At ONE, our mission is to positively impact people through innovative facility solutions. We care about exceeding the expectations of our clients and enriching the lives of our people.
We’re engineers. We’re designers. We’re the people behind the heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical and lighting systems in the buildings you live, work and play in.
In his foreward to Mick Cornett’s book, “The Next American City” (see Page 18 for a Q&A with Cornett himself), author Richard Florida makes an observation that rings true.
“When I meet a national politician, it is immediately clear which side of the political divide they’re on,” Florida writes.
“But when I travel to cities across the United States, I am amazed that I can never tell who is a Democrat and who is a Republican. Is it any wonder that at a time when less than a fifth of Americans have any trust and confidence in our federal government, that as many as three-quarters of us still have trust and confidence in our local governments? …
“Localism, not nationalism, is the essence of the American experiment,” Florida concludes.
We’d submit our “2018 40 Under 40” feature as Exhibit A.
Browse through our profiles of these high achievers, and you’ll be struck by the friendliness and warmth of them all. Who’s left and who’s right? Who knows, and who cares?
What’s certain is that all 40 would be exceptional mayors, council members or local legislators, because they’ve mastered the ability to listen to others, to compromise and to get along.
That shows in the balance they bring to their own lives; mentions of family and friends are frequent. It shows in the nominators’ affectionate comments about the nominees.
And it shows in the winners’ love of their local communities, which gets brought up again and again.
In his foreward, Florida speaks of “a vision of America made up of great places full of creative people producing big ideas, building their own communities and creating new purpose.
“That, in a nutshell, is the new American Dream.” Turn to Page 24 to see it coming true.
Good reading, Tom Dennis
I welcome your feedback and story ideas. Call me at 701-780-1276 or email me at tdennis@prairiebusinessmagazine.com.
PUBLISHER KORRIE WENZEL
AD DIRECTOR STACI LORD
EDITOR
TOM DENNIS
CIRCULATION MANAGER BETH BOHLMAN
LAYOUT DESIGN ANNA HINSVERK
ACCOUNT MANAGER NICHOLE ERTMAN 800.477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com
Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203. Subscriptions are available free of charge. Back issue quantities are limited and subject to availability ($2/copy prepaid). The opinions of writers featured in Prairie Business are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork are encouraged but will not be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
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For most commuters near New Town, ND, taking the HWY 23B bypass will save some time, but when Senior Transportation Engineer, Tim Arens, PE, designed this route, he was more concerned with saving lives.
Developed to relieve heavy truck traffic through town, this highway provides a safer route protecting motorists and pedestrians alike.
Tim’s passion is protection; for the residents of New Town and those in every community we serve.
To learn more about the New Town Northeast Truck Reliever Route, visit our website at www.ackerman-estvold.com/projects
MADISON, S.D. – Successful businesses continually adapt to their ever-changing world. Universities must do the same.
Today’s world includes students who have changing demographics and lifestyles. In addition to traditional high school graduates, today’s university students include people who are looking to change careers or improve their current skill set with “stackable” degrees.
Stacy Ulwelling is a prime example. She was busy working and raising a family, and wasn’t sure she could manage college, but she wanted a degree in the field she loved – health information technology.
She started with the two-year associate degree at Dakota State University in Madison, S.D., and before she completed it, she knew she wanted to continue and earn the bachelor’s degree, which was designed to be built on the associate curriculum.
She now has two degrees when she didn’t
think she could get one, and is working in medical records at Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison, S.D.
Many universities have added these options to their traditional programs of study to accommodate student needs; the concept is sometimes referred to as credential innovation. I like to visualize this as a highway, showing the flexibility students can have as they travel toward their long-term goals.
Some will stay on the highway continually until they reach their destination, while others will take various off-ramps and on-ramps along the way.
A new trend in stackable credentials is geared toward students who prefer to use shortterm goals to complete their education using certificates. These are perfect for students who want to explore a profession or add to their skill sets with a short trip on their career highway.
These certificates – some with as few as nine
credits – let students use credential innovation through both vertical stacking (each level building to the next) and horizontal stacking (creating a breadth of knowledge).
Value-added stacking is a combination of the two, in which the student adds a credential to a two- or four-year degree for an added area of expertise. Many are available online, so students can continue with their current job or other life obligations.
This is what Brookes Noem did. The director of information technology for the South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care, Noem said that “earning my master’s degree in health informatics at Dakota State propelled my career forward as a health care data analyst.” But he soon realized he wanted to go farther.
The business analytics graduate certificate “was a perfect fit, allowing me to increase my knowledge in this specific area without having to commit to another degree program.”
And not only do the courses help in his day-to-day work and bolster his résumé, but also “if I do choose to pursue another master’s or Ph.D. program in the future, those credits will still benefit that effort,” he said. Employers benefit as well. In as few as two semesters, for example, a student can be trained in the basics of health care as a health information clerk. With newfound knowledge of privacy/confidentiality rules, health information software and health care technologies, the student can contribute in a variety of departments, from billing to reception to scheduling.
This saves the company on-the-job training costs.
DeAnne Kribell, contract coding manager with Avera Health in Sioux Falls, S.D., explains that stackable programs let companies grow an employee from an entry-level position to a skilled-labor position to a potential management position.
Because recruitment and retention are critical in many fields, stackable programs are a tremendous advantage to businesses that can then recruit and retain the best and brightest from within the organization. At Avera, Kribell has found that these students/employees know the ins and outs of the organization and better understand how their role affects the mission and vision.
In health care or other fields, credential innovation with stackable certificates is one just one of the ways universities are responding to the changing world.
Dorine Bennett
Dean, College of Business and Information Systems
Dakota State University
Madison, S.D.
Dorine.Bennett@dsu.edu
South Dakota State University will help drive the future of agriculture with a new 120,000 SF tech-savvy collaboration center.
www.eapc.net
MOORHEAD, Minn. – Despite the nearly constant advancements in technology capabilities these days, it can be tempting to take the “set it and forget it” approach to your company’s IT systems if everything is running smoothly.
Admittedly, it can be overwhelming to keep up with the latest changes and best practices unless you’re an IT professional. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are seven pro-active practices you can use to self-assess the health of your IT environment to keep your capabilities up to date.
1. DON’T BE CONTENT
We all know the old saying: Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken. Unfortunately, if you wait until your IT environment suffers a breakdown, you’ve not only waited too long, you’ve also missed opportunities to implement new technologies that could benefit your entire business.
Ask yourself and your team: “How can we improve upon what’s working for us?” Search out inefficiencies and ways you can potentially advance your company’s IT infrastructure and process. A quiet IT environment doesn’t always mean there isn’t something that could be running even better!
Your business is progressing and changing daily, and your IT environment (all of the components of an IT system) should be changing with it. Keeping your technology and processes in tune will help drive efficiencies and make your business run as smoothly as possible.
Best practices call for conducting complete IT environment reviews at least quarterly.
3. CREATE A TECHNOLOGY GROUP
Employees use your IT systems daily and can provide unique perspectives on your systems and processes. Creating a technology and process committee will let your employees provide valuable feedback and suggestions, as well as take an active role in maintaining the health of the company. Choose committee members from all departments, no matter what level of IT knowledge they have, for a well-rounded view of the company’s IT environment.
4. STAY UP ON SECURITY
Security is the hottest topic in business IT conversations, and for good reason. It’s crucial to keep up to speed on the latest security measures and implement new counter-measures whenever possible.
Test your system by performing biannual vulnerability and security assessments, and test your users through phishing campaigns.
5. THINK LIKE YOUR CUSTOMERS
Take a look at your company from the outside. Put your feet in the shoes of your customers. Or if you don’t have direct customers, put yourself in the mind of your users.
How easy is it for the user to operate? What is the overall user experience? Does it make business sense to spend time and money on enhancing their experience?
6. WEIGH ADVANTAGES, NOT JUST COST
Getting caught up on cost can obscure your view of potential advantages when considering changes to any component of your IT environment.
In many cases, the advantages can justify the cost and even provide you a return on investment with new efficiencies.
Talk with an engineer or consultant to identify inefficiencies and determine what the resulting fix will do for you versus the overall cost. Ask for cost/benefit analyses to help you make informed decisions.
7. TALK TO YOUR PEERS
Chances are if the technology exists, someone is already using it. Visit with your business peers about what has and has not worked for them. You may be surprised to find that you have some of the same experiences with technology.
As with any element of your business, an efficient and optimal IT environment requires careful planning and continued maintenance. You don’t have to be a tech expert to pro-actively evaluate your IT capabilities and needs on a regular basis and determine when next steps may be beneficial to your organization.
The pace of technology changes is rapid and constant. Make the most of it.
Jon Ryan Technical solutions specialist Network Center, Inc. Fargo, N.D.
Jon.Ryan@netcenter.net
how to keep your IT environment hummingJON RYAN TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS SPECIALIST NETWORK CENTER, INC. FARGO, N.D.
FARGO, N.D. – This month in Prairie Business, we have highlighted 40 individuals under the age of 40, many of whom have already achieved more than some do in a lifetime.
Why is the age 40 meaningful? Because it’s a milestone. Achieving success at any age is something to celebrate, and excelling at an endeavor before reaching the age of 40 is tremendous.
And as we look at young successful people, we naturally expect great things from them in the future. But continued success over many years is not easy. Success is wonderful and something to celebrate. If a person reaches a goal or makes an important achievement, some form of recognition or a reward is important.
Our society started recognizing everyone rather than just the top performers, which has had some good and many negative repercussions. Even a small reward for performing is better than no reward. High achievers are motivated from within, and pretending the average person has produced a result deserving a reward equal to the high performers is not going to get either one excited.
