erin dickson

Erin Dickson

Age: 39

Senior Vice President, Strategy

Ten Acre Marketing Grand Forks, N.D.

Erin Dickson is an ag economist turned marketer, with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Economics and Master of Business Administration, both from North Dakota State University. She has spent nearly 20 years in the marketing field where she has sat on both sides of the desk, as a client and as an ad agency account manager.

Today, she is the Senior Vice President of Ten Acre Marketing, where she leads strategy and accounts. Driven by a passion to see her clients and the agriculture industry thrive, Dickson has built a reputation of being strategy-focused, yet always thinking outside the box.

A strong believer in the power of community, she has devoted her expertise to local organizations such as Rollin’ on the River Inline Skate Marathon, United Way of Greater Grand Forks, and the Grand Forks Downtown Rotary Club. She most recently helped her local rural community establish the Mini Monarchs Daycare Center, where she continues to serve as a board member.

Dickson and her husband, David, are raising their three children on their family farm near Gilby, N.D.

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Sean ELSNER

Matt Dunlevy

Age: 33

CEO & Chairman SkySkopes Grand Forks, N.D.

Matt Dunlevy

Matt Dunlevy is the CEO, chairman, and founder of SkySkopes, a nationally leading unmanned aircraft systems flight operations company with offices across North Dakota and the United States. SkySkopes is North Dakota’s first unmanned aircraft startup certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly drones commercially and offers aerial inspections, energy audits and other aviation services. SkySkopes was ranked in 2020 as the No. 1 Drone Service Provider (DSP) in the United States by Drone Industry Insights, one of the world’s leading UAS market analyst firms.

A graduate of UND, Dunlevy has taught numerous courses at the University of North Dakota, including UAS in Business, UAS in Engineering, and the Ethics of UAS. Gov. Doug Burgum appointed Dunlevy to the board of the North Dakota Development Fund and the board of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. A member of numerous national boards for unmanned aircraft, Dunlevy was elected to a seat on the board of the Greater North Dakota Chamber nearly two years ago and serves as co-chair of military affairs in Grand Forks, N.D.

Craig A. Ehrmantraut

Age: 34

Senior Vice President/ Chief Credit Officer

Cornerstone Bank

Fargo, N.D.

craig A. ehrmantraut

Craig Ehrmantraut serves as the Chief Credit Officer for Cornerstone Bank and is located in the company’s Fargo market. He joined Cornerstone Bank in 2009 as a credit analyst and has served in a variety of roles throughout the organization, including financial analyst and business banker, giving him a strong foundation for his current role. Throughout his time at Cornerstone, he has proven himself to be an invaluable leader and part of the team.

Sean Elsner

Age: 33

Moorhead President

First International Bank & Trust Moorhead, Minn.

Sean Elsner has been with First International Bank & Trust since May 2010, starting just after he graduated from North Dakota State University. He has worked tirelessly over the past decade to grow his role at the bank and grow the bank’s reputation in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

As president of the bank’s Moorhead location, Elsner enhances existing relationships with the bank by ensuring the highest caliber of service. He has welcomed countless new customers into FIBT, with a focused concentration on new deposits and loans, as well as referrals to its insurance, wealth management, mortgage, and retail teams. Since he was named to the position in 2017, Elsner has overseen the growth of the location’s assets by approximately 700%.

Beyond his role at FIBT, he is active on the family farm in western Cass County and is hands-on and supportive of his wife’s business, Page Seed & Agronomy in Page, N.D. Elsner is active in his daughters gymnastics programs, Rotary Club, and volunteers countless hours at other community organizations. He enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with his wife, Paige, and their two daughters.

Ehrmantraut is a Fargo native and graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a degree in economics. He is also a 2015 graduate of the FMWF Chamber Leadership program, 2016 graduate of the Dakota School of Banking, and a 2016 and 2017 mentor for the FMWF Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and their two kids.

Nick M. fiecke

Nick M. Fiecke

Age: 37

Senior Project Manager

Construction Engineers

Fargo, N.D.

Nick Fiecke is a Senior Project Manager based out of Construction Engineers’ (CE) Fargo office and lives in Hawley, Minn., with his wife, Brittani. Upon graduating high school in 2002, he enlisted in the Army National Guard as an engineer. Shortly after enlisting, he was deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. After his return from Iraq, Fiecke attended Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he completed his bachelor’s degree. He went on to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs, serving veterans and their survivors. While working for the VA, he also pursued and completed his master’s degree at NDSU. Fiecke started working for CE in 2011 as an on-site quality control manager for the Consolidated Security Forces Facility at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Since then, he has provided leadership and coordination on many successful projects including the UND Law School Expansion & Remodel, Watford City High School, Clay County Jail & Law Enforcement Center, and recently the new Fox Hills Elementary School in Watford City, N.D. Fiecke was also instrumental in establishing CE’s downtown Fargo office in 2015.

