Prairie Business March 2016

South Dakota State University has partnered with an international company that is working to provide better internet-based health services to rural areas. SDSU will be the first school in the country to train its students to use the program. See page 46. IMAGE: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENTS

6 Editors Note

BY LISA GIBSON Honoring Excellence

8 Business Advice

BY MATTHEW D. MOHR It Takes

More than Passion

10 Innovation

BY PAUL J. OLSON Educating

Forward

Thinkers

12 Curriculum

BY

DENNIS PAPINI

SDSU’s Design Program Provides Broad Overview

14 Education BY

TOM JACKSON, JR.

Learning Opportunities for All Ages

16 Tourism

BY JULIE RYGG

A Superpower in our State and Region

17 Prairie News

22 Prairie People

24 Business Insider Job for a Lifetime CEO of Flint Group celebrates 40 years with company

50 Construction Corner Changing Campus University paves way for facelift

52 By the Numbers 54

LISA GIBSON Editor 701.787.6753

lgibson@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Honoring Excellence

Iknow a number of powerful, successful and strong women who are leaders in their careers and leaders in their families. Women who balance their professional and personal lives with grace and class. One of the Top 25 Women in Business named in this issue of Prairie Business says it’s impossible to be an effective leader at work without maintaining a balanced home life. That’s true for men and women.

For the third year, we are pleased to honor the 25 women we’ve chosen to recognize for their career achievements, community involvement, volunteerism and merit. It’s always difficult to whittle down the nominations to 25. This year, yet again, all the candidates were impressive and noteworthy. If someone you nominated is not on this list, please nominate her again next year. Our list of excellent female role models this year includes bank executives, trade group leaders, hospital presidents, university presidents, business owners and more. Congratulations to all of you. You’re sharing the spotlight with admirable peers. See the whole list starting on page 28.

Also included in this issue is a feature story on a new technology in the medical industry that opens the door to solving the rural health care crisis. CareSpan updates and improves telehealth networks already in place, and South Dakota State University’s College of Nursing is the first school to begin training its students to use it. The platform stores its patients’ charts and medical history, allowing access at any time from anywhere with an internet connection, facilitates communication between physicians to allow for remote second opinions, uses digital equipment to read vital signs and qualifies physicians to prescribe treatment and medications based on remote health exams instead of strictly in person. The sources in the article are passionate and committed to the technology they’re using and say this system is the future of health care. Find out more about it on page 46.

Prairie News includes an interesting article on the US. Supreme Court’s decision to block the clean power plan, which has been a thorn in the side of coal-powered plants since the final rule was released with emissions cuts four times larger than those in the draft rule. We’ll tell you what one regional cooperative has to say about the rule and what the SCOTUS block means moving forward. Prairie News starts on page 17.

The Construction Corner features an enormous project ongoing at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. The three-phase endeavor with a $272 million price tag will result in a residence hall, a fieldhouse and a campus center, in the first part of phase one alone. The work will be ongoing for the next 15 years. Read about it on page 50.

Business Insider profiles the CEO of Flint Group and AdFarm, Roger Reierson. Forty years after starting what he thought was a short-term job, Reierson has guided company expansions, kept up with evolving technologies and stayed at the forefront of advertising and marketing trends to ensure his companies’ success. Read about his intriguing accomplishments, including being installed as development chief of a region in Ghana, starting on page 24.

This is a solid edition of Prairie Business with important news, innovative projects and technologies, and inspiring people. Enjoy. PB

KORRIE WENZEL, Publisher

LISA GIBSON, Editor

KAYLA PRASEK, Staff Writer

BETH BOHLMAN, Circulation Manager

KRIS WOLFF, Layout Design, Ad Design

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Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203. Qualifying subscriptions are available free of charge. Back issue quantities are limited and subject to availability ($2/copy prepaid). The opinions of writers featured in Prairie Business are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork are encouraged but will not be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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It Takes More than Passion

BY MATTHEW D. MOHR

Most entrepreneurs, especially those who have invented a product, have a deep passion for what they sell. Unfortunately, this passion does not always guarantee success, nor does the lack of product passion lead to failure.

When a person believes in what they do or sell, his or her commitment and joy is usually evident. Many product inventors love their inventions so deeply that the ability to market effectively becomes clouded with personal enthusiasm rather than creating user value. Someone develops a technologically advanced tape measure application for an iPad, but can’t sell it since users of tape measures don’t always carry around a computer with them, especially when it’s time to do measuring. Should the tape measure app inventor go into business, the hurdles of going to market might not be overcome simply by the inventor’s enthusiasm or belief in the product. Many inventors fall into the

trap of loving their product so much it never becomes commercially viable, even though it might have some opportunity for success.

Some successful business owners will admit they believe in what they sell, but are not necessarily wildly interested in every aspect of their products. A person can probably run a very good car dealership, but might not be an expert mechanic or thrilled with every type of engine or how transmissions are made. If the car dealer has all this additional knowledge about engines and transmissions and loves every little detail about how an automobile works, the deep interest might show to customers and be helpful, but a deep interest in how the cars work does not ensure success. Likewise, not having the desire to know about every engine and transmission does not mean a person will be unsuccessful selling cars or with their specific car dealership. PB

Matthew D. Mohr CEO, Dacotah Paper Co. Fargo, N.D. mmohr@dacotahpaper.com

Many product inventors love their inventions so deeply that the ability to market effectively becomes clouded with personal enthusiasm rather than creating user value.