For some people, unfortunately, no reward is ever enough. I once had a valued employee who claimed to have made big income elsewhere, but when offered the chance to earn based on performance, he scoffed at the amount as being too low. One added income opportunity was based on doing just the minimum of what he set out as a goal.
It became clear the man was decidedly unhappy, and his job history indicates he probably will never get enough pay. I’ve been told he consistently overspends as well, which probably led to his unhappiness with his paycheck.
It’s good to strive for more, but not accepting how to earn more or not being willing to work hard for ongoing success is a sure path to disappointment.
One of my favorite examples of a lifetime of success is the late Charles Bailly. Mr. Bailly, or “Chuck” if you prefer, started in our community with a drive and a level of ambition which propelled him to the top of his field, to the top of our community and to immeasurable respect.
Charles Bailly built a tremendous accounting firm in Fargo which is one of the foundations of what is now Eide Bailly, a powerhouse in the accounting field nationwide.
Chuck was heavily involved in our community and was a true builder. He was known to give his time and lend a hand whenever needed. He always made the effort to leave things better than when he arrived, even picking up small scraps on a golf course to make the course better for those who followed him.
Other great successes in our region who started young and continued on include such great people as Katherine Burgum, C. Warner Litten, Fred Scheel and William “Bill” Schlossman, along with many others.
But for every one of these lifetime successes in our community, there are many more who fizzled out. It will be fascinating to see who among our 40 under 40 continue to thrive and excel over the next few decades.
Matthew Mohr CEO, Dacotah Paper Co. Fargo, N.D.mmohr@dacotahpaper.com
Mick Cornett served as Oklahoma City’s mayor from 2004 to 2018. That’s four terms, making him the city’s longest-serving mayor.
“Midway through his time in office, Newsweek called him one of the five most innovative mayors in the country, and at the end of his mayoralty, he was named No. 25 on Fortune Magazine’s ‘World’s Greatest Leaders’ list,” Amazon.com reports.
Since leaving office, Cornett has written a book, “The Next American City: The Big Promise of our Midsize Metros.” The book describes not only Oklahoma City’s success, but also what links that city with Fargo, Sioux Falls, Indianapolis and other mid-size cities of surprising prosperity and health.
Recently, Cornett talked with Prairie Business about his work.
Q.YOU HAVE A GREAT LINE IN YOUR BOOK ABOUT OKLAHOMA CITY’S REPUTATION, WHICH TOOK ITS FIRST HIT WHEN JOHN STEINBECK DESCRIBED RESIDENTS FLEEING DROUGHT, GRASSHOPPERS AND FORECLOSURE FOR CALIFORNIA, THE PROMISED LAND.
“SOMETIMES I JOKE THAT READING THE BOOK WAS JUST SOMETHING OUR TEACHERS DID TO ENSURE OUR KIDS WOULD FEEL BAD ENOUGH ABOUT THEMSELVES,” YOU WRITE.
THESE DAYS, OF COURSE, OKLAHOMA CITY RANKS HIGH ON MANY OPPORTUNITY, PROSPERITY AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE LISTS. TALK ABOUT THAT TURNAROUND.
A.A lot of the seeds had been planted; my predecessors had done some amazing work.
For example, the way we fund our initiatives. The MAPS or Metropolitan Area Projects Plan had been started in the early 1990s to revitalize downtown. Our downtown core had really been deserted, and Oklahoma City already had started to turn that around.
The approach was a penny-on-the-dollar, time-limited sales tax that is put on the ballot to build specific capital projects. We live in a very conservative political environment, and our citizens seem to like the idea of a limited sales tax for capital projects.
The approach means we don’t bond projects out. We pay cash, so there’s no debt with the MAPS approach.
And when it’s over, people can go up to the project and touch it, then determine for themselves, did it meet my expectations or not?
We feel like we have met the voters’ expectations over and over again. And through the years, 25 years now, we have developed a reputation of doing what we said we were going to do.
That has developed a level of trust where people are willing to invest over and over again.
Using that approach, we worked hard, looked for opportunities, and the economy just grew.
During the 1990s, I was a television sportscaster, and the bombing occurred in Oklahoma City. At the time, I was going through a stage in my life where I was wondering what I wanted to do with the second half of my professional career.
After the bombing, I started covering news instead of sports, and I felt I was changing as a person. Then my boss assigned me to go cover City Hall – and when I went into that first meeting, I just realized that’s what I was looking for.
I found a relevance, I saw citizens interacting with their elected leaders, and I thought to myself, “This is where a person can make a difference.”
So I left television, started my own business, ran for City Council and then three years later, ran for mayor. I served for 14 years.
I think the millennial generation and the young people who are coming after them are just much more comfortable than previous generations with smaller places. What they’re looking for are things such as lower cost-of-living and less traffic congestion; in fact, if they could live in a community in which they didn’t have to own a car, they probably would make that choice.
That really creates a wonderful opportunity going forward for cities such as Fargo, Bismarck and Sioux Falls. That American dream of owning your own home is disappearing on the East and West coasts for a lot of young people. They just don’t see the opportunity. And they’re looking for places where they can create their own identity and make a difference, plus find a quality of life that fits their individual needs.
Change is hard. People have a built-in resistance to change. If a civic leader starts talking about changing something, whether it’s zoning or making one-way streets into two-ways, it’s unlikely that everyone is going to stand up and say, “What a great idea.”
We’re also entering a political phase where it seems like we elect more and more political leaders who want to divide us. And we need leaders who will bring people together. So the challenges? I would say they are the challenges of change and of a political environment that is not conducive to people working together. Because it’s amazing what can happen when everyone is pulling on the same rope.
Q.
I talk a lot about government, but I hope one of the takeaways of the book is the important role that the private sector and business leaders play. I’d urge them not to just let their city become what it would naturally become if they didn’t get involved.
And now, using those years of experience plus studying cities and development, I put the book out. And I’m doing consulting work in trying to help cities do better, find their hidden assets and create something that they may not have appreciated as much previously. A. A. A.
In other words, they should try to make sure they have good people running for office, whether it’s school board or City Council. Because poor elected leadership is hard to overcome, but good elected leaders working with the private sector can accomplish great things.
And I can’t overemphasize that having a university in a community is huge, because you’ve already got educated 20-somethings. They’re already there. Of course, many of them have come from somewhere else and may leave, but it’s a lot easier to get someone to stay than it is to get them to move in.
It’s a very entrepreneurial generation. I’m 60, and I can assure you that when I got out of college, I didn’t even know what an entrepreneur was.
Now, they teach it; it’s part of the vocabulary. It’s in the high schools. And every time I see a young person with a cell phone, I wonder if they’re starting a business.
And they are going to take our economies to places that we can only imagine, because they’re going to be creating jobs that haven’t even been invented yet.
So when you’re talking about the future of your local economy, it’s largely about how many highly educated 20-somethings you can attract. The economy will almost take care of itself if you can be successful in attracting that generation.
During my decade and a half as mayor, I visited dozens of mayors and cities. On those trips, I started noticing these changes in their earliest stages. The most ambitious projects, the most innovative companies, the most exciting changes, and the most inspiring leaders were showing up in the “middles” in our country more often than at the tops.
So at the local level, the way to accelerate these positive changes in our dynamic mid-sized cities is to invest in what I call the four hidden middles of American life.
• The first middle is the metros themselves – smaller cities of outsized accomplishment.
• The second is our nation’s midsize companies are growing at an incredible clip – in an age when teams of 20 can build a company that takes on the world.
• The third middle is our country’s middle class. While they are often out of the spotlight, they still form the backbone of our economy and the foundation of our future. Millions of the families have already made their move – but millions more can now find the life and work they seek in smaller, more affordable places.
• And the fourth middle is the pragmatic, productive, visionary middle-of-the-aisle politics that is getting things done in smaller cities like my own and raising standards for millions of public servants at the local level.
For our quality of life, national prosperity, and competitiveness worldwide, this is a trend we should all get behind.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
A.Yes. And by an urban core with some vitality -- some sort of urban experience, a pedestrian-friendly built environment, streetscape projects and landscaping. In other words, make the pedestrian a valuable part of the transportation system.
Another one of the challenges of the book is to say, “Let’s create the type of city that we want to have.” We all live in cities that we didn’t build. We inherited them from previous generations.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t be more purposeful about what type of city we’d like.
For example, the autonomous vehicle is just around the corner. In years to come, we may just be riding in cars, not driving them, and we may not be owning them, either.
That’s going to change our perspectives and interactions a great deal. For instance, how is it going to affect the number of parking lots? How will it change housing construction, if it turns out people no longer need two- or three-car garages?
We’re at a pivotal point where we can start thinking seriously about what type of community we want to create, knowing that if we’re successful, we’re going to have this very entrepreneurial younger generation come in and help build a new economy.
A.Absolutely, because I’ve seen it. The challenges that Oklahoma City faced were dramatic. The economic collapse of the 1980s, the bombing in 1995 – I almost think that the situation was so bad, it turned into a kind of an asset.
In other words, when you’re talking about change leadership, it’s helpful if you don’t have to convince people there’s a problem.
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AGE: 37
VICE PRESIDENT & CONTROLLER, BLACKRIDGEBANK FARGO, N.D.
With this issue, Prairie Business announces our 2018 list of 40 Under 40 -- 40 high achievers from across our region, all of whom are under 40 years old.
We received more than 125 nominations for the award, and with so many exceptional nominees, narrowing the list down to 40 was difficult. But we did our best, and we emerged more confident than ever in the quality of the up-and-coming leaders of the Dakotas and western Minnesota.
At the end of each biographical note, we’ve included a quote in italics from that person’s nomination form. The forms were submitted by one or more of the individual’s peers.