Sarah Chatelain-Gress

Age: 38

Executive Director & Cofounder

The Lotus Center, Inc.

Moorhead, Minn.

sarah chatelain -Gress

Sarah Chatelain-Gress entered the veterinary and medical world as a Phi Theta Kappa and National Dean’s List recipient in 2006. She returned to school at MSUM in 2010, earning a BA in social work with a master’s certificate in addiction counseling. She has dedicated the past decade to working alongside those faced with mental health and chemical dependency issues. Personal experience and loss ignited her passion to provide any individual seeking a better way of life a reprieve from their dependence on substances, which resulted in the co-founding of The Lotus Center, INC. in 2017, a harm reduction-based recovery center serving the Fargo-Moorhead area. She believes addiction is not solely a personal affliction, but a societal problem whose resolution lies within a supportive community and advocates there is not a black and white approach to addressing the disease. By entering “the gray zones,” accepting one’s ambivalence to the concepts of total abstinence, and compassionately cultivating opportunity to find self-betterment, recovery is possible.

A proud mother of three girls, Chatelain-Gress also has been involved in independent film “My Sister Sarah & Sundogs” and has been an honored speaker at public events in Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas.

Jon Griffin Age: 39

Chief Operations & Risk Officer Capital Credit Union Bismarck, N.D.

Jon Griffin joined Capital Credit Union in 2010 as director of risk management. He was promoted in 2014 to vice president of risk management and 2019 to his current position of Chief Operations and Risk Officer.

Throughout his 10 years at Capital Credit Union, Griffin has always exhibited a firm belief in credit union values. Although he doesn’t work directly with members in his current role, his work behind the scenes enriches members’ lives. He is an active participant in the Bismarck-Mandan community as a member of the Finance Council for Light of Christ Catholic Schools and pack and den leader for Cub Scouts. He is also a member of the North Dakota Governmental Affairs Committee and sits on the State Investment Board Audit Committee.

Griffin graduated from UND in 2005 with bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance. He also earned an MBA from the University of Mary in 2015. He and his wife, Kelly, and their three children enjoy spending time with family and friends and camping. He also enjoys softball and distance running.

Jordan guck

Age: 31

Technical Manager

Ulteig

Detroit Lakes, Minn.

Jordan Guck is a licensed professional engineer with Ulteig, leading a team responsible for the planning, designing and construction of power substations. For his team, Guck oversees strategic direction, leadership, and technical services; resource planning; and professional development. His job also includes maintaining and developing positive relationships with existing and potential clients. In addition, he is involved in several company-wide initiatives and is a key member of the committee that drives Ulteig’s highly engaged employee-ownership culture.

Guck served as the design lead engineer for a recent complex expansion and rehabilitation of a power substation that was congested and plagued with deteriorating foundations. The significant challenge was to keep power uninterrupted while foundations were replaced. He presented on the remarkable success of this project at the 2019 Minnesota Power Systems Conference, and the project was selected for a 2020 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Honor Award for Minnesota.

Guck resides near Perham, Minn., with his wife, Donna, and four children, where they enjoy hunting, fishing and everything outdoors.

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Skyler Johnson

Ashton Hansen

Age: 33

Managing Director of Talent Acquisition

Allegro Group

Fargo, N.D.

Ashton hansen

Ashton Hansen is Managing Director of Talent Acquisition at Allegro Group, where she oversees the company’s talent acquisition division and team as they perform executive and professional searches on behalf of clients throughout the region and nationally. She has a decade of experience in talent acquisition strategy and excels at defining growth strategies and identifying talent that makes teams successful.

Throughout Hansen’s career, she has interviewed thousands of leaders and been a vital partner to more than 100 companies, giving her first-hand exposure to best-in-class talent and many of the region’s top organizational structures. Her work as an internal leader and external consultant spans from start-up companies to multi-billion-dollar organizations, and her dedication to helping those organizations succeed is unrivaled.

Hansen is passionate about helping organizations, leaders and her community grow. In addition to her professional role, she is a CTB board member, graduate of the United Way of Cass-Clay’s 35 Under 35 Women’s Leadership Program, past president of the Continuum Toastmasters Club and serves on volunteer committees for the YWCA and FMWF Chamber of Commerce.

Elliot Hitt

Age: 35

CPA, Tax Partner

Eide Bailly LLP

Sioux Falls, S.D.