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Educating Forward Thinkers

BY PAUL J. OLSON

Few topics are as hot in the world of higher education today as innovation. Those of us in education administration are told repeatedly by employers that they need our graduates to be creative, innovative thinkers who are able to solve problems in collaboration with others. The million-dollar question, of course, is how do we, as institutions of higher education, create a generation of innovators and change agents? I believe the formula includes a mix of the following four methods that I encourage my fellow educators to use to nurture innovators.

Think Big and Holistically

We need to pose big questions to our students to teach them how to think, and these questions need not have anything to do with a student’s major; we have to educate the whole person, not just the professional side of the person. We are much more than what we do for a career and when we educate people to be deep thinkers on a grand scale, not only do they lead richer lives themselves, but their employers and communities benefit as well.

Steve Jobs famously stated that “(t)echnology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our hearts sing.” If we want our engineers, computer scientists and biochemists to push the boundaries of their professions and become truly innovative, we need to expose them to the fine arts, literature, history and philosophy. They need to learn how to think abstractly, aesthetically and critically, not just scientifically.

Be Intentional

Innovation might happen accidentally every now and then, but it is much more likely to happen as part of a process in an environment that fosters it. If we want college graduates to be innovative, we need

to make students think about being innovative and give them the tools necessary to do so. This can happen with specific courses dedicated to the topic, but it should also be infused throughout the curriculum so students encounter it in a variety of different courses throughout their college careers. Repeated exposure and faculty mentoring will lead students down the road toward metacognition, where they will begin to think about their own thought processes and are better able to see where innovation can happen.

Break Down Silos

Successful businesses around the world have begun to see the benefits of interdisciplinary teams and universities have followed suit by slowly beginning to break down their disciplinary boundaries for improved student and professional learning. Learning communities and team-taught courses make the connections between disciplines overt for students and force them to develop higher-order thinking skills early in their college careers. Students are not the only beneficiaries of interdisciplinary work, however, and recent advances in health research emerging from the collaborative work of social scientists and medical professionals shows great promise for helping us fight everything from obesity to heart disease (see Christakis and Fowler’s Connected for an excellent example of this kind of work).

Forge Partnerships

Finally, universities need the help of the private sector if we truly want innovative graduates. Internships help students transition out of college and into the world of full-time, professional work, but an internship during a student’s senior year should not be the first time a student is exposed to the expertise held in and the problems facing our area’s companies and organizations. Experts from outside the university should be team-teaching courses with

professors on a regular basis. Private industries should take advantage of the knowledge and skills of college students beginning in their freshman and sophomore years to address the issues they are facing and to gaze upon problems with fresh eyes. Business administration and engineering departments, for example, should take on the real challenges our area’s businesses are facing to create mutually beneficial relationships through which companies benefit from faculty and student expertise and work and the students benefit from the mentoring and knowledge of professionals.

In his 2015 book In Defense of the Liberal Arts, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria notes “(w)hatever job you take, the specific subjects you studied in college will probably prove somewhat irrelevant . . . . What remains constant are the skills you acquire and the methods you learn to approach problems. Given how quickly industries and professions are evolving these days, you will need to apply these skills to new challenges all the time. Learning and relearning, tooling and retooling are at the heart of the modern economy.”

It is the responsibility of the universities throughout the Upper Midwest, in partnership with private industry leaders, to evolve into institutions that teach students who develop as whole persons to think intentionally on a large, interdisciplinary scale and learn to solve real, immediate problems. If we are able to do that, we will create a generation of skillful innovators who make learning and relearning a part of their daily lives to the benefit of us all. PB

Paul J. Olson Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean University of Jamestown Jamestown, N.D.

SDSU’s Design Program Provides Broad Overview

BY DENNIS PAPINI

At South Dakota State University, the difference is design.

The university’s new School of Design is changing how students learn in their chosen fields of design, building on a rich tradition in art and instruction that goes back to 1887, when then-President Lewis C. McLouth and another faculty member first taught freehand drawing.

The school — which brings together 28 faculty members and some 450 students from architecture, graphic design, interior design, landscape architecture and studio arts — enrolls all first-year students in a curriculum of collaborative design studies where they explore a range of interests including creativity, design thinking and design theory and practice.

This allows them to create unique pathways for themselves before moving into more focused upper-level course work and collaborative design projects. Previously, students simply chose a major, often without any exposure to other design opportunities that might be available. The collaborative design format allows students to discover each major’s offerings, then tailor their educational experiences to their specific interests.

The objective is to provide a broader, more comprehensive overview of design, offering both students and faculty a higher-quality academic experience, one that individual units or departments would not be able to provide.

The school also is able to offer cross-disciplinary opportunities to work with other students in disciplines like engineering, construction and operations management, as well as hands-on, real-world experiences, working on collaborative projects with faculty and working professionals in communities across the state of South Dakota.

Students also can participate in professional study trips — national and international — to study first-hand examples of art, architecture and other types of design that have endured and are now recognized as classics.

The ultimate goal is not only to meet the changing needs of today’s students, but to better align their professional preparation with the ever-evolving workplace they will enter upon graduation.