From all of us here at Prairie Business: Congratulations!
Anderson has worked for BlackRidge for a total of eight years, splitting that time with three years at a local hotel management company as a manager in the Financial Planning & Analysis department.
He has worked as a loan officer, credit officer, and now at the corporate level as controller for the past 3 years. His duties involve financial projections, analysis, budgeting, accounting and managing the investment portfolio.
Anderson graduated from Concordia College in 2003 with degrees in business and physics. He has an MBA from the University of Mary and a master’s in finance from the D’AmoreMcKim School of Business at Northeastern University.
He lives in Fargo with his wife, Donna, and three young sons.
On a personal note: In August/ September of 2018, after craniotomy surgery to remove a brain tumor, Anderson was diagnosed with brain cancer, a Grade IV glioblastoma. If readers are interested, he says, their donations would be welcome at Pray for Gray, North Dakota’s only nonprofit brain tumor organization.
Travis is literally one of the smartest, hard working individuals I know. In anything he does, he does it with passion and gives 110 percent. No matter the situation or task he is given, he completes it faster and with more detail than required. He constantly surpasses expectations and has to find other work to keep his mind busy.
AGE: 34
PRINCIPAL RESEARCH MANAGER, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER GRAND FORKS, N.D.
Ever since he mixed liquids in test tubes as a kid at home and built contraptions in his backyard, curiosity, science and learning have been a part of Scott Ayash’s life. These interests led him to study physics at North Dakota State University and Christian Apologetics at Biola University in La Mirada, California.
Ayash works at the Energy & Environmental Research Center, where he started his career developing a method to assess risk for a new industry. He now helps manage projects and since 2012, he has supported more than $50 million in research conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy, the state of North Dakota and private industry. The people, though, are what he enjoys most about his work, and he loves coordinating with the scientists, contracts specialists, accountants, marketing professionals and clients who are needed make this research happen.
Ayash lives in Grand Forks with his wife, Beth, and their three children. Not only is Mr. Ayash a very talented scientist, but also he is an incredible team builder who has a positive attitude, is a great communicator and is very empathetic towards others.
Originally from Warroad, Minn. Becca Bahnmiller graduated from the University of North Dakota with her master’s in educational leadership. At age 23, she was elected as the youngest member of the Grand Forks School Board, serving as vice president from 2014-15.
Bahnmiller is known for her passion and expertise within the nonprofit sector, beginning at the North Dakota Museum of Art and the Empire Arts Center and refined through opportunities in New York City and St. Paul.
Finding her way “back home” in 2017, she serves as executive director of the Community Foundation, providing strategic leadership, fund development and investment oversight of the $10.5 million nonprofit organization.
AGE: 31
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GRAND FORKS, EAST GRAND FORKS & REGION GRAND FORKS, N.D.
Bahnmiller also has served as a founding board member of the Greater Grand Forks Women’s Leadership Cooperative, founding organizer of TEDx GrandForks, volunteer with Global Friends Coalition and co-organizer of the Main Street GF: Longest Table.
In her spare time, Bahnmiller enjoys country life on a hobby farm with her partner, Wayne, and their four dogs, two cats and 30 chickens.
If you want something done well and efficiently, ask Becca Bahnmiller to help. And, if you want some new ideas that are innovative and effective, ask for Becca’s advice. She is a creative idea generator who also is willing to work hard to make those ideas happen.
Becca Bahnmiller
Scott Ayash
Annie Berge has been on the corporate development team at Altru Health System for more than six years. As a marketing strategist, she develops tactics to create seamless, exceptional experiences for health care consumers in our region.
Her work includes brand management, advertising, strategy and program development along with internal and external communications.
As Altru enters a bold new era in health care, an era that includes the building of a new hospital scheduled to break ground in February, Berge and her team look forward to sharing the exciting developments in technology, care access and facility updates that Altru is committed to providing.
Berge earned a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications from the University of Minnesota. She serves on the board of the Grand Forks Downtown Development Association.
Annie is a natural leader. She isn’t afraid to ask challenging questions and push the status quo, yet in a kind, compassionate and helpful way. She has big ideas and knows how to execute them well. She is respected by her peers and keeps patients at the center of every decision.
AGE: 36
INSTRUCTOR, COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY MINOT, N.D.
Tawnya Bernsdorf joined the Minot State University College of Business team in January 2016 as an adjunct instructor. In Fall 2016, she became a full-time instructor in the Department of Business Administration, teaching marketing. She received bachelor’s degrees in marketing and management from Minot State in 2004 and a master’s in management from the university in 2008. She is currently working toward her doctoral degree.
After graduating from college in 2004, Bernsdorf worked at Minot State as director of alumni relations and annual giving. In 2011, a flood devastated Minot, and Bernsdorf joined the Minot Area Community Foundation as flood recovery fund coordinator and program director. She joined North Dakota Port Services in 2013 as director of public relations.
Bernsdorf is the advisor for the MSU Collegiate DECA Chapter, receiving the honor of DECA Advisor of the Year for 2017-18. She also is an advisor to the Roger Looyenga Leadership Program at MSU.
Bernsdorf received the College of Business’ Professor of the Year award during the 2016-17 academic year and the MSU Young Alumni Achievement Award in 2018. Tawnya is always showing up for friends, family, students and her community in ways that go above and beyond her peers. Her positive attitude and future-forward ideas continue to motivate others.
Sitting on the Souris Valley United Way board, Tawnya helps make Minot a better place to work, live and play for all.
AGE: 30
ADVISOR, BLACK HILLS STATE UNIVERSITY RAPID CITY, S.D.
Valeriah Big Eagle is a member of the Ihanktonwan Nation and currently serves as the student success advisor at Black Hills State University-Rapid City. She works directly with traditional and nontraditional college students, ensuring they have the support they need to in order to graduate and pursue successful careers.
She also serves as the He’Sapa Oyate Advisor at BHSU-Rapid City, where she provides cultural and academic support for American Indian students to promote their academic success. Big Eagle graduated from South Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in 2014 and a master’s degree in student affairs administration in 2018. She’s now pursuing a doctoral degree in adult and higher education administration through the University of South Dakota.
She is a first-generation college student and says that her success is largely due to her strong cultural roots and tiospaye (extended family), her three children and husband.
Guide. Connector. Mentor. Valeriah is doing the hard work in the trenches, working with some of the most vulnerable populations in our region to create opportunities for successful lives. Her committed work is having a positive effect on the current generation; this impact will continue into future generations, who are seeing the possibilities that education and earning a degree create.
AGE: 36
SUPPLIER QUALITY AND BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGER, 3M BROOKINGS, S.D.
In his 11 years with 3M, Josh Borns has held a variety of technical and managerial roles. Today, he’s part of the management team of 3M Brookings, the company’s largest health care manufacturing facility. Borns and his teammates embrace 3M’s vision of Improving Every Life through the daily manufacturing of hundreds of products that help keep food safe, ensure sterility of surgical instruments and help patient recovery.
As manager of supplier quality and business transformation, Borns oversees relations with suppliers and is responsible for deploying new technology to help standardize internal business processes.
A Six Sigma black belt, Borns also was part of 3M’s globally recognized leadership development program, in which 3M’s best and brightest get specialized training.
Borns earned a mechanical engineering degree from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He and his wife, Jessica, live near their hometown of Dell Rapids, S.D., with their two children.
Josh has a real ability to take on complex projects, break them into logical pieces, rally the teams and deliver the results. His steady hand, diligence and collaboration are evident as he completes projects that are truly mission-critical for the business.
AGE: 37
SENIOR MANAGER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS, MINNKOTA POWER COOPERATIVE GRAND FORKS, N.D.
Originally from Bismarck, N.D., Stacey Dahl received her undergraduate degree in education in 2004 from the University of North Dakota. She received her Juris Doctor degree in 2008 from the UND School of Law.
Dahl served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 2005 until 2012. An attorney, she also is a former private practitioner and prosecutor.
In addition to overseeing public policy efforts for Minnkota, Dahl is co-leading the effort to explore the feasibility of Project Tundra, a proposed carbon capture project at the coal-fired Young Station in Center, N.D.
Dahl lives in Grand Forks with her husband and two children.
Stacey is a leader in our region’s energy industry. Her unwavering commitment to our member cooperatives has resonated with people in her community, in legislatures and at our nation’s capital. Her honesty, integrity and common-sense approach have made her a true cooperative leader.
We cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.
AGE: 39
ENGINEERING MANAGER, ARVIG PERHAM, MINN.
Brett Christiansen embodies people-driven leadership and dedication to our region. After completing an associate’s degree in telecommunications, he entered the telecommunications industry on the front lines, originally as a central office technician.
Building on his experience as a network engineer and a telecommunications cost consultant, Christiansen now manages a team of more than 30 professionals, including engineering technicians, fiber transport engineers, mapping technicians and fiber splicers.
Christiansen is helping to lead and coordinate one of the largest projects in Arvig’s history: participation in A-CAM, a Federal Communications Commission program.
The initiative supports building infrastructure to deliver broadband services to residents in rural Minnesota.
Outside of work, Christiansen enjoys spending time with his family, being involved in his children’s activities, volunteering at his church and coaching youth athletics.
Brett’s ability to lead effectively across multi-disciplinary departments and ensure effective partnerships through complexity is integral to the success of this project. … But even more so, the positive impact he has had on the lives of the residents across the region is what I hold in the highest regard.
AGE: 33
VP AND NORTH HILL BRANCH MANAGER, FIRST INTERNATIONAL BANK & TRUST MINOT, N.D.
