meleah LaPlante

Meleah LaPlante

Age: 37

Owner

Dance Elite Fargo, N.D.

Meleah LaPlante grew up in Crookston, Minn., graduated in the top of her class, and then obtained her degrees in business management and marketing from the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

At the age of 19, she had the opportunity to purchase a small studio in Fargo, N.D. Dance Elite began in a small, one-room rental and today, has built a brand-new, state of the art facility featuring three large studios with sprung flooring, cameras in each room for safety and parent viewing, and a convenient location just south of 32nd Avenue.

Through her work with community theater and Moorhead High School, she’s won numerous awards and has traveled to Scotland where her work has been seen in the Fringe Festival.

After educating thousands of young men and women, she has former students at Disney, with the Timberwolves and Vikings, teaching for her, and owning their own studios.

LaPlante sees dance as being holistically beneficial to the communities as well as adding to the business fabric of the Red River Valley, in that young men and women can find themselves through performance art.

Kristen Lotvedt

Age: 39

Project Engineer

Houston Engineering, Inc.

Fargo, N.D.

Kristen Lotvedt

Kristen Lotvedt is at the forefront of one of North Dakota’s largest flood protection projects: the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project (MREFPP) in Minot. The MREFPP began after the devastating 2011 flood in Minot, which destroyed homes, displaced residents, and crippled businesses while causing more than $690 million in damage. As design lead and construction manager for multiple phases of this project, she is a key part of the team leading multimillion-dollar investments into flood protection and civil infrastructure improvements that will remove approximately 60% of Minot’s residents from the floodplain once completed.

Lotvedt doesn’t let her work slow down her other ambitions, though. She constantly seeks out new ways to give back to her community, from volunteering for STEM programs aimed at inspiring young thinkers to donating more than four gallons of blood since 2011. She even seeks out volunteer opportunities where she and her daughters can work alongside each other to make a difference.

Lotvedt inspires those around her to find that balance between demanding professional responsibilities with rewarding and important charitable activities.

Brianna Ludwig

Brianna Ludwig

Age: 33 Deputy State Auditor

North Dakota State Auditor’s Office

Bismarck/Fargo N.D.

As the Deputy State Auditor for the State of North Dakota, Brianna Ludwig serves citizens across our great state championing efforts to bring transparency and awareness of how tax dollars are spent. Her team works to audit billions of state dollars on an annual basis.

Through her efforts to further develop a culture of excellence, the office has been awarded a 50 Best Places to Work from Prairie Business and Top 10 Workplace from the Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals Network. Additionally, her work received national recognition for superior government communication through the National Association of Government Communicators.

In addition to her job responsibilities, she volunteers as a board member for the Great Plains Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, bringing professional development and learning to communicators across the Midwest region.

She and her husband, Garrett, have two children and reside in Bismarck. When they aren’t running after kids, their favorite place to spend time is at Lake Ashtabula.

Nikki Massmann

Nikki Massmann

Age: 39

Director of Communications

Energy & Environmental Research Center at UND Grand Forks, N.D.

Nikki Massmann is the Director of Communications at the Energy & Environmental Research Center at UND. She serves on the leadership team and manages communications and outreach initiatives. She spent 15 years of her career working in quality assurance, communications, and community engagement in the health research field as well, specifically pharmaceutical research and rural health.

Massmann’s interest in communications started early, having spent time at the radio station in Crookston, Minn., where her dad works as a broadcaster. Working at the station herself during high school and college cemented her commitment to the field, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in scientific and technical communication from the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Connecting science and research to our everyday lives through communication is her favorite part of her career. She is passionate about community involvement and servant leadership. Massmann serves as an advisory committee member for the Women’s Fund, is a board member of MyAlly Health, and co-chairs Valley MarComm. She lives in East Grand Forks, Minn., with her husband, Brent, and their three children.