By offering innovative instruction in high-demand areas of professional design, the School of Design is building for the future today. Combined with a range of collaborative academic and internship opportunities, students will graduate well-prepared to launch their professional careers, and prospective employers can have confidence that graduates not only have that unique preparation, but also the real-world experience that will allow them to excel. PB

Dennis Papini Dean, College of Arts and Sciences South Dakota State University Brookings, S.D.

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Learning Opportunities for All Ages

BY TOM JACKSON, JR.

What do dentists, teachers and accountants have in common? They are all college graduates. Earning a college degree remains vital to personal and community success. Studies consistently show the important role earning a degree has on professional and community growth. Whether it’s providing business advice and consulting for economic development, preparing graduates to develop collaborative partnerships, or creating exceptional teachers who will continue to inspire our children and grandchildren, people with university degrees are the key to successful communities.

Studies show people with college degrees earn higher incomes than those without college degrees. “Incomes for the newest batch of diploma-holders are now at the highest level in more than a decade, while unemployment rates are falling quickly,” writes Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Zumbrun, referencing the New York Fed report. The article notes that the average college graduate will earn $1 million more than the average high school graduate over the course of a lifetime, with graduate degree holders earning an additional $3 million.

Continuing to provide access to higher education is important to the region. Higher education inspires traditional-age college students to consider the impact they will make on their world. Higher education inspires the continuing education adult to examine ways to challenge themselves and their organizations. I’d like to share two examples of how Black Hills State University is promoting innovation and commerce in our region: the Underground Campus and BHSU-Rapid City.

BHSU recently opened one of the only underground campuses in the world in partnership with Sanford Underground Research Facility’s lab, a science facility located at the former Homestake gold mine in Lead, S.D. This means BHSU manages a dedicated space 4,850 feet below the ground. This space provides a unique research and learning

environment for students at BHSU and scientists around the world. A live video feed from underground links the research to the classrooms at Jonas Science Education Center on the BHSU campus, providing unique science education outreach opportunities. Middle school students throughout our region are using live video feeds to witness cutting-edge science research including a robotics experiment and contest.

BHSU, which has been an integral part of the Spearfish, S.D., community for the past 130 years, recently established a new location in the state’s second largest city — Rapid City. The BHSU-Rapid City location provides more options for flexible and weekend classes to meet the needs of area students, many of whom are working adults. Rapid City’s business and economic development sector includes a strong base of agriculture and tourism with robust growth in science, medicine, engineering, technology, military and energy. We continue to work directly with employers and organizations in the Rapid City region to fill gaps and provide courses needed by area professionals. BHSU is in the top 5 percent of business schools in the world as confirmed by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. BHSU-RC is an ideal place for adult learners seeking continuing education to further their career or re-train for a new field.

From inspiring student innovation to providing tools to advance local commerce, higher education remains key to the region’s success. At BHSU, we are dedicated to finding solutions, inspiring growth and contributing to our region’s vitality. BHSU, the only liberal arts university in western South Dakota, is committed to working with community and business leaders to solve workforce needs and stimulate growth. PB

Tom Jackson, Jr. President Black Hills State University Spearfish, S.D.

A Superpower in our State and Region

BY JULIE RYGG

Energy, agriculture and tourism? In case you haven’t heard, one of North Dakota’s fastest-growing industries is our state’s third-largest and definitely a force for good, creating countless jobs and bringing in millions of dollars annually. While some might believe we live in obscurity up north, we at the Greater Grand Forks Convention & Visitors Bureau see the powerful, positive impacts of tourists visiting our state on a daily basis.

According to research compiled by North Dakota Tourism, the state hosted 24 million visitors in 2013, with $307 million in local and state taxes paid by visitors. This created a resident tax savings of $1,011 per household.

Where do these visitors come from? Grand Forks sees a majority of our leisure travelers arrive from Canada, specifically Manitoba. North Dakota Tourism projects out of the 1.7 million Canadian visitors to the state annually, 70.5 percent of those are from Manitoba.

Time after time, research done by the GGF CVB has illustrated Manitobans come to our community for shopping and to enjoy a weekend getaway. In one of our most recent surveys, compiled in 2015, 71 percent of the respondents said they spent between $250 and $1,000 per trip, while another 14 percent said they spent between $1,000 and $1,500 per trip.

We experience the highest volume of travel from Manitoba during holiday weekends and spring break. Every superpower has its Achilles heel and for us, that would be the weakened Canadian dollar. Unfortunately, it’s having a negative impact on many North Dakota cities of late. Our friends are still visiting but less often and for a shorter stay. This is where creative marketing techniques become even more important in helping entice and influence more travel to our cities, but that’s a topic for another day.

Another fact that might come as a surprise is that many visitors to North Dakota come not only from around the U.S. but around the globe. As a state, we excel when hosting conventions and athletic tournaments.This is where our “North Dakota Nice” shines, as we roll out the red (white and blue) carpet. The impact from these conventions and tournaments is tremendous for our economy. As an example, Grand Forks will host the 2016 Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in April, which is projected to have a direct spending impact of $1.8 million dollars. This includes hotels, food and beverage and transportation. Athletes, coaches and families will travel to North Dakota from 10 countries and stay for more than 10 days. Also, when their experience is a positive one, they become goodwill ambassadors for our community and spread the word back home about how simply grand we are.