Brock DesLauriers has 13 years of financial experience at First International Bank & Trust. He holds an accounting and finance degree from Minot State University and is a proud graduate of Bishop Ryan High School in Minot. DesLauriers began his career in banking working as a teller while in college. After graduating from MSU, he started full-time at First International Bank & Trust, working in multiple areas. He worked as a personal banker, credit analyst, mortgage loan officer and commercial loan officer, gaining valuable insight and experience in the banking world.
Besides banking, DesLauriers enjoys spending time with his wife, Elly, and their two young daughters. He is passionate about Minot as shown by his involvement in a number of different organizations.
It is a given that Brock has become a sought-after expert in the financial services industry because of his broad experience. What we believe makes him stand out is how he cares for our customers. We often hear from our customers how much they enjoy working with Brock. He listens well, stays engaged with the customer and leaves them feeling like family.
AGE: 38
Before joining Fusion Automation as an engineer/project manager, Swapnil Fegade was a postdoctoral researcher at Ohio University. He holds a doctoral degree in chemical engineering from the University of North Dakota.
Fegade is developing novel systems for natural gas processing and sustainable materials. He is a recipient of more than 10 “Outstanding Peer Reviewer” awards.
He has served as sessions chair and co-chair in various conferences organized by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He has written several papers and presented at conferences as well.
Fegade has volunteered at Altru Health System and for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, providing support for patients and parents, and at the Northlands Rescue Mission in Grand Forks, where he serves food to the homeless.
In his doctoral research, Fegade explored bio-based substitutes for petroleum-derived chemicals and petrochemicals. His greatest strength is his ability to pay attention to details and make judgments based on requirements. This ability made him an “Outstanding Reviewer” for seven research journals, as he reviewed more than 1,000 research papers worldwide.
AGE: 26
LPL FINANCIAL PLANNER, GATE CITY FINANCIAL PLANNING DICKINSON, N.D.
Joe Hanstad is a native of Dickinson and joined Gate City Financial Planning in 2015. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, where he played Division 1 basketball for four years.
Hanstad is passionate about personal finance and enjoys providing a full financial-planning experience to his clients. In his free time, he volunteers in the community and with his local church and spends time outdoors.
Hanstad’s work includes administering investment accounts, personal and business retirement accounts, insurance products and financial planning services. He serves Dickinson as well as Hettinger, N.D., and the surrounding areas, and holds Series 7, Series 63 and Series 66 professional licenses.
Very motivated and hardworking individual. Whether he’s on the basketball court, with his family or at his business, Joe puts 100 percent into everything he does.
Early in his financial career, he is already receiving awards such as being named Best Financial Planner in the Dickinson Press’ 2018 “Best of the Western Edge” awards.
AGE: 31
INFORMATION SECURITY TEAM LEAD, NATIONAL INFORMATION SOLUTIONS COOPERATIVE MANDAN, N.D.
National Information Solutions Cooperative in Mandan, N.D., develops software and hardware solutions for electric and telecommunications cooperatives across the United States and abroad. In his role as team lead of information security, William Heinzen is responsible for identifying and mitigating cybersecurity risks to NISC’s technical infrastructure, as well educating and training employees on sound cybersecurity practices.
Heinzen previously served on NISC’s Accounting and Business Solutions implementations team. He is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in North Dakota.
Heinzen serves as the president of the North Dakota InfraGard Members Alliance, a public-private partnership between the FBI and the private sector. In this role, he promotes mutual learning opportunities and publicprivate collaboration with the FBI on matters relevant to the protection of key critical infrastructure.
Heinzen is the author of “Warrior of Light”, a medieval fantasy novel published in 2016. He regularly presents on creative writing and fantasy literature at high schools and colleges in both North Dakota and Minnesota.
William has become a true leader within NISC in a relatively short amount of time. He is dedicated to helping employees and NISC’s members with information security, and to educating them on the growing topic of cyber security awareness and protection.
AGE: 39
Hendricks graduated from Dickinson State University in 2008 with a business administration degree and a minor in banking and finance. And from her first job in the credit union industry, she says, she “fell in love” with the cooperative philosophy.
At Western Cooperative Credit Union, she worked as a teller, member service representative and mortgage loan processor before eventually finding her niche in HR. She passed the Society for Human Resource Management’s Senior Certified Professional exam in 2017 and passed the Credit Union HR Certified Professional exam this summer.
Hendricks serves on the board of the Dickinson Dolphins Swim Team and volunteers for the Dickinson Backpack Program.
She and her husband, Sheldon, have two children and two golden retrievers. Britney is always willing to learn and take on new projects, and she has continued to advance her career. For example, as she became more involved in human resources at WCCU, she helped modernize our HR department from paper time-sheets and evaluation forms to a paperless format that can be accessed from many branches electronically. She is a valued member of the management team.
AGE: 28
Born and raised in Carlsbad, Calif., Briselda Hernandez Herrera moved to Minot in 2013 and joined the Souris Basin Planning Council in 2014. She works closely with entrepreneurs, community leaders and stakeholders in a seven-county region.
She manages a $2 million loan portfolio, in which she helped SBPC achieve a Level A rating through the U.S. Economic Development Administration. She’s currently leading a regional brownfield coalition project to help small communities redevelop Main Streets and dilapidated buildings.
Hernandez Herrera graduated from the University of San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in finance. She’s working on her master’s degree in public administration at the University of North Dakota and is pursuing the Certified Economic Development certification through the International Economic Development Council.
We are so very lucky to have Briselda as a resident and change cultivator in Minot and North Dakota. Briselda stands out among her peers simply for her sheer passion to make the world a better place. She has dedicated her life to helping others, and she does so in a way that every individual she works with – young, mature, no matter what color or socio-economic status – feels valued and respected.
AGE: 39
Derek Hoeschen has spent his career building complex projects with a high level of accountability and integrity. His successful project leadership has helped McGough deliver many of the region’s premier construction projects.
Hoeschen’s career began in the field as a brick tender and cement mason for a local contractor. Since then, he has held many field and office positions on some of the largest construction projects across the country.
This wide breadth of experience allows Hoeschen to relate to customers in key ways. For example, Hoeschen has a knack for quickly visualizing the success of the entire project, regardless of its size. This ability helps customers enjoy a construction process that’s free of surprises.
Hoeschen holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from North Dakota State University. He is an instrument-rated private pilot, a certified Remote Pilot and an Experimental Aircraft Association tech counselor.
Derek approaches all projects – large or small – with professionalism. In addition to that, he is results-driven. This makes him a strong leader within the company as he empowers our people to grow and to build collaborative relationships and exceptional project outcomes and experiences.
AGE: 33
As both the youngest and longest-serving vice president and regional director in the National Audubon Society, Marshall Johnson and his team are breaking new ground with a more market-driven approach to conservation in the Dakotas.
If readers have seen beef in their local stores labelled “Raised on Audubon certified bird-friendly land,” they’ve glimpsed Audubon Dakota’s recent work, which strives to align the interests of ranchers, retailers and consumers with those of grasslands, herds and birds.
Born in California and raised in Texas, Johnson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a business degree. He has served on the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust Board of Directors for more than five years and has been executive director of Audubon Dakota for more than seven years.
Johnson pioneered the Urban Woods and Prairies Initiative, now the largest urban habitat initiative in the northern great plains. By 2020, he and his team have the goal of ensuring that 50 percent of North Dakotans are within walking distance of a nature park.
In February, Johnson was presented with the North Dakota Habitat Award from the North Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
Becoming executive director of Audubon Dakota at age 26, Johnson inherited a program in decline, one with a $200,000 deficit, unmanaged properties and a lack of any projects or staff.
Today, he has a talented staff, a cadre of wise advisory board members, the largest urban conservation program in the Northern Great Plains and America’s largest and most promising market-based grasslands program.
AGE: 38
Michelle Klobassa grew up in Fargo, N.D., where she was the only girl in her high school drafting classes. She earned both her bachelor’s degree in environmental design and her master’s degree in architecture from Montana State University.
In 2004, she joined Group II architects in Sioux Falls, S.D., as an architectural graduate. The legacy firm later merged with TSP, Inc., and its integrated, fullservice team of designers, engineers and planners.
Since becoming a registered professional in 2010, Klobassa has moved between architect and project manager duties. She is one of only two women architects who have risen to become a principal in TSP’s nearly 90-year history – and the first woman to serve as a voting member on TSP’s board.
Klobassa and her husband, Ryan, are parents of two young daughters.
Michelle’s chosen career is a challenging one that requires lifelong learning. A current project to create a new campus for blind, visually impaired and hearingimpaired students demanded rethinking every convention.
Collaborating closely with families, administrators and a consulting architect who lost his sight later in life, Michelle is leading the design to consider the unique human experience of those who will feel rather than see the impact environment has on learning.
AGE: 36
OWNER AND PROJECT MANAGER, PRESTIGE HOMES & DESIGN INC. BISMARCK, N.D.
Josh Kuntz is the sole owner and project manager at Prestige Homes and Design, Inc., a custom residential home building company in Bismarck.
A graduate of the North Dakota State College of Science, Kuntz has a background in architectural design and has been active in the homebuilding business since 2003. In 2010, he founded Prestige Homes & Design. He specializes in creating custom homes with innovative designs specific to the customer’s unique aesthetic.
Kuntz is involved in the home building process from start to finish. He is a member of the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association, sits on an architectural review board and is vice-president of his local homeowners association.
Kuntz and his wife, Rachel, live in Bismarck with their daughters.
Kuntz’s approach to home building is very forward-thinking. He designs custom homes where the customer sets the direction, and he makes it happen. His designs are innovative and detailed. And on top of being a entrepreneur and community leader, Josh is also a husband and father of two. Knowing Josh personally and professionally, I cannot think of a better person to be given this recognition.