Elliot Hitt

Elliot Hitt, a graduate of North Dakota State University with a BS in accountancy, has been working in public accounting for the last 11 years. As a tax partner with Eide Bailly, he serves clients in a wide variety of industries, including hospitality, retail, and manufacturing. Hitt also spends considerable time working with high net-worth individuals. He has a passion for helping clients meet their goals by utilizing planning and consultative techniques. Additionally, he has had great success mentoring the firm’s internal staff by providing opportunities to help them grow as professionals.

Skyler Johnson

Age: 36

Managing partner & Co-owner

Sage Legal, PLLC

East Grand Forks, Minn.

Skyler Johnson is an attorney, co-owner and managing partner with Sage Legal, PLLC. She helps clients in North Dakota and Minnesota gain peace of mind through business and estate planning. Her niche practice is uniquely client-centric, offering pricing transparency, a tech-forward process and clear communication. She truly is a likeable lawyer and tries to defy all the lawyer jokes.

Johnson received her Juris Doctor degree from the UND School of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. (Don’t worry, she cheers for the Fighting Hawks now.) She is passionate about championing other female entrepreneurs and is the co-founder of the LadyBoss League – Greater Grand Forks, as well as a member of the Greater Grand Forks Women’s Leadership Cooperative.

Johnson is the current treasurer of the Greater Grand Forks County Bar Association and is a board member-elect for the 2021 Chamber of Grand Forks-East Grand Forks. When she is not lawyering, she enjoys working out, dining out and target shooting. She resides with her husband, Mark, and their three children.

Hitt is passionate in his service to clients, recruiting efforts and involvement in the community. He enjoys collaborating with clients to get the best outcome as individuals and business owners. He has long been active in the recruitment of new talent for Eide Bailly. He is involved in the creation and delivery of higher education presentations about public accounting. Outside of work, you may see him coaching a youth hockey game or teaching in a junior achievement classroom.

Eric Kittelson

Eric Kittelson

Age: 36

Marketing/ Product Information Director Fisher Industries Dickinson, N.D.

Eric Kittelson is the Marketing/Product Information Director for Fisher Industries. A 2007 graduate of the University of North Dakota, he started working for the company more than nine years ago in the General Steel and Supply Parts and Purchasing departments. Four years later, he became trained in the engineering software Solidworks Composer and started creating online parts and operation manuals for General Steel and Supply & Fisher Sand and Gravel’s equipment fleet.

Kittelson was promoted to his current role in 2017 and now spends most of his working hours handling donation and sponsorship requests, coordinating advertisement campaigns, monitoring social media accounts, planning employee appreciation functions, and producing parts and operation manuals of all the aggregate processing equipment in the Fisher Sand and Gravel/General Steel & Supply fleet. He also serves as the coordinator of the Southwest ND Manufacturers Group’s Junior Ambassador Program, a group that promotes careers in manufacturing to area high school students.

Kittelson is a certified high school volleyball official. He and his wife, Nicole, and their two daughters spend most of their free time at the lake or on the softball diamonds.

Scott Kolbinger

Age: 34

Civil Engineer Project Manager

KLJ

Fargo, N.D.

Scott Kolbinger

Shailoh kovash

Shailoh Kovash

Age: 36

Regional Vice President

Western Cooperative Credit Union

Dickinson, N.D.

Shailoh Kovash serves as the Regional Vice President of Western Cooperative Credit Union, overseeing the Human Resources & Payroll department. He started as an IT administrator and over the past eight years has continuously taken on new roles and responsibilities.

Kovash was born and raised in Dickinson, N.D. He graduated from Dickinson State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in management information systems.

Kovash recently served on the Trinity Athletic Booster board and coached youth flag football.

Outside of work, he spends time enjoying the outdoors with his wife, Aimee, and their two boys, ages 10 and 7.

Scott Kolbinger has already accomplished a great deal in his young career. A graduate of North Dakota State University’s civil engineering program, he is a civil engineer project manager with KLJ. Many of his projects have affected a variety of the communities in the Upper Midwest, from small commercial sites to multimillion-dollar event centers and sports complexes.

Kolbinger is a registered professional engineer and has been active in the Fargo-Moorhead Engineers Club’s programs promoting engineering to the public and students. He is also a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Water Works Association.

Kolbinger gives his time to his community through his membership in the Hawley Jaycees, a group of young men who donate their time to give back to their local community. He is also a member of the Fargo Rotary Club and other service clubs in the Fargo area. His commitment to improving his community makes him a great example of a young professional making a difference in the world around him.