Webster defines tourism as: The activity of traveling to a place for pleasure; and the business of providing hotels, restaurants, entertainment, etc. for people who travel. So it only makes sense the tourism industry in North Dakota encompasses numerous types of businesses including lodging, dining, transportation, event venues, retail, tourism organizations and many more. As an integral part of this industry, it’s the GGF CVB’s mission to promote all our exciting offerings, so those looking to visit a new area or return to a much-loved region will consider checking out the legendary state of North Dakota.

Julie Rygg Executive Director Greater Grand Forks Convention & Visitors Bureau Grand Forks, N.D. julie@visitgrandforks.com

Midco building $3 million facility in Rapid City

BY KAYLA PRASEK

Midco is bringing all of its Rapid City, S.D., operations into one centralized location.

The telecommunications company broke ground on a new $3 million facility in February. The 22,000-square-foot building, which will be located in east Rapid City near Century Road, will hold Midco’s customer service center, warehouse, offices, engineering and networking equipment and a small TV production studio.

“The facility highlights our continued presence and growth in Rapid City,” says Jon Lundgren, Midco general operations manager in Rapid City. “The facility will house all Midco operations in Rapid City in one location for the first time.”

Currently, Midco has three separate facilities in Rapid City — a field operations facility housing field and maintenance technicians, construction, engineering, sales and production, an equipment facility and a customer service center, which serves as the company’s storefront location in the city.

“The new facility will give us more efficiency, with everything centrally located together,” Lundgren says. “We’ve outgrown the field ops facility, and when it came time to build a new building, it made sense to combine it all together.”

Chief Operating Officer Debbie Stang noted the facility’s importance in a statement. “Combining all of our Rapid City spaces into one building will give us the opportunity to more efficiently meet the growing needs of our customers. The facility’s location also allows us to have a larger, more comfortable, Customer Service Center in a rapidly growing area of the city.”

Henriksen Inc., Malone Engineering Inc., Sperlich Consulting and The Century Cos., all Rapid City-based firms, are planning and building the facility, which is expected to be open by Oct. 1.

“Midco is a trusted community partner, and we’re thrilled that they’ve decided to construct this centralized facility here in Rapid City,” says Benjamin Snow, president of the Rapid City Economic Development Partnership, in a statement. “We are grateful for their capital investment in this project, but more importantly, we are excited about Midco’s commitment to our community’s continued growth.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer, Prairie Business 701.780.1187 kprasek@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

All of Midco’s Rapid City, S.D., operations will come together under one roof once the company’s $3 million facility is complete in fall 2016. IMAGE: MIDCO

The Midco Technical Operations facility is one of three Midco locations in Rapid City, S.D. IMAGE: MIDCO

Midco’s Customer Service Center serves as the company’s storefront in Rapid City, S.D., and is one of three Midco facilities there. IMAGE: MIDCO

ND Officials Praise SCOTUS Decision Blocking Clean Power Plan

BY KAYLA PRASEK AND MIKE NOWATZKI

North Dakota’s lignite coal industry, congressional delegation and state officials are praising a Feb. 9 U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan rules from taking effect until legal challenges are resolved.

Oral arguments for the rule’s legality in front of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals are set for June 2, 2016, with the final decision likely to be made by the U.S. Supreme Court, says Paul Sukut, CEO and general manager of Basin Electric Power Cooperative in Bismarck, N.D., one of the petitioners who filed the motion to stay the rule.

“This is a step in the right direction,” Sukut says. “The driving force in Basin Electric’s decision to litigate the rule is the well-being of our end-use member-consumers, those who will be left paying for compliance with this rule. We are hopeful that given time, ingenuity and federal/industry partnerships, we will create a viable future for all energy sources, one that strengthens rural America, doesn’t adversely impact our members and gets us down the road with innovative and achievable solutions.”

North Dakota is one of 27 states challenging the EPA rule released last August. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says he is “extremely pleased” with the Supreme Court’s decision, saying the Clean Power Plan would impose a particularly severe burden on North Dakota because most electricity in the state is generated by its seven lignite coal-fired plants.

The Clean Power Plan seeks to cut carbon dioxide emissions from the nation’s power sector by 32 percent by 2030. North Dakota officials say the rule singled out the state by requiring its existing coal-fired plants to cut emissions by nearly 45 percent below 2012 levels – roughly four times more than what the EPA originally proposed in its draft rule, Stenehjem noted.

“Financially, (Basin Electric) may have to spend more than $5 billion to comply with this rule as written,” Sukut says. “These billions of dollars would simply cover adding new generation and potentially impact the operations of our existing facilities. This does not even include the expense of additional electric or gas infrastructure to support new generation.”

Steam rises from the stakes of the coal-fired Jim Bridger Power Plant outside Point of the Rocks, Wyo., in this file photo taken March 14, 2014. The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 9 delivered a major blow to President Barack Obama by blocking federal regulations to curb carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, the centerpiece of his administration’s strategy to combat climate change. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart/Files

Lignite Energy Council President and CEO Jason Bohrer, who has warned that the rule will shutter some coal-fired plants, calls the high court’s decision “welcome relief” to the coal industry but says the “true winners” are consumers who rely on affordable and reliable electricity.

“The EPA ignored our comments and suggestions about how to craft a carbon dioxide rule that could work for North Dakota and instead produced a flawed proposal that would have put our prosperity at risk,” he says.