AGE: 38
GRAND FORKS, N.D.
Stephanie Magenau holds an accounting degree from the University of North Dakota. She began work at Construction Engineers just before graduating from college in 2002. In 2013, she was promoted to controller and now oversees all aspects of finance.
Magenau is one of 11 Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals in North Dakota. She is a founding member of the Dakota Chapter of the Construction Financial Management Association and serves as its Immediate Past President. She also chairs the CFMA Chapter Resource Committee at the national level.
She was the 2018 Dakota Chapter Member of the Year.
Magenau is the president of Manvel (N.D.) Public School PTO. She also volunteers with Sharon Lutheran Church, the Community Violence Intervention Center and other charities throughout the year.
She and her husband, Dale, live near Manvel with their children.
Throughout her career, Stephanie has played an important role in the success of Construction Engineers. She has a superior work ethic and a wide range of industry and financial knowledge. She is a talented accounting professional who is extremely dedicated to her career, her industry and the communities she serves.
As can be seen by her participation in industry and community organizations, Stephanie goes above and beyond!
AGE: 35
VICE PRESIDENT OF DIGITAL, LAWRENCE & SCHILLER SIOUX FALLS, S.D.
Laura Mitchell started as an intern at Lawrence & Schiller, and upon graduation from South Dakota State University, joined the marketing and advertising company as an account coordinator.
After a brief hiatus to work on South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s campaign, she returned to L&S as a digital strategist. Her roles changed as she took on more responsibilities, and she eventually became the vice-president of digital in 2017.
Mitchell has led strategies for South Dakota Tourism, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Black Hills Central Reservations, Midco and more. She also lends her expertise to the Butterfly House and Aquarium’s board of directors and EmBe’s marketing board.
A loyal Jackrabbit, Mitchell is a frequent guest lecturer at SDSU. She is also a 2016 graduate of Leadership South Dakota.
Laura’s natural curiosity and desire to excel, combined with her easygoing personality and ability to mentor and manage others, make her an invaluable part of the L&S leadership team. Her charisma mixed with a clear ability to communicate to clients and our internal team is what makes her a great leader. Her digital know-how is exactly what businesses need to be competitive in today’s digital age.
As the leader of JLG’s Grand Forks office, Mike McLean has dedicated himself to building a better North Dakota since joining JLG more than 11 years ago.
McLean graduated with a master’s degree in architecture from North Dakota State University in 2007.
From 2013 to 2016, McLean led JLG’s office in Williston, N.D. During that time, he was instrumental in helping deliver such high-profile projects as the Mountrail Williams Electric Cooperative Headquarters and the Williams County Highway Complex.
Recently, McLean led a downtown master plan for Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that won a Certificate of Merit Award at the 2018 International Downtown Association Conference.
McLean is involved in several local organizations, including the Young Professionals Advisory Board and the Chamber BGEA Committee. McLean and his wife, Liza, live in Grand Forks with their daughter.
As one of the most successful architects of his age in the state and a standout in a company of more than 120 people, Mike is a true leader. For example, he has led over 50 projects at JLG (a large number for someone his age), and has been involved in five North Dakota American Institute of Architects award-winning projects – a highly prestigious number in our profession and in our region.
AGE: 34
PARTNER AND ATTORNEY, BRUDVIK LAW OFFICE
MAYVILLE, N.D.
Lynn Slaathaug Moen is a partner and attorney at Brudvik Law Office. She has played a key role in growing the firm from one location and four employees to eight locations and nearly 30 employees since the company’s inception in 2009.
Slaathaug Moen graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in business management and went on to graduate from the University of North Dakota School of Law. She joined Brudvik Law Office in 2010 and became the firm’s first partner in 2017.
She currently serves as a Mayville State University Foundation executiveboard member and is a volunteer on the MayPort Community Club’s Winterfest committee.
She and her husband, Charlie, have two children.
Few women in our region are partners of a law firm; Lynn is one, and she has accomplished this at a very young age. She has been an integral part of the law firm’s growth, and when challenged, she’ll always choose the high road.
Don Morgan is a father of four and has worked in the banking industry for 18 years. He currently serves as the chief financial officer for Starion Bank in Bismarck, N.D.
An avid rodeo athlete, he now spends his free time coaching his children in the sport of rodeo and enjoys traveling around the state competing as a family.
He and his wife Shanda, a realtor with Oaktree Realtors in Bismarck, N.D., own and operate the Branded Envy western boutique store. Both enjoy working with the family ranch, hunting outfitter and wedding destination resort: Black Leg Ranch and Rolling Plains Adventures in McKenzie, N.D. Don is a cowboy, not only because he was a rodeo team member at University of Wyoming (where the mascot is the Cowboys), but in every sense of the word. They say that honor, loyalty and courage lie at the heart of the Cowboy Way, and Don has spent his life learning and honing his professional skills through the lens of a cowboy.
Not one to forget his roots, Don continues to get dirt under his fingernails raising a family of little cowpokes, and all of them are active participants with his wife and in-laws, the eighth- and ninth-generation owners of one of the oldest working cattle ranches in North Dakota.
“WorkingattheEERC hashelpedmebetter understand and appreciatethestateI grewupin.Researchthat affectsoureverydaylives ishappeningrighthere NorthDakota,andIam proudtoworkwith suchagreatteam ofsupportiveand innovativepeople.”ONE OF THE REGION’S TOP 40 UNDER 40 SCOTT AYASH Principal Research Manager
AGE: 37
AGE: 37
N.D.
Raquel Nachatilo has been honored to serve as the human resources director at the Missouri Valley Family YMCA in Bismarck since 2012. She has 13 years of human resources experience in the areas of employee relations, organizational development, performance management, benefits, compensation and recruitment.
Nachatilo has served as the Central Dakota HR Association Membership Chair since 2014 and was recently elected to the President Elect role for 2019-20. She was awarded the Central Dakota Human Resources Association Top Member in 2015 and 2016 and was a nominee for the North Dakota HR Professional Excellence in Human Resource Management Award in 2017. In 2017, she partnered with Missouri Slope Area United Way as the Council of United Way Agencies president.
Nachatilo is most proud of her YMCA’s recent recognition as a 2018 Prairie Business Magazine’s 50 Best Places to Work.
Raquel is always approachable, patient and accessible to all staff in her role as human resources director. She makes time for anyone who has any issue, large or small, at the Y or in the community. She is kind and caring, and anyone who works with her aspires to be a better co-worker and employee because of her great leadership skills.
As an assistant vice president with Cornerstone Bank, Dia Northrop helps customers realize their goals of homeownership as well as retail banking. She began her career with Cornerstone Bank in 2006. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson State University and in 2012, she graduated from the North Dakota Bankers’ Association Dakota School of Banking and earned the 2017 Cornerstone Award. She has been awarded the local 4H alumni award and is an active member of the community, being involved in her church, Rotary Club and Cattlewomen, and she helps with day-care fundraising efforts.
Northrop enjoys her rural lifestyle with her husband and two children. Dia stands out among lenders with her ability to work with people to establish their credit. If a customer has not yet established credit or has a history of poor performance, she will work with them to find possible products and solutions that meet their needs. She is approachable and helpful, and her customers are comfortable asking for her help. She truly cares about her customers.
AGE: 38
PRINCIPAL ENGINEER, SANDMAN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS MOORHEAD, MINN.
Mitch Okeson is a structural and professional engineer and is licensed in more than 20 states. As an owner and principal at Sandman Structural Engineers, Okeson leads the company’s operations and is an in-house technical expert.
He joined Sandman Structural Engineers in 2006, from which he helped build the company from the ground up. Since that time, SSE has grown to be the largest structural engineering firm in the region.
Okeson earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from North Dakota State University.
He and his wife, Katie, live in Detroit Lakes, Minn., with their four children. They are active in their church and enjoy spending time outdoors as a family.
Mitch has a rare combination of technical excellence and a true sense of caring for people. He works hard to create a healthy and fun culture at Sandman. That work has been rewarded with the great people Sandman has been able to recruit and retain.
Mitch has been a key leader in the profitable growth of this specialized engineering company.
Every development project, construction venture or real estate investment comes with high standards. We exist to improve the quality of life for people around us.
Trust Lloyd Companies to rise to the challenge with unparalleled integrity and expertise – and set the bar higher than any other company in the industry.
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AGE:
Joel Paulsen currently serves on the City Council in Moorhead, Minn., as well as the office leader for Stantec Consulting in Fargo. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Dakota State University and is a licensed professional engineer in Minnesota and North Dakota and a FEMA certified floodplain manager.
Paulsen is passionate about local government and has served on several local and regional boards, including the Clay County Planning Commission and the Fargo-Moorhead Flood Diversion Authority. He’s a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration regional designee board member and a member of the Greater North Dakota Chamber Infrastructure Committee.
Paulsen is the founder and current president of the Engineers Without Borders – Red River Valley Professionals chapter and is the professional mentor for the Engineers Without Borders – NDSU chapter, where he has overseen numerous clean-water and project-implementation trips in Central America.
Paulsen is an experienced, technically sound engineer who understands the big picture. He is passionate about his community, as well as being involved in several regional, state, federal and worldwide initiatives.
He believes that a single person can make a difference in the lives of others and strives to create a better world for those around him.
AGE: 35
LEGISLATIVE AND MEMBER ADVOCACY
SUPERVISOR, NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS UNION MANDAN, N.D.
Kayla Pulvermacher attributes her love for agriculture and politics to time spent on the family farm. Today, she is director of member advocacy for North Dakota Farmers Union, the state’s largest farm organization.
Pulvermacher leads the organization’s political strategy at the Capitol and manages initiated-measures campaigns. She served as manager of the Corporate Farming Referral campaign in 2016, which succeeded with the hard work of the people she calls Team NDFU.
