GENIUS GENUS

A new species of academic facilities has changed the face of education in Alexandria, Minnesota. The Alexandria Area High School, designed by JLG Architects and Cuningham Group (AOR), provides a cutting-edge, flexible, and collaborative learning environment to adapt as education paradigms in the future. The High School takes some of the most inefficient and high maintenance space off the district’s books and alleviates crowding in the classrooms while adding a small and large group learning spaces, science, technology and engineering labs, a 1,000-seat performing arts center, athletic facilities and fields, and art rooms.

jlgarchitects.com

Solberg named Bell Bank CEO

Bell State Bank & Trust’s board of directors has named Michael Solberg president and CEO. In the CEO role, he succeeds his father, Richard, who has served as the bank’s chairman and CEO for the past 32 years. Richard will continue to serve as the bank’s board chairman.

Michael began his financial career at State Bank of Fargo in 1998. In 2007, he initiated the bank’s Pay It Forward program, which encourages employees and community members to give money to individuals and organizations in need. He has served as president of the bank since 2008 and helped lead the company’s continued growth through the acquisition of Minneapolis-based Bell Mortgage. He also led the bank through its rebranding as Bell State Bank & Trust, the development of the bank’s footprint in the Twin Cities metro area and the expansion of its wealth management division.

Gunsch earns water award

Michael Gunsch received the 2014 Water Wheel award from the North Dakota Water Users Association during the group’s joint water convention and irrigation workshop held Dec. 3-5 in Bismarck, N.D. The award is given in recognition for a commitment to protect, develop and manage North Dakota’s water resources. Gunsch is a civil engineer and principal at Houston Engineering in Bismarck.

Glennon joins AE2S

Mark Glennon has joined AE2S (Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services Inc.) as a project engineer in the firm’s Fargo office. He will work in the civil engineering practice and will be responsible for the design of land development sites, including roadways, grading and drainage projects and utility infrastructure. He has more than 10 years of civil engineering experience. Prior to joining AE2S, he worked as a senior engineer at SRF Consulting Group in Minneapolis.

VanHofwegen elected to NMTC Coalition board

Lin VanHofwegen, managing director of Dakotas America, has been elected to the board of directors of the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition. The NMTC Coalition is a national membership organization of Community Development Entities and investors organized to conduct research on and advocacy for the New Markets Tax Credit.

VanHofwegen manages the operations of Dakotas America and has led the CDE to full utilization of its total NMTC allocations, overseeing a portfolio of more than $190 million in qualified low income community investments. She has experience as a small business owner in a rural community and is a certified economic development finance professional. Prior to joining Dakotas America, she served as vice president of operations at Dakota Resources.

Blueprint IT Solutions adds staff

Fargo-based Blueprint IT Solutions Inc. recently added three staff members to its team.

Ben Ziegler will serve as vice president of national sales for ACT Wi-Fi, a subsidiary of Blueprint. He has more than 20 years of experience in business and communications.

Andrea Campbell-Launert has been hired as a technology consultant and will focus on providing Xerox solutions to clients. She has approximately five years of experience in business and technology sales.

Tiffany Bolgrean has also been hired as a technology consultant. She has more than 15 years of related sales experience.

Boyum-Breen to succeed Waite as Rasmussen College president

Trenda Boyum-Breen has been selected to serve as president of Rasmussen College. She will replace Kristi Waite, who has served as president of the college for the past 17 years. Waite will retire on March 30, after which she will assume the role of vice chairperson of the college’s board of directors.

Boyum-Breen joined Rasmussen College in 2012 as chief academic officer. Prior to that, she served as vice president at Metropolitan State University. She has more than 15 years of higher education leadership experience.

Noridian Healthcare Solutions promotes 2

Noridian Healthcare Solutions has promoted Pam Gordon to vice president of the Provider Call Center and Becky Gunderson to director of Parts A and B Medical Review for Jurisdiction E and F.

Gordon is responsible for all areas of provider customer service for Jurisdictions F and E contracts including Part A and B inquiries, provider enrollment, phone and written reopening and user security. She has worked at Noridian since 1989.

Gunderson is responsible for the leadership of the Part A and B Medical Review teams, Part A Comprehensive Error Rate Testing and the Asbestosis pilot program. She has been with Noridian since 1990.

Scott Meyer

Meyer receives Brookings’ inaugural generational leadership award

Scott Meyer, Brookings, S.D., native and cofounder of Brookings-based 9 Clouds and Lemonly, recently received the first Mayor’s Generational Leadership award from Brookings Mayor Tim Reed. The award was created to recognize a community member 35 years old or younger who has affected the community by positively changing residents’ perceptions of the community, helping to attract and retain young professionals, motivating others to be active in their community and by contributing to the advancement and well-being of the community through service in a variety of areas, including economic development and volunteerism.

Meyer launched digital marketing firm 9 Clouds with his brother, John, about six years ago followed by Lemonly, which specializes in the creation of infographics, about three years ago. The two companies now employ more than 20 people and have combined annual revenues over $2.75 million. Meyer is a past recipient of the South Dakota Spirit of Entrepreneurship and South Dakota’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. He was also named one of 2014’s top 40 business professionals under the age of 40 by Prairie Business magazine.