Basin Electric’s year-end 2015 generation mix was 54.6 percent coal. “We have long acknowledged that we are moving to a carbon-constrained future,” Sukut says. “Over the last decade, Basin Electric and our membership have taken a leadership role in the development of renewable generation. We’ve added close to 1,000 megawatts of wind generation to our system, invested more than $1 billion in natural gas resources and have invested more than $1.5 billion in emissions control technology to make our already clean generation fleet even cleaner. Even more, our Dakota Gasification Co.’s Great Plains Synfuels Plant is home to the world’s largest carbon capture and sequestration project, capturing more than 30 million tons of carbon dioxide.”

The Clean Power Plan gives no credit to companies who have already undertaken initiatives like these, Sukut says. “We believe there is a better way, one where we can pursue technological innovations while protecting our rural consumers from senseless rate increases. We must do better for our people, and we are hopeful the justice system will take our arguments into account and rural America will prevail.”

North Dakota Public Service Commission chairwoman

Julie Fedorchak says the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision is good news that will allow the process to work through the courts before utilities regulated by the PSC have to make changes.

“I think it really allows everybody to step back and consider what the EPA has proposed,” she says.

Members of the state’s congressional delegation have supported legislative efforts to thwart the rule, and Republican U.S. Sen. John Hoeven called the court’s decision “logical and welcome.

“Clearly, the cost to coal companies and utilities to comply would be crippling and costly to consumers,” he says in a statement.

With coal providing 80 percent of North Dakota’s electricity and supporting 13,000 jobs, U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., says it’s “irresponsible to put policies in place that don’t provide a viable path forward for coal.” Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., says Obama’s agenda “jeopardizes our state’s and our nation’s economic future.”

Nowatzki is a reporter for Forum News Service, which is a media partner of Prairie Business. PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer, Prairie Business 701.780.1187

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JLG expands to Sioux Falls, S.D.

BY LISA GIBSON

JLG Architects’ recent expansion to Sioux Falls, S.D., represents not only a response to demand for architecture services in the area, but also a desire to work more with the community after multiple successful projects, says Lonnie Laffen, CEO of JLG.

The new Sioux Falls location is JLG’s 10th. The architecture firm also has a presence in Brookings, S.D., Minneapolis and Alexandria, Minn., and Grand Forks, Fargo, Bismarck, Dickinson, Williston and Minot in North Dakota.

“JLG had been working in Sioux Falls for years on projects like the Sanford Fieldhouse and Sanford Pentagon and so, yes, we felt there was and is a demand,” Laffen says. “We put this office location on our list after our first project because we truly enjoyed working with the Sioux Falls community.”

The new office location is under construction and JLG hopes to move into the new space by April. “I’m really excited about how this will continue to transform Sioux Falls,” says Dave Van Nieuwenhuyzen, principal with JLG who will be leading the new location, in a statement. “Design can truly make a difference. At JLG, Design for Life isn’t just a catchy phrase. It’s what we live and breathe every day. JLG works hard to make life better in all of the communities we serve. It’s exciting to bring that energy and experience to Sioux Falls and the surrounding area.”

Laffen says Van Nieuwenhuyzen was a clear choice to head the Sioux Falls location because he grew up in the area and is passionate and involved in the community. “We like to hire locally — current or previous residents — because they are the most committed to making our communities great,” Laffen says. “Our research indicates that a good share of students from South Dakota State University grew up in the Sioux Falls area and would like to stay. We are very proud of our award-winning, employee-owned culture and find that it attracts the right professionals at the right time.” Laffen adds that JLG knew Van Nieuwenhuyzen from collaboration on other projects. “We … knew his character, his commitment to his clients and his passion for architecture. We didn’t consider anyone else.”

Van Nieuwenhuyzen says the Sioux Falls location already has projects lined up and will be servicing multiple others across the state. PB

Lisa Gibson Editor, Prairie Business 701.787.6753 lgibson@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

The Sanford Pentagon is one of several projects JLG Architects contributed to in Sioux Falls, S.D., before establishing an office there. IMAGE: JLG ARCHITECTS

NDSU assistant professor gets grant to study wind energy

BY LISA GIBSON

Wind energy potential is stunted by a few factors, including uncertainty in wind availability and the obstacle in transmitting that energy to the grid and to the end users once it’s generated. But North Dakota State University assistant professor Nilanjan Ray Chaudhuri has a proposal to solve those issues, along with a $502,810 grant award to flesh out his plans.

The grant comes from the National Science Foundation and is presented as an award to recognize junior faculty members for outstanding research, excellent teaching and the ability to combine education and research to further the mission of their universities, according to NDSU, based in Fargo.

The Midwest represents the greatest potential for wind energy, Ray Chaudhuri says, particularly North Dakota. “North Dakota has the capacity to replace the fossil fuel-fired power plants in the entire U.S.,” he says.

His proposal to solve the issues in transmitting that energy over a large distance from North Dakota to dense population centers in the U.S. has multiple facets. First, the U.S. needs to use more direct current (DC) transmission than alternating current (AC) transmission. The U.S. does have a few DC transmission lines, but uses mostly AC, he says, unlike Europe, which uses more DC transmission. Ray Chaudhuri’s proposal is to convert AC to DC, transmit it through DC lines and then convert it back to AC when it gets to the users, he says. He is careful to point out that his plan will not replace AC transmission, but will add more DC infrastructure. “It turns out, if distance of transmission is longer than a certain limit, DC transmission becomes more efficient than AC transmission.” Interestingly, North Dakota is home to a few of the country’s DC lines, two of which actually cross. “That’s a very unique thing that we have in North Dakota,” he says. The end result would be a meshed system with multiple point-to-point DC transmission lines.