Pulvermacher takes pride in being the “members’ voice” in Bismarck, as family agriculture continues to be an integral part of North Dakota’s communities, economy and history. On a personal level, she sees it as her contribution to the family farm, and “keeping her father and brothers on that combine until they retire as a result of want instead of need.”
Before NDFU, Pulvermacher interned for former U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and spent time with the North Dakota Education Association. She is an active alumna of her sorority, Sigma Alpha, and has two sons.
What’s next for Kayla? Lots, really. She’d like to continue to grow her lobbying skills, even though she’s been rocking it for over 10 years. She’d like to run another initiated measure campaign and start her own nonprofit.
But first, she’d like to help farmers get through the mental stress that the current state of agriculture brings, with its trade wars and low prices. She says, “It’s times like these when our members need us most, and we need them.”
David Piper serves as president at the Mackoff Kellogg Law Firm. He focuses his practice on real estate transactions in North Dakota and South Dakota, creditor’s rights in federal bankruptcy court, probate and estate planning and civil litigation.
Piper is licensed in North Dakota and South Dakota and is in the process of becoming licensed in Wyoming.
In addition to his leadership role at Mackoff Kellogg, he enjoys golfing and reading, as well as hiking and snowshoeing in the Badlands with his wife, Brittney.
He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., in 2006 and from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2009, after which he joined Mackoff Kellogg Law Firm.
When our former managing partner retired after many years at the helm, the remaining shareholders unanimously elected David to the position because he had earned everyone’s trust. He has grown so much in the past two years as a leader, learning from the bumps in the road and handling each challenge better than the last.
He is the guy everyone wants as their partner because he’s smart, capable, humble, compassionate and team-oriented.
AGE: 35
GENERAL COUNSEL AND VICE PRESIDENT OF REAL ESTATE AND INVESTMENTS, LLOYD COMPANIES
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.
Since joining Sioux Falls-based Lloyd Cos. as corporate counsel in 2015, Jake Quasney has grown his responsibility within the company and now leads real estate and development functions.
Quasney works closely with all divisions of the multi-generational family business to identify and mitigate potential risks to the company, as well as with capital partners and investors to structure equity on projects.
Quasney is a graduate of Chadron State College, where he majored in business administration and accounting. He’s a graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Law and holds a master of laws in taxation degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. He enjoys combining his background in law and accounting with a creative approach to developing projects, and he has a passion for helping with Lloyd’s nonprofit partnerships to provide affordable housing and program space for those in need.
From finding creative financing solutions for affordable housing developments, to developing intricate ownership structures for mixeduse downtown buildings, Jake is constantly striving to bring positive change and development to the community. He also uses his talents as a member of the allocations committee for the Sioux Empire United Way.
Ashley Rivera’s health care career spans more than 10 years of serving communities in Minnesota, Florida and Indiana.
Rivera holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and leadership from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., and an MBA and a doctorate of business administration from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
Rivera is part of the 340b National Health Council and the Minnesota Hospital Association Workforce Development Committee. He’s a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and recently was appointed as part of the 2019 MHA Healthcare Leadership Institute Task Force. Rivera also teaches business classes for the Southern New Hampshire University MBA program.
He is an active member of the community, participating in the city development committee and countywide events. He and his wife have three daughters.
Under Dr. Rivera’s leadership, KMHC posted a profit in 2017 of $203,727 as compared to an earlier loss of -$486,554. As KMHC moves forward, Rivera continues to lead not only by fostering new ways of partnering with patients and their families to improve quality and operations, but also by examining KMHC’s services in order to meet the local communities’ needs.
Ashley J. Rivera
AGE: 32
Stephanie Roelfsema has worked at Valley City State University since 2007. Besides serving as director for residence life, she also directs the Learning to Live, Living to Learn (L2L) program, a 12-week course for VCSU freshman.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in education, both from VCSU.
Roelfsema serves on the CHI Mercy Health Violence Prevention Committee in Valley City and teaches Within My Reach courses as part of Barnes County’s violence prevention efforts.
She is also a mother and a wife. She and her husband, Kyle (also a VCSU graduate), have two sons, and Stephanie serves on the PTO for her sons’ school as the vice president.
Roelfsema is also a hockey mom: her boys play, her husband coaches, and she serves as a co-manager for the team.
I know that I am not the only student whom Stephanie has gone above and beyond for. There were so many nights that Stephanie would show up at the residence hall dorms to check in on a student if she felt worried.
I remember one night when I was on duty in Kolstoe Hall at VCSU, and a girl came down near the end of my shift on duty (around 2 a.m.), asking me to take her to the doctor. I called Stephanie, and in about 10 minutes, Stephanie was there. She shows up for people. That is what she does, and that is why she is deserving of this award.
Greg Ross is the vice president for finance and business affairs at the University of Jamestown, where he serves as the chief financial officer and directs the major business functions of the university.
Ross joined the university in January after gaining more than 13 years of higher education experience as the controller at Bismarck State College.
Ross earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from the University of Jamestown and his MBA from the University of Mary in Bismarck.
He and his wife of 14 years, Tessi, have one daughter.
In such a short time of service to the University of Jamestown, the strategic plans Greg has created have helped move the campus forward in terms of building projects, maintenance projects, investments, endowments, and managing those assets.
Greg deserves to be named one of the region’s top professionals under 40, because he constantly goes above and beyond to help his team achieve success.
AGE: 39
IT INFRASTRUCTURE AND SECURITY CONSULTANT, MARCO SIOUX FALLS, S.D.
Jered Schock is an IT Infrastructure and Security Consultant at Marco. With more than 15 years of IT consulting experience, Schock loves to educate IT professionals about the powerful, secure and costeffective IT solutions that Marco has to offer.
Schock believes in the importance of building long-term relationships based on the mutual trust and respect that come from providing timely response, sound advice and cost-effective solutions.
Outside of work, Schock spends a lot of time with his wife, Callie, and his three boys. He spends a lot of free time coaching his boys’ sports teams, vacationing with the family in the Black Hills and going to Disney World as a family at least once a year (when possible).
Jered’s active industry involvement makes him a standout as a coach and mentor. He is an expert on cyber security and regularly gives presentations (three to four times a year) to other businesses on how to protect themselves in the ever-changing world of technology. He has also hosted Marco’s internal monthly webinar numerous times, describing various aspects of cyber security.
Since graduating with honors from Concordia College with degrees in business and economics, Brian Schumacher has spent most of his financial career focused on helping clients make better financial decisions.
Schumacher joined Alerus in 2011 and progressed through various roles in both the retirement and wealth management divisions. Today, he serves as director of wealth management, where he leads Alerus’ Investment and Fiduciary Services team of almost 40 individuals.
He is also a member of Alerus’ leadership team and is currently playing a key role in restructuring the company’s client-focused staff to develop a holistic and guidance-focused approach.
Schumacher is currently serving the last year in a six-year term as investment chairman for North Dakota Dollars for Scholars. He’s a 13-year volunteer with Junior Achievement and most recently began serving as a member of the Altru Hospital Community Board.
He also holds designations as a Chartered Retirement Planning counselor and Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist.
Few financial professionals take a vested interest in their clients’ long-term future like Brian does. His proudest professional moments are those in which he’s able to assist a client in meeting goals that give them the freedom to pursue their own personal passions, spend more time with family, or make an impact on their communities.
AGE: 34
DIRECTOR OF WEALTH MANAGEMENT, ALERUS GRAND FORKS, N.D.
Brian Schumacher
Minnkota Power Cooperative congratulates Stacey Dahl for being selected as one of the region’s top business professionals under the age 40.
We are pleased to know the talents and leadership skills we witness every day are being recognized by others in the region.
5301 32nd Ave S, Grand Forks, ND 58201 (701) 795-4000 www.minnkota.com
These are the qualities of many of our leaders at First International Bank & Trust who are entrusted with leading an employee and customer-centric culture. Congratulations Brock DesLauriers for being named to the 2018 Prairie Business 40 Under 40 list.
Congratulations to Joel Paulsen, Senior Associate in Fargo, North Dakota, for being recognized in Prairie Business Magazine’s 2018 40 Under 40!
Our team and clients have experienced Joel’s exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to excellence first-hand. #stantecproud Design with community in mind stantec.com/fargo-nd
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At six-foot-five, Greg Thompson is easy to spot in a crowd – but it’s his demeanor and accomplishments that truly make him stand out.
Thompson is a water resources engineer trusted by clients throughout the Upper Midwest. He leads a team of engineers who provide hydraulic and hydrologic modeling support for flood mitigation, rural and urban drainage and other infrastructure projects.
Recognized by various organizations, Thompson received the North Dakota Young Engineer of the Year award in 2012, was chosen as an Emerging Leader through the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Dakota in 2014 and served as president of the North Dakota Society of Professional Engineers in 2015.
Outside of work, Thompson sits on a Boy Scouts of America Properties Committee, annually volunteers to lead construction projects for the Boy Scouts, leads his church’s Parking/Doors First Impressions team, has volunteered for STEM youth activities and has coached youth basketball and baseball.
Greg has emerged as a trusted expert and has served in a key role in some of North Dakota’s most vital flood protection and water resources projects. In fact, he is one of the original authors of the F-M Diversion model and now oversees the detailed modeling.
During the 2009 flood in Fargo, Greg worked with the city engineer the night before the crest to develop contingency plans. At 11 p.m. that same night, he went out to the 4th Street levee to direct and supervise residents to build sandbag levees on top of the permanent levees. He logged 36 hours straight in his efforts as a civil engineer to protect Fargo from the flood.
