numerous peer reviews and focused visits for the Higher Learning Commission.

Blend Interactive welcomes new partners

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Blend Interactive has announced an expansion in its ownership, with the addition of Jessica Hutchinson and Joshua Folkerts as partners in the company.

The move expands the partnership team to five.

Hutchinson is production director for Blend and has been with the company for eight years. She is responsible for maintaining workflow and project success and leads the project management practice.

Folkerts is lead developer and has been with Blend for nine years. He is the lead developer for Blend’s .Net projects, a network and server technician and an Episerver Certified developer.

Hutchinson and Folkerts join founders Karla Santi, Deane Barker and Joe Kepley in the firm’s ownership group for the firm.

Blend is a full-service web design and development firm based in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Sanford Health welcomes two new providers

FARGO, N.D. – Two providers have recently joined the Sanford Health FargoMoorhead team.

Brittany Keller, a nurse practitioner, received her graduate degree from the University of Missouri in Kansas City. She specializes in neonatal pediatrics and perinatal medicine at Sanford Medical Center Fargo.

She is board certified as a neonatal nurse practitioner by the National Certification Corporation.

Caitlyn Cameron, a physician assistant, received her graduate degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D.

She specializes in family medicine at Sanford Moorhead Campus. She is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Dakota CDC welcomes office manager/receptionist

FARGO, N.D. – Dakota Certified Development Corp. recently hired Erin Hemberger as office manager and receptionist.

A native of McLeod, N.D., Hemberger graduated from University of Northern Colorado with a business degree, and has worked in a variety of customer service and management roles.

Founded in 1982, Dakota CDC is the oldest and largest certified development corporation in North Dakota. Since inception, the nonprofit entity (which provides small business financing solutions) has provided more than $500 million in loans.

Association names chief officer of strategic services

BISMARCK, N.D. – George McDonald has been named chief officer of strategic services for the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas. McDonald joined the CUAD staff in 2016 as director of multimedia services and served as project manager for association initiatives.

McDonald’s experience in public relations and marketing includes 15 years with MDU Resources Group in corporate communications. He also acted as creative services director and operations manager in the broadcasting industry, production manager for a graphics and video production studio and an instructor at the University of Mary in Bismarck.

Headquartered in Bismarck, ND, the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas (CUAD) is the professional financial trade association serving 77 credit unions that employ more than 1,800 individuals in 214 branches.