Another key factor in his proposal is to create multiple areas of wind energy generation across a large geographical region in the state. That solves the issue of fluctuating wind availability, as different areas will see unique fluctuations. “They don’t fluctuate the same time in the same way,” he says. “At no place will wind fluctuate the same.” Ray Chaudhuri notes the importance of off-shore wind energy in his plan, particularly in the Atlantic, where wind is almost constant.

The project also will include summer research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, a curriculum that sets NDSU apart from other universities in the country, Ray Chaudhuri says. He also will lead science, technology, engineering and math workshops at West Fargo Public Schools and a summer camp at NDSU for elementary students.

“North Dakota is uniquely positioned to lead the wind energy integration efforts in the nation,” he says in a statement. “The proposed research is very timely and has the potential to act as a game changer in solving different energy challenges, not only in the U.S., but the rest of the world.” PB

Lisa Gibson Editor, Prairie Business 701.787.6753

Nilanjan Ray Chaudhuri, North Dakota State University assistant professor, has received a grant award to study solutions to the problems plaguing widespread implementation and use of wind energy. IMAGE: NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

FIB&T names Stenehjem to board of directors

First International Bank & Trust has named Erik Stenehjem to its board of directors. Stenehjem began his career in 2004 as a credit analyst. He has worked his way through various roles in the bank, where he is now a commercial loan officer at the Fargo Southwest office. Stenehjem is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Sanford Bemidji announces Nermoe as new president

Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota, headquartered in Bemidji, has named Bryan Nermoe its new president. Nermoe has served as interim president since November 2015.

In his role as president, Nermoe will be responsible for the overall management and operations of Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota, which includes the Bemidji and Bagley medical centers, long-term care facilities and numerous clinics in the surrounding region. Sanford serves more than 143,000 people across 14,000 square miles in northern Minnesota.

Fisher Industries promotes Kittelson

The management of Fisher Industries has announced the recent promotion of Curt Kittelson to general manager of General Steel & Supply Company in Dickinson, N.D. Kittelson is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of General Steel, the manufacturing division of Fisher Industries.

Kittelson has been an employee of General Steel for 19 years. Most recently he held the position of sales manager, where he was an integral part of establishing a presence for Fisher Industries in foreign markets. In addition to sales, Kittelson had been assisting General Steel Vice President Flo Friedt with the overall management of the company.

Nermoe has more than 20 years of experience in the health care industry as a leader in multi-specialty group practice, integrated health systems strategy, planning, development and operations. He joined Sanford in 2008 and has held various leadership roles, including chief operating officer for Sanford Clinic Sioux Falls, S.D., and executive vice president of population health and enterprise services.

Nermoe holds a bachelor’s degree in health care administration from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.

NDSU IT Division names assistant vice presidents

North Dakota State University’s Information Technology Division in Fargo has selected Steve Sobiech as assistant vice president for enterprise computing and infrastructure and Jason Blosser as assistant vice president for information technology services.

Sobiech has 14 years of experience working in information technology. He joined NDSU as a student employee in 2001 and advanced to a full-time position at the IT Help Desk in 2006. He was promoted to assistant manager of the Help Desk in 2007 and was named manager in 2011.

His leadership experience includes serving as acting executive director for the Department of Enterprise Computing and Infrastructure and, most recently, as assistant vice president for Information Technology Services. Sobiech earned a bachelor’s degree from NDSU.

Blosser has 20 years of leadership experience in higher education. He was director of systems and networks at Northland Pioneer College in Holbrook, Ariz., from 1994-99. He was director of information technology at Manchester Community College in Connecticut from 1999-2010.

He began his career at NDSU in 2010 when he was hired as a technology systems coordinator in the telecommunications and emergency technologies department. Blosser earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and a master’s degree in religious studies from Hartford Seminary in Connecticut.

Bryan Nermoe

Erik Stenehjem

Curt Kittelson

Steve Sobiech Jason Blosser

Sanford Health Network welcomes vice presidents

Dale Gillogly and Terry Mahar have joined the Sanford Health Network in Sioux Falls, S.D., as vice presidents.

Gillogly brings more than 25 years of experience in health care administration. He most recently served as a regional administrator for Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. Previously, he worked as executive director of The Elko Clinic in Elko, Nev. Gillogly earned a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Business Administration in Health Care Administration from the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

Mahar brings more than 35 years of health care administration experience, including 15 years as senior management health care consultant at Eide Bailly, to the Sanford Health Network. Mahar joins Sanford from Home Health and Hospice in Minnesota, where he worked as the regional director. His involvement in health care dates back to 1980 when he was an intensive care and critical care registered nurse for United Hospital in Grand Forks, N.D. Mahar received a Bachelor of Science and master’s degree in nursing from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.

LBG’s Kannenberg named an AWWA vice president

Mitch Kannenberg, an associate vice president in the Sioux Falls, S.D., office of Leggette, Brashears & Graham Inc. (LBG), has been elected a vice president by the board of directors of the American Water Works Association.