AGE: 35
At Dickinson State University, Jeremy Wohletz teaches music theory and woodwind lessons/pedagogy, and he directs the DSU Jazz Ensemble.
As a performer, he is an advocate for new music, both performing and commissioning new compositions. As a solo recitalist, he has presented performances and master classes throughout the United States, Canada and Portugal.
He also is one of the founding members of Dakota Jazz, a jazz combo that performs throughout North and South Dakota.
In addition to regular classroom teaching, Wohletz has been published in peer-reviewed journals and won second place in the 2014 International Clarinet Association research competition.
He has received several grants that let him travel to Bali, Indonesia, where he studied Balinese gamelan from a gamelan master. He continues to research, present and compose gamelan music.
Dr. Wohletz has a passion for music unlike any I have ever seen. He is always pushing himself to learn more about the overall field of music. He is always encouraging his students and motivating them to grow through their own skills as well. He takes every challenge head on and finds the best approach to handle it.
AGE: 37
PRESIDENT/CEO, UNITED SAVINGS CREDIT UNION DILWORTH, MINN.
Nick Woodard has been the president/CEO of United Savings Credit Union since the beginning of 2013. In 2017, he was named the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas Professional of the Year as well as being named a 2018 Credit Union Rock Star by Credit Union Magazine.
In Woodard’s time as CEO, United Savings Credit Union has experienced tremendous growth, built a new facility and updated the credit union’s products/services.
He currently serves on the CUAD/MASC Board and the Credit Union National Association’s Small Credit Union Committee Board, and is a member of the Moorhead Schools Citizens’ Finance Committee.
Woodard lives in Moorhead, Minn. with his wife, Christy, and their three sons.
During Nick’s time at United Savings Credit Union, he has driven a 28 percent increase in membership, doubled the organization’s loan portfolio and now manages $61 million in assets.
He has accomplished a great deal in his professional career, fosters a culture of teamwork, growth and giving back and is a clear leader in his industry.
Attorney Aubrey Zuger is a shareholder at Fredrikson & Byron, where she assists businesses and individuals in complex commercial and employment matters.
Zuger is a trial attorney, representing clients in court and in arbitration, as well as before federal and state agencies. She has handled multiple lawsuits with claims in excess of $20 million.
In addition to maintaining a busy private practice, Zuger provides pro bono services to those in need, including in asylum and family law matters, as well as to nonprofit organizations.
Zuger serves as the president-elect of the State Bar Association of North Dakota and on the board of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley.
Before joining Fredrikson & Byron, Zuger served as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the North Dakota Supreme Court. Aubrey was named shareholder less than 10 years after entering private practice following distinguished clerkships with the North Dakota Supreme Court and United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. She is known in her profession to be a savvy advisor to her clients and a zealous but ethical and practical opponent in litigation.
And in addition to a flourishing practice, she is a mother of three, is involved in the legal community and is an active contributor to local nonprofits.
AGE: 35
ATTORNEY, FREDRIKSON & BYRON FARGO, N.D.
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Buy tech stocks.
Yes, yes, we know that faithful readers of Prairie Business will recognize those words, given that we used them to introduce a story as recently as last month. That story was on robotassisted surgery; this one is on insurance.
But the force at work in both fields is the same, and it is the the power of technology to upend entire industries. Take it from an editor who has watched technology change journalism forever: The same wave now is approaching insurance, and its power is starting to build.
Skeptical? Consider this from Fortune magazine, in a story that came out in September:
“John Hancock, one of the largest and oldest insurers in the United States. … has announced it will stop selling traditional life insurance and will only market interactive policies that record the exercise activities and data of health of its customers through wearables such as Fitbit or Apple Watch.”
It started with insurers collecting real-time data from cars.
If you plug the company’s Snapshot device into your car’s computer port (usually found under the steering wheel), then let Progressive Insurance monitor your driving habits for a few months, you could qualify for a discount that averages $130 a year, Progressive says on its website.
It’s spreading to include wearable technology such as Fitbits as well as smart-home equipment, such as smoke detectors that send alerts to customers’ phones.
And “it’s the way everything is going, where it’s all interconnected and data-related,” said Steve Becher, executive director of Professional Insurance Agents of North Dakota, a statewide association.
Take driverless cars, the technologies for which – such as back-up cameras and collision sensors – already are becoming common in vehicles.
“Will that mean the end of collision insurance, because presumably you’ll never have a collision?” Becher asked.
JON GODFREAD (SECOND FROM LEFT), NORTH DAKOTA INSURANCE COMMISSIONER, ATTENDS A MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INSURANCE COMMISSIONERS' INNOVATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY TASK FORCE, A GROUP FOR WHICH HE IS VICE CHAIR. THE TASK FORCE SPENDS A GREAT DEAL OF TIME DISCUSSING "INSURANCE AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS," GODFREAD SAYS. IMAGE: N.D. INSURANCE DEPARTMENT
Then again, how will the industry account for the sticker-shocking cost of repairing tech-rich, late-model cars? A single, original-equipment headlamp assembly for a 2016 Nissan Altima already costs $1,013, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reports. For a 2016 GMC Sierra, the part costs $1,144.
“That’s the kind of part you used to be able to get for 25 bucks, and you could do the repair yourself,” Becher said.
“Thanks to technology, it’s a whole new world, and I don’t think there’s any question that our companies are going to have to transform the way they do business.”
The driving force behind the change is this: Insurance companies are in constant pursuit of information that’ll help them predict who’ll file a claim, said Joseph Haley, professor of insurance and chairperson of the Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. And technology, they’re thinking, can give them that information.
Here’s why. While insurers traditionally have
had to rate risk by communities or groups, now they can get information from individuals – via car monitors, Fitbits and the like – and in real time.
“People can be asked to estimate their mileage over the next year, but that’s just a guess,” Haley said. Likewise, they can be and are asked how often they drive after dark or commute to and from work.
But telematic or “usage-based insurance” devices can replace that guesswork with data.
“So, that little Snapshot device makes quite a bit of sense to a company, although how people feel about being monitored is always a concern,” Haley said.
In fact, people are proving to have mixed feelings about it, and that’s a challenge for the industry, said Sherry Samson, senior vice president of Vaaler Insurance in Grand Forks.
“In our experience – and it might just be a reflection of this part of the country – there is a reluctance on people’s part to having these monitoring devices,” she said
At the same time, the sense is that as the data
and pricing become more refined, the devices are going to become more and more prevalent. “One of our agents tested a car monitor on his own vehicle, and he said he drove like Grandpa for a time,” Samson said with a laugh.
“The results would have qualified him for about an 8 percent discount on his insurance. But I’m not sure he could have kept up his new driving style.”
Then there’s the question of what happens to all of this data once it’s compiled, said Jon Godfread, North Dakota insurance commissioner and the vice chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Innovation and Technology Task Force.
That’s where insurance regulators come in. “A lot of our interest surrounds the data itself,” Godfread said.
“For example, who’s controlling that data? How secure is it? What are the algorithms that the company is using to determine risk, and does the consumer have any ability to look at those algorithms?”
At the very least, regulators must be able to look inside each company’s “black box” to make sure the policies are being priced appropriately.
“The stance we’re taking in North Dakota is that if you can justify it – if you can show that this home-monitoring system, or this wearable or this plug-in for your car can reduce risk –then it’s justified from a regulatory standpoint,” he said.
“But if it’s just an add-on or a trinket and we don’t know if it really reduces risk, then we’ll look a little deeper.”
The fact is, insurance is a heavily regulated industry, and that has slowed the adoption of new technologies, Godfread said.
The ban on rebating is one example. In many industries, it’s common to offer customers gifts – rebates – as an incentive to buy. But in most cases, rebates are illegal in insurance.
Insurance is complicated, and the ban is meant ensure companies compete on service and service alone, Godfread said.
Now, suppose an insurer offers free Fitbits in order to track its customers’ health. Is that a rebate?
“I’m heading out to San Francisco tomorrow for another national meeting, and that’s one of our main topics,” Godfread said Nov. 13.
“These are big changes, but we’ve been through this before. Before my time, when the horse and buggy went away and cars came on the road, they figured out how to get insurance done. We’ll do the same here, it just takes time.”
One thing’s for sure: Connected devices and their cascading effect on the industry have served to make insurance more exciting, said Haley, the St. Cloud State professor.
“It works to my advantage, because the students tend to come into class thinking all insurance is boring, and that the only job is as a State Farm agent,” he said.
“These days, it’s not hard to convince them that it’s really a dynamic business. They’ve all got their bank accounts on their phones, after all. And they’re so interested in technology.”
Tom Dennis Editor, Prairie Business tdennis@prairiebusinessmagazine.com 701-780-1276
WATERTOWN, S.D. – Stand on your hat and you can see 15 miles, as the saying about the eastern Dakota prairie goes.
On this landscape, after all, a highway overpass is a meaningful rise.
So if you’re looking for reasons why a leading manufacturer of utilityindustry aerial devices has prospered in Watertown – so much so that the company now is building a 450,000-square-foot manufacturing facility –maybe that’s one.
It could be that South Dakotans simply appreciate the power of elevation, and take pride in building machines that can safely lift workers to lofty heights.
Terex Utilities today builds aerial devices and auger drills as well as digger derricks – vehicles that drill holes in the ground, then lift and secure utility poles into place – in about 10 buildings around Watertown, said Alan Stager, the company’s finance director.
When it opens in 2020, the new facility will bring all of those operations under one roof.
“In this facility, we’ll manufacture and assemble our fiberglass booms, and there’s a section of the building that is a multi-story high bay to allow the booms be raised inside the building and testing to be performed,” he said.
