AARON CLAYTON

AGE: 37

PARTNER-IN-CHARGE OF COMMUNICATIONS & ELECTRIC INDUSTRY PRACTICE

EIDE BAILLY LLP

SIOUX FALLS, SD

Aaron Clayton has been providing assurance, advisory, and consulting services to Eide Bailly clients since 2006. He specializes in serving healthcare, telecommunications, power utility, and commercial industries.

A graduate of the University of South Dakota (USD) with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting and a master’s degree in Professional Accountancy, Aaron continues to support USD in many ways including collaborating with accounting students and organizations at the Beacom School of Business and serving on the Howling Pack Board of Directors.

Outside of the office, Aaron is passionate about giving back to the community, serving on boards and committees such as Sioux Falls Young Professionals Network, Habitat for Humanity Sioux Falls, South Dakota Healthcare Financial Management Association, Junior Achievement of South Dakota, and South Dakota CPA Society.

His passion outside of the community is his family, wife Shelly and daughters Cameron, Kendall, and Henley. Keeping up with their activities is a job itself, between dance, cross country, soccer, basketball, golf and Girl Scouts.

Andrew Aakre

AGE: 38

PROJECT MANAGER

MOORE ENGINEERING, INC. WEST FARGO, ND

An Academic All-American decathlete at NDSU, Andrew Aakre is now building an award-winning engineering career. Specializing in municipal civil engineering, Andrew’s projects have won both Project of the Year and Engineering Excellence awards in recent years. His technical skill and easy manner make him an ideal manager for the many, and sometimes competing, stakeholders involved in most city engineering projects. He has the ability to bring people together around common goals and resolve challenges to deliver successful projects that enhance community pride and improve residents’ lives while always respecting their resources. When he’s not at work, Andrew and his wife Amanda stay busy raising four young children, as well as being involved in numerous community activities.

CONGRATUL AT ION S, SAM!

Thank youforthestability youprovide to thestructural engineeringteam,thecontinuousprofessionalgrowth andleadershipabilities youdemonstrate,andthe positiveinfluence youbring to thecommunity.

EAPC.N ET

Ariana D. Meyers

AGE: 27

Ariana D. Meyers is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Dakota School of Law and an Attorney at Vogel Law Firm in the Grand Forks office. At UND School of Law, Ariana teaches family law, trial advocacy, reading, writing and analysis for the bar examination and is a national Moot Court competition coach. At Vogel Law Firm Ariana represents clients in divorce and custody actions, post-judgment modifications, assists families in petitioning for adoption and drafts pre-marital agreements. Ariana was selected to the 2019 Great Plains Rising Starts list, which recognizes no more than 2.5% of lawyers in the state who have reached a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. In addition to teaching and practicing law, Ariana is an initial founder and past president of the Greater Grand Forks Women’s Leadership Cooperative, a nonprofit organization founded in 2018.

Bob Bartelt

AGE: 36

TECHNICAL SUPPORT MANAGER MIDCO WEST FARGO, ND

Bob Bartelt joined Midco® in 2014 as Technical Support Manager, and in 2018 became Director of Customer Experience Operations. In this role, Bartelt leads the dayto-day operations of all customer support groups ensuring that Midco is providing a world-class experience at every customer touchpoint. Bartelt came to Midco with 10 years of industry experience as an operations manager and site leader for a business process outsourcing company. He currently serves on the board of directors as Tournament Co-Director for Moorhead Youth Hockey, and is also a 2016 graduate of the Leadership Fargo Moorhead West Fargo class. Bartelt is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management from the University of Mary.

Brady Bussler

AGE:

Brady Bussler joined the Widseth Smith Nolting (WSN) marketing department in 2012. Over the past seven years he has continuously taken on new responsibilities and built upon his skill set, culminating in the formation of a video production unit that he now manages. In 2019 alone, the group he oversees has won video production awards in two national competitions. By keeping video production and photography services in-house, Brady has dramatically reduced a portion of the marketing department’s annual costs. Brady is an excellent mentor to younger staff, helping them expand their abilities and take on new challenges such as photography, videography, drone licensure, website development and a whole host of digital marketing skills. Brady came to WSN with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota. His architectural background is a tremendous asset to WSN’s marketing efforts.

Brienne Maner believes that strongest communities are those with the most meaningful connections. From her tenure at Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues-JazzFest, to her years as Vice President of Downtown Sioux Falls, to her current role as Executive Director of Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship, Brienne has made it her mission to help make those connections in Sioux Falls. She is particularly passionate about helping marginalized and underrepresented communities, and has often donated her time and expertise helping small businesses and nonprofits as an independent consultant.