An AWWA member for more than 15 years, Kannenberg is currently a member of AWWA’s board of directors and is active in the organization’s South Dakota section. He is a past chair of the section and has served on and chaired several section councils. He was awarded AWWA’s George Warren Fuller award for distinguished service in the water supply field in 2012.

Kannenberg is a licensed Professional Engineer and a graduate of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, where he earned a Master of Science degree in Geological Engineering.

Arvig names new director of IT

Arvig, a broadband provider headquartered in Perham, Minn., has announced that Shaun Carlson has been promoted to director of IT. Carlson is responsible for leading all information technology operations and network engineering for the company.

With more than 15 years in the telecommunications industry, Carlson’s expertise includes a broad range of networking and IP technologies, enterprise networking and systems design, telephony, server and desktop support, web and database software development, sales and customer support. He joined Arvig in 2011 as senior network engineer, moved into the position of network engineering manager in 2013 and was promoted to senior manager of IT in late 2014.

Carlson holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from North Dakota State University in Fargo and an Executive Masters in Business Administration from the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D.

Gjovig appointed to U.S. Air Force Civic Leader program

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III has appointed Bruce Gjovig of Grand Forks, N.D., to the Air Force Civic Leader program for a four-year term beginning in 2016.

Gjovig is the CEO and entrepreneur coach for the University of North Dakota Center for Innovation Foundation, a nationally recognized entrepreneur center and venture development organization. He is a leader on the Grand Forks Base Retention Impact Committee (BRIC), providing leadership on major initiatives such as development of the nation’s first UAS business park, Grand Sky, and developing an Arctic mission to provide domain awareness across the U.S. and Canadian Arctic.

As an Air Force civic leader, members serve as civilian advisers, key communicators and advocates for Air Force issues. They provide ideas and feedback to the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff and Air Force senior leaders about how missions can best be accomplished in their respective area and about public attitudes toward the Air Force and Air Force activities.

The Air Force Chief of Staff Civic Leader Program is an Air Staff-level program comprised of two representatives from nearly every Air Force major command, the National Guard Bureau and Headquarters Air Force. These respected civic leaders are nominated by officials to meet several times a year and take part in several other group and individual Air Force functions. Gjovig is a headquarters appointee.

Mitch Kannenberg

Bruce Gjovig

Dale Gillogly Terry Mahar

Shaun Carlson

Roger Reierson, CEO of Flint Group and AdFarm. IMAGE: FLINT GROUP

Job for a Lifetime

BY KAYLA PRASEK

What was initially meant to be a job that lasted only a couple of years has turned into a lasting, 40-year career for Roger Reierson.

Reierson, CEO of Flint Group and AdFarm, graduated from Bemidji State University in Minnesota in 1973 with a degree in marketing. He then managed a golf course and worked for an advertising agency in Thief River Falls, Minn. In 1976, Reierson and his wife moved to Fargo, N.D., so she could finish school while he took a job as an account manager at Flint, a full-service marketing and advertising agency. “My intentions were to spend a few years there, but I had a great relationship with Harold Flint. When he was ready to sell the business, he asked if I would purchase it.”

Reierson has guided Flint through expansions to Grand Forks, N.D., Duluth and St. Cloud in Minnesota and more than 95 added employees. “When we were a smaller agency, I spent most of my time on client work and took care of company management in my free time. As we grew, my client duties went down and my CEO duties went up. In the last few years, we’ve put in a management team at each unit, so I’ve had more time for client work.”

That passion for working with clients extends into his care for his employees. “I enjoy watching my employees and their careers grow. Not everyone stays here, but maybe we helped them grow, and they left to advance their careers. Or maybe they have stayed here and they’ve continued to grow.”

While the people prove to be the most rewarding part of Reierson’s career, ever-changing technology is the most challenging. “Over the last 15 years, we’ve worked to stay ahead of the technology and tools we have at our disposal. We recognize it’s our job to bring those tools to our clients.”

That ever-changing technology has reshaped the marketing and advertising industry, Reierson says. “Our business is completely different than it was 20 years ago. The process, tools and technology are completely different. However, the talent base you need to be successful is still the creative people who are problem solvers and know how to position brands and set strategy.” Reierson says he’s also learning how to manage millennials, and “it’s fun to learn the mindset of a new generation and find out what drives them and their career paths.”

As for the marketing and advertising industry, Reierson says “this business is always exciting,” but the surge of entrepreneurs and startup companies are making the job more interesting. “Being able to sit down and help them plan and build their brand has been exciting,” he says. The social media side of the industry also continues to be an “explosion for us in the way conversation happens. It used to be one-way, and now there’s a continuing conversation. It’s exciting trying to

Meant to be one stop on his career path, Reierson finds lasting opportunity at Flint Group

manage that. It has led to growth in what we offer as an agency.” While he touts the technology that has proved helpful to the industry, Reierson also advises not to let “technology rule the way you do work. This is still a people business, and face-to-face conversation is still paramount.”

As for his advice to businesses considering outsourcing their marketing and public relations, Reierson points out the benefits of going through an agency. “The concept we have (at Flint) is a lot of specialists — PR, technology, email, TV scripts, direct mail — which most communications departments can’t afford. Going to an agency can give you all the tools you need to be successful. You get a whole integrated team where everyone on the team knows what’s going on, and you get perspective, which can allow your company to look at things in a different way.”