MORE ON PAGE 48
Your passion and dedication in guiding our organization continues to have a positive impact on our residents, patients, staff, and communities. You are an inspiration and we are proud to call you our leader at Kittson Healthcare.
THIS AERIAL VIEW FROM NOV. 9, 2018, SHOWS THE 55-ACRE SITE IN WATERTOWN, S.D., ON WHICH TEREX UTILITIES NOW IS BUILDING ITS 450,000-SQUARE-FOOT MANUFACTURING FACILITY. IMAGE: TEREX UTILITIES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 46
Also within the building, the booms will be painted, inspected and installed on commercial truck chassis for delivery.
Construction began in August and is taking place on a 55-acre site that had been owned in part by the Watertown Development Corp.
South Dakota competed against several other states for the new plant, said South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard at the groundbreaking ceremony earlier this year.
“Terex is the sort of company that, when given the opportunity to
SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. DENNIS DAUGAARD AND WATERTOWN, S.D. MAYOR SARAH CARON WERE AMONG THE OFFICIALS WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONIAL GROUNDBREAKING FOR TEREX UTILITIES' NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN WATERTOWN. IMAGE: TEREX UTILITIES
expand or relocate, can do it just about anywhere around the globe,” Daugaard said.
“This reinvestment benefits Terex employees, the Watertown community, the state and the entire region at large.”
Tom Dennis Editor, Prairie Business
From her freshman days of not knowing what a computer program was, Dakota State University senior Kelly Criddle – a network and security administration major – has come a long way
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WERE YOU INTERESTED IN CYBERSECURITY IN HIGH SCHOOL?
I was not very interested in the cyber community at all in high school. My father did mention to me that DSU has a specialty in cyberops, and I said, “I’m not smart enough for that.” (laughs)
I actually came to DSU to be a teacher. But I took a class where I found out that being a teacher was not for me; and I was like, well, heck, where do I go now?
So I talked to one of my favorite teachers here at the time, Kathy Engbrecht, and I asked for her advice. She said, well, how about you try a couple of computer classes?
I said “OK.” I took a couple of classes, got involved, and ended up really liking it.
Q.
HOW WAS IT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU’D EXPECTED?
A.At first, what really put me off of the cyber community was my thought that it was just a lot of men. That and the fact that as I said, I did not think I was smart enough.
Q.
A.
HOW ABOUT YOUR WORRIES ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY?
The big thing that I’ve learned is that we all know more about this subject than we think we do, because on a daily basis, we deal with computers all the time. We deal with wi-fi, we deal with everything.
And besides, my professors just started from the very beginning. For example, when I got into programming, I didn’t even know what a program was. I didn’t know what it did or why you needed one.
But I learned that a program just takes your language in which you’re describing what you want the computer to do, and translates that into the computer’s language – so it can do what you want it to do.
Like I said, it gets more complicated, and I spend a lot of time studying. So it’s never been an easy major – never at all.
It takes a lot of work, but I’m not afraid of work. I think that’s what makes me a good fit for the major, too.
Q.
But DSU has done a great job of making me feel that I belong, because all my male peers – and my peers are mostly all male – are all very nice to me. I feel like I’m “one of the guys,” pretty much. They’re very respectful, and they’ve been very, very nice.
YOU WERE A MENTOR AT THE ROCKET GIRLS CYBERSPACE CAMP AND GOT TO VISIT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.
A.Yes! And a lot of the girls who came on that trip are freshmen at DSU now.
DSU has a lot of other outreach activities, too, such as CybHER Security Camp. (Editor’s note: The week-long camp is supported by the National Security Agency and is the largest girls-only residential camp in the country.)
We had 125 girls, they came and they stayed at DSU, we put them through such fun activities.
I loved working at the camp; it was the highlight of my summer, and these girls are so smart. It’s just amazing to see these girls who already know how to program, and they’re only in 7th grade and I’m like, “My gosh. You girls are going somewhere.”
YOU’RE MAJORING IN NETWORK AND SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AND MINORING IN CYBER FORENSICS. WHAT IS CYBER FORENSICS?
A.
Let’s say an employee is working for you, then that employee quits and goes to a competitor. You might have a person -- a cyber forensics expert – come in and look at that person’s computer, just to make sure nothing malicious was going on and that they weren’t sharing information with their new company.
This summer, I actually did my internship here in Madison at SBS Cybersecurity. I just loved it. Companies actually hired us to do a lot of things for them; for example, we might do a penetration test, which is where we’d try to find the vulnerabilities in their network. And from there we’d be able to say, “OK, you have nothing compromised yet, but these are vulnerabilities that a hacker could exploit if they wanted to.”
Q.
HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR OWN CYBERSECURITY HABITS?
A.Absolutely! I used to use the same password for everything, and it would be something like, “ILikeCats” –without any symbols or numbers. Now, I’m a lot more careful. For example, there are apps out there that will encrypt your password; it would take forever for hackers to hack that. That’s one of the tools I love to use. And I lock my computer every time I leave it. I had a lot of bad habits before going into this field.
Q. THESE DAYS, WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU SEE HOW COMPUTERS ARE PORTRAYED IN MOVIES?
A.I can’t help but laugh when there’s a hacker sitting there, and they’re trying to get into this top secret organization’s files – and within two seconds, they’re in.
I just laugh because that’s not how it is. It looks really cool and it’s nice for the movies, but in reality, it takes a lot of time and a lot of concentration for a hacker to do that kind of work.
I also think it’s cool to see computers in older movies, because it shows how far we’ve come. It’s amazing: We look at the computers back then, and they’re as big as rooms, and now we have them in our pockets.
That’s one of the things I love about this field – it’s so, so fastpaced and interesting.
Talent Development Manager
First International Bank & Trust Bismarck, N.D.
As an HR professional, I know that having access to tools with the latest technology empowers our team to focus on our external and internal clients.
We recently had the chance to implement a new Applicant Tracking System or ATS tool. The new ATS lets our recruiting team be more engaged with candidates, and allows hiring managers to be more involved by equipping them with real-time information from candidates and recruiters.
Hiring managers can review targeted information that is pertinent to them and as their schedule allows.
It is our one-stop-shop for all things recruiting – and on top of all that, it helps minimize lost communication through phone or email!
Sanford Health is investing in the best technology solutions available to simplify processes so employees can focus on what matters most: our patients.
Sanford One Source, powered by Workday and ServiceNow technologies, will streamline human resources and payroll processes, enhance employees’ experience and increase operational efficiencies across our enterprise.
Following the launch in January 2019, One Source will eventually include functionality for other HR activities such as staff recruitment, orientation, training and performance appraisals.
Having one platform will provide a sustainable, scalable and powerful infrastructure, while also supporting Sanford Health’s innovation and growth strategies.
Director of Human Resources
Sanford Health in Fargo
Fargo, N.D.
Marco
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Two years ago, we implemented UltiPro at Marco, and it has made an incredible difference! Given Marco’s growth, this system allows us to communicate more effectively with our employees, who are spread across over 60 offices.
On the UltiPro home page, we share job opportunities, employee announcements, updates and features. The information catches employees’ attention on a well-utilized site.
UltiPro also provides self-service access for personal information, completing updates and obtaining documents, such as pay statements. We have links for tabs regarding PTO, benefits, our company handbook and more.
Marco gained operational efficiencies using UltiPro’s functions, including the onboarding platform. Our onboarding feature has proven extremely valuable due to the extensive hiring and acquisitions we experience. We even obtain useful reports for making solid business decisions.
Choice Bank has had a great opportunity to partner with a platform that supports our core value of “creating personal and professional growth opportunities.”
This partnership has shown up through the development of microlearning videos and predictive analytics that engage our employees in the development of life skills such as emotional intelligence, leadership skills, growth mindsets and active listening.
These videos have been come to be known as our three minutes of Zen each morning to clear minds and focus ourselves on growth.
Choice Bank
Eden Prairie, Minn.
Ensuring employees are knowledgeable and in-tune with company changes is always top-of-mind for us in human resources. In recent years, we’ve really begun analyzing the best way to reach our employees – and more often than not, it leads to a well-produced, informative video. During this year’s open enrollment period, we created a series of six videos on topics such as changes to our 401k plan, virtual doctor visits and more. These videos provide a brief, engaging summary informing employees of new offerings and what action they need to take when going through open enrollment.
We also use videos in our onboarding process to help acclimate new employees to our history and culture.
“The October Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region stretching from Minnesota to Arkansas, sank to its lowest level since President Trump took office, but remained above growth neutral, and continues to point to positive economic growth for the next three to six months.
“The Business Conditions Index, which ranges between 0 and 100, fell to 54.9 from September’s strong 57.5. This is the 23rd straight month the index has remained above growth neutral 50.0, but dropped to the lowest reading since January 2017.
“The regional economy continues to expand at a healthy pace. However, as in recent months, shortages of skilled workers remain an impediment to even stronger growth. Furthermore, supply managers are reporting mounting negative impacts from tariffs and trade skirmishes.
“I expect expanding tariffs, trade restrictions and rising short-term interest rates from a more aggressive Federal Reserve to slow regional growth to a more modest, but still positive pace in the months ahead.”
– Ernie Goss, director, Economic Forecasting Group, Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.
Editor’s Note: Chapter 12 bankruptcy lets family farmers restructure their finances and avoid liquidation or foreclosure.
“(The) nagging economic strain of low commodity prices on farmers and ranchers – compounded for some by recent tariffs – is starting to show up not just in bottom-line profitability, but in simple viability. Over the 12 months ending in June 2018, 84 farm operations in Ninth District states had filed for chapter 12 bankruptcy protection – more than twice the level seen in June 2014.”
– Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Nov. 14, 2018
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If you set the bar at competence, how do you reach excellence?