Brienne has served on multiple nonprofit boards throughout her career, including the Sioux Empire Community Theatre, SculptureWalk, the State Theater, and The Center For Equality. Since 2009, she has helped shepherd an annual women’s hygiene product drive for The Banquet in Sioux Falls. You can’t miss a conversation with Brienne where she doesn’t light up when speaking about Sioux Falls and why she’s so proud to make it home. It’s a city that she believes in, and one that believes in her.

AGE: 39

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ZEAL CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP SIOUX FALLS, SD

Cassie DuBray

AGE: 34

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

GREAT PLAINS HOUSING AUTHORITY

JAMESTOWN, ND

Cassie DuBray is a highly qualified, tenacious and well accomplished executive with over nine years of proven experience in administrative management, scheduling, customer service, marketing, and finances. Cassie joined Great Plains Housing Authority in 2015 and currently serves in the role of Deputy Director where she dedicates her time to helping and advocating for low-income households that receive rental assistance. She is certified in UPCS inspection protocol, fair housing and mental health first aid.

Besides serving in her role with the housing authority, she also owns and operates DuBray Writing and volunteers on the executive board of the South Central Homeless Coalition and the Washington Elementary PTO. She also completed four years on the Jamestown United Way board. In the last four years, Cassie has championed for new service programs in Stutsman County including the Diaper Drive, Blessing Bag drive and partnerships with Firstlink.

Cassie holds an Associates of Arts degree from Clackamas Community College and a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Jamestown, formerly Jamestown College. She and her husband, John, live in Jamestown, N.D., with their two children.

Chris Lee

AGE: 39

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/ CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER GATE CITY BANK FARGO, ND

Chris Lee serves as the executive vice president/chief financial officer of Gate City Bank. He is responsible for accounting, balance sheet strategy, business banking, and information security. Prior to his role as EVP/CFO at Gate City Bank, he served on the board of directors and was the CFO for Butler Machinery Company. Lee was also a Partner in the Financial Institutions group at Eide Bailly.

Lee is a CPA and a graduate of NDSU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Outside of work, Lee spends time with his wife Rachelle and their three children. He also volunteers on the 4-H Foundation Board of Directors and the United Way Finance Committee.

Moen

AGE: 39

NORTHERN VALLEY LEAD FINANCIAL GUIDE ALERUS

GRAND FORKS, ND

Since graduating from UND with a degree in business focusing on Entrepreneurship and Marketing, Chris has spent the past 14 years in the financial services industry leading teams and helping clients achieve their financial goals.

Moen joined Alerus in 2015 and has progressed through various leadership roles, where he currently serves as the Northern Valley Lead Financial Guide, where he leads a team of Financial and Senior Financial Guides that help clients achieve their holistic financial goals.

Moen’s a passionate leader that is dedicated to advocating for and developing his team, and currently serves as a member of the Alerus Foundations Leadership Development Council.

In the community, Moen currently serves on the Downtown Development Association board, is an active member of the Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals, is strong advocate for the development of the entrepreneur ecosystem in the region through involvement in the Chamber Small Business Committee, multi-year organizer for 1 Million Cups, member of Startup Grand Forks and regularly works with UND as a judge for business plan competitions.

Outside of work, Moen enjoys spending time with his wife, Marilee, 2-year-old daughter Madison, and will soon be adding a new addition to their family with another daughter on the way.

AGE 36

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, MARCO ALEXANDRIA, MINN.

Clay Ostlund is the director of business development at Marco with undeniable success in sales. He holds the record for the largest single sale in the history of the company totaling $14 million and is considered an integral part of the company’s continued success.

Born in Evansville, Minn., and a graduate of North Dakota State University, Ostlund started at Marco as a senior systems engineer in 2009. He was instrumental in growing the Cisco division within the company from $1 million to now $38 million in sales.

His success eventually landed him in the first dedicated sales engineer position at Marco - a job that utilized both Clay’s technical skills and sales experience to grow the business. Now, as the director of business development, Ostlund ensures Marco stays relevant with its products and solutions.

“Marco is one of the largest IT companies in the country and Clay plays a key role in selecting the technologies we take to market,” Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Warrey said. “He’s an executor. I’m constantly amazed at his high capacity to get strategic tasks completed.”

When Clay is off the clock, he serves on the board of directors for St. Cloud Industrial Products – a 90-million-dollar company – and is heavily involved with his church and activities for his four kids. He also consistently donates to his local United Way.