Atchison Companies is an investment firm operated by the wife & husband team of Sarah & Dean Atchison. We work with & invest in small businesses. We understand small business. We have owned, operated & built successful companies. We work with small business owners who are concerned about their strategy, anxious about their exit plan or who are stuck in a rut & want to engage experienced small business leaders to find a new way forward.

218.303.5151 Dean@AtchCos.com

Shawn Peterson

Ben Meland Age: 37

Co-founder Enclave Fargo, N.D.

In 2011, Ben Meland co-founded Enclave, a Fargo-based development, construction and property management company with his business partner, Austin Morris. Having worked on projects across a variety of industries including commercial, healthcare, industrial, and multi-family, Meland has an in-depth understanding of how structures of all types come together. He combines his innovative vision and commitment to exceptional craftsmanship to inspire team members and deliver the highest in reputation to Enclave’s partners and clients.

It is his dedication to people that makes the difference. He encourages team members to always challenge the status quo to deliver an exceptional work product and experience that can be seen across projects like 300lime, Fargo Center for Dermatology, MEDPark Medical Center, Uptown & Main, and E.W. Wylie, among others across the Midwest.

With a focus on doing the honorable thing, Meland embodies Enclave’s values in a transparent manner, always putting others before himself. An active member of the community, he serves on the board for Pulse and The Dakota Medical Foundation, and supports his church community through his time, talent and treasure.

Reed Montgomery

Age: 33

Vice President

Adams Incorporated montgomery

Fargo, N.D.

Reed Montgomery is the Vice President at Adams Incorporated with an impeccable sales record over the past seven years. He has increased his sales total yearly, from $200,000 his first year to more than $2 million this year. His customer service-centered and solution-based approach, over product based, makes him stand out in the industry.

Montgomery is self-motivated and competitive, whether at work, on the softball field, or cheering on one of his favorite sports teams. He is a natural leader that leads by example, not being afraid to get

Shawn Peterson

Age: 33

Chief Executive Officer

Liberty Business Systems his hands dirty. Always going above and beyond to help anyone.

Fargo and Grand Forks, N.D.

As a mentor, coach and passionate leader, Shawn Peterson aims to help everyone around him reach their full potential. His goal is to leverage his platform as the Chief Executive Officer at Liberty Business Systems to create as much positive change in the community as possible. He prides himself on his vision and ability to see things for what they can grow to become, including the amazing people he supports within his organization.

Peterson is a 33-year old leader with vision, drive and a commitment to building a company culture of transparency, communication and team-bonding. With the mentality of a competitive athlete, Peterson’s high-energy level and competitive drive instills a culture of “winning” that is motivational and rewarding for those all around him.

When he is not working on the business or in the community, you can find him spending time with his family, including three beautiful daughters or investing in meaningful relationships. For fun, he is always up for boating, traveling, hot yoga or a coffee.

He is always looking for the best solution for his customers while diligently looking how to save them money. Treating all his customers equally, no matter if they are a one-time, $1 sale or a million-dollar repeat customer, he values his relationships with all of his customers.

Montgomery is a devoted husband, father, and step-father. He has been a volunteer coach for his stepdaughter’s softball team the past two years.

Meredith Quinn

Age: 37

Project Engineer

AE2S Grand Forks, N.D.

Meredith Quinn is a Project Engineer at AE2S, where she has embodied the firm’s “Think Big. Go Beyond” motto for more than 13 years. She is passionate about partnering with communities to provide the best solution to address their water, wastewater, and public works needs. Quinn makes it a priority to guide clients to solutions that are fiscally responsible, environmentally sustainable, and beneficial to their communities.

She is active with the international American Water Works Association (AWWA) organization and North Dakota Section of AWWA. In fact, she is the youngest person ever to receive the prestigious George Warren Fuller Award in the history of AWWA. The award honors distinguished service to the water industry.

Quinn is also an advocate for children with special healthcare needs, serving on Gov. Doug Burgum-appointed North Dakota Interagency Coordinating Council and as a Family Voices board member. In addition, she is a devoted wife and mother of three, who gives generously of her time to her community and church.