LEADERS LEG AC IE S

At TSP, we pr ideourselve soncreating innovative solutions.But we take adeeperpride inouremployees whodedic atetheir career s to building alegac y. Congratulations to Ron Mielkeonbeingselec tedfor the 2022 Leader s& Legacies Award. Recently celebr atinghis53rd annivers ar y, we want to recognize hislongevity andlonge st tenure in TSP’s90-plus-yearhistory continued from Page 13

Congratulations,Ron!

Under Berning’s leadership, EPIC Companies has been recognized as the Top 50 Best Places to Work recipient, Top 3 for Best Rental Company in the Red River Valley, Governor’s Choice Award recipient, Main Street Initiative Award recipient, and a ChamberChoice finalist for Business of The Year.

He is currently active in the community serving as the president of EPIC Charities, president of the North Dakota State Fair Foundation, member of the Inquisitors Club, and on the Board of Directors for West Fargo Events.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with wife, Carolyn, sons Keenen and Landen, stepsons, Brandon and Trayton, and his pets Tab, Echo and Izzy.

Dan Conrad is a North Dakota native who grew up in northern Minnesota. After graduating from Lake Park High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a law degree from the University of North Dakota.

Originally from Bismarck, Steve Burian attended the University of North Dakota where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering with an environmental emphasis. He has played a vital role on numerous important engineering projects across the region while also remaining highly involved in community planning, economic development, and philanthropic endeavors.

Burian has devoted his career to engineering and consulting in ND and beyond. He was the longtime CEO of AE2S, which he co-founded as a graduate student in 1991. He most recently founded Burian & Associates, LLC, a fast-growing civil engineering and consulting firm that further supports his passion to combine visionary ideas with technical execution. Some career highlights include serving as a senior consultant on the Red River Valley Water Supply Project, which will deliver Missouri River water to central and eastern North Dakota in an affordable and efficient manner. He also led the conceptualization, legislation, and fast track development of the Western Area Water Supply Project to meet the significantly expanded water needs stemming from rapid growth due to oil development in the Bakken.

Over the years Burian has served on numerous strategic boards in leadership positions including the Valley Prosperity Partnership, American Water Works Association Board of Directors, UND College of Engineering and Mines Executive Board, UND Alumni Association and Foundation Board, and 10 years on the Board of the Grand Forks EDC.

Along with his professional achievements, Burian is dedicated to philanthropy. He has created multiple endowment funds for schools and non-profit organizations across the state, giving back to organizations that have impacted him or are helping others.

Burian is the proud father of two children and has one grandchild.

Conrad started his career in the public sector as a trial attorney with the U.S. Justice Department. He later went on to serve as in-house counsel for two large public companies.

Dan Conrad President and CEO

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Fargo, N.D.

Conrad returned to the Midwest when he started at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) in 2013. Serving as chief legal officer and executive vice president, Conrad provided strategic expertise to execute key business strategies. Over time, he progressively took on more operational areas of responsibility, providing executive leadership across the enterprise.

Stepping into his role as president and CEO in January 2020, Conrad had the unique and rewarding experience of leading the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout that time, he has focused on building and working alongside a highly engaged team motivated to more creatively and collaboratively challenge the cost and complexity of health care while elevating the role of wellbeing in workplaces across the region.

An active community member, Conrad serves on the board of directors for Make-A-Wish North Dakota, the BCBSND Caring Foundation, the Greater North Dakota Chamber and is a member of the Valley Prosperity Partnership.

A longtime supporter of the United Way of Cass-Clay both personally and as CEO of BCBSND, Conrad and his wife Rachel are humbled to serve as the 2022 Campaign co-chairs for the annual campaign.

Conrad and his wife, Rachel, reside in Fargo and have one grown daughter.

Always pushing for the best, Jodi Duncan has extensive marketing and business background that drives Flint Group to discover what sets clients and industries apart –applying knowledge and insights to generate effective business solutions for clients. Whether you have a large or small budget, moving business in the right direction requires smart, informed communications efforts.

As president of Flint Group, Duncan has a 10,000-foot view of business and the ability to identify where and how it can grow. Branding, strategic planning and marketing are key strengths Duncan focuses on when working with clients. Her experience and leadership have been focused on developing and delivering business services and solutions, providing outstanding client service, and driving profitable revenue growth.

Duncan has more than 30 years of marketing and advertising experience. She uses her experience to enlighten others on topics such as women in leadership roles, marketing for the manufacturing industry and more.

Duncan drives wins for clients and their brands by building a strong, intelligent team that digs into insights to create measurable success.

Jeff LeDoux has worked at Houston Engineering Inc. (HEI) for more than three decades, serving from the firm’s corporate headquarters in Fargo, North Dakota. LeDoux’s leadership embodies the vision and values of HEI that focuses on culture and responsible autonomy that has made the firm a success. He has been instrumental in HEI’s growth into one of the largest civil engineering consulting firms in the region.

LeDoux joined HEI in 1988 as an engineer. His leadership qualities were recognized by his peers when he became an owner and member of the Board of Directors in 1996; then in 2008 became the third president/CEO in HEI’s history and held that position through 2020 and helped shape HEI into the company it is today.

While LeDoux states the success of any company is a team effort, during his presidency, some of his accomplishments include: the creation of a new organizational structure that continued on Page 16