Reierson stays involved on the local, state and national levels, as past chairman of the Fargo Downtown Business Association, Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce, Greater North Dakota State Chamber Association, and has held positions on the Roundtable

for Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission-North Central Association, Xcel Energy advisory board, Northern Plains Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and has served as past president of Advertising Network International.

Reierson was also installed as the development chief of Obo Adakaba in the Awutu-Mankessim traditional area of Ghana in November 2015. Reierson and Delore Zimmerman, CEO of Praxis Strategy Group of Fargo, have worked together on economic development projects in Ghana and opened Praxis Africa there. The development chief is responsible for collaborating with the main chief to develop a social and economic development strategy for the designated community. Reierson says they are working with farmers to help them grow better crops, market those crops more efficiently and make farm-

MARKETING AGENCY VISION STRATEGY TEAM WORK GROWTH

INNOVATION

ing more economical. They are also working with the village’s school to install solar energy.

“Our work in Ghana is focused on connecting with and making a difference in one community,” Zimmerman says. “Our commitment to making something happen is evidenced by Roger’s acceptance of his chieftancy, which is both a great honor and a great responsibility. Roger’s deep experience in agriculture and his ability to relate to a community are really strong assets for the initiatives that we have going in Ghana. Farming practices and the culture of Ghana are dramatically different than what we know here in North America, but the fundamentals of respect and a willingness to work together transcend these differences.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer, Prairie Business 701.780.1187

Each year, Prairie Business selects a group of extraordinary women who show exemplary leadership, motivation, ambition and talent at work, at home and in their communities. These women prompt some of us to evaluate ourselves and set goals to be and do better. They’re great role models for living successful and meaningful lives at work and at home.

This year’s Top 25 Women in Business come from a variety of industries, geographical regions, backgrounds and experiences. It’s quite an impressive group of people and all of us here at Prairie Business extend our sincere congratulations to them.

Here they are:

The 2016 Top 25 Women in Business

CARLA SCHWARTZENBERGER

Co-Owner Razor Consulting Solutions

Watford City, N.D.

A year after leaving her job at Microsoft to find a better work-life balance and help her husband start a trucking company, Carla Schwartzenberger was asked by a former co-worker if she’d be interested in a joint venture. She said yes, and Razor Consulting Solutions, a company focused on custom software design and professional services, was born.

“I finally have a position where I don’t feel like I’m going to work,” Schwartzenberger says. “I have a good work-life balance, and I get to have fun with technology every day.”

Before starting her own company, Schwartzenberger graduated from Bismarck (N.D.) State College with a degree in math and from University of Mary in Bismarck with a degree in management, which led her to a job at the U.S. Bank Service Center in Fargo, N.D. After a couple of years, she switched career paths for the technology industry, first working for a Microsoft Partner, then for Microsoft for five years. Schwartzenberger has also received a master’s in information systems from Minot (N.D.) State University.

“Earlier in my career, the most challenging part of my career was being a mother and trying to balance work and family. It felt like chaos and left me with no time for myself,” Schwartzenberger says. Starting Razor gave her the chance to work in the industry she loves while also setting the balance she and her family needed.

Schwartzenberger saw her company quickly grow, from two employees in 2012 to more than 40 today. “We’ve really looked for team members who have the same beliefs we do — work hard, work-life balance and career development. Razor would not be as successful as it is without our great team.”

In addition to Razor Consulting, Schwartzenberger owns a trucking company with her husband and a small part in Razor Tracking, a Fargo-based GPS-enabled fleet management company. “I take pride in being able to be a positive role model for my kids, showing them that hard work and dedication can lead to your success,” Schwartzenberger says.

Schwartzenberger is also a member of the Watford City, N.D., Boy Scout Troop 382 Committee. She and her husband, David, have three sons.

CARRIE MICHALSKI

President and CEO RiverView Health Crookston, Minn.

Carrie Michalski says she’s always been on the business side of health care. She has a bachelor’s degree in health administration from Concordia, is a licensed long-term care administrator and serves as president and CEO of RiverView Health in Crookston, Minn. “I wanted to do something in business. I really like the aspects of health care — healing.”

She knew she wanted to use her business savvy in the health care industry when she was 18, she says. Her grandfather suffered a major stroke that relocated him to a nursing home permanently. “It was very hard for my family. It was very hard for him. … That had a pretty significant impact on me.” At that time, nursing homes had semi-private rooms for their patients, so they were forced to live out their final years in the company of strangers, Michalski says. And she decided there must be a better way.

It’s that empathy that helps make her a good leader at RiverView, maintaining relationships with patients and the community. “That opportunity to connect with our customers keeps me fueled for some hard and challenging decisions we need to make on a business level.” Spending time with patients and customers is one of her favorite parts of her job, along with mentoring new leaders and working on succession planning.

She says there is no typical day in her line of work, which keeps things exciting. Her main goals are to keep the health system focused on its mission and never give up. “Make sure we never get comfortable with good enough is good enough.”

Michalski and her husband, Jay, who farms the family land near Argyle, Minn., are raising three girls — twins Danielle and Erin, who are 10, and Paige, 11. Michalski works with local charities and volunteers as a teacher in her church. In her free time, she loves to go ice fishing and snowmobiling, especially when it takes her out of cell phone range. “The type of work I do, I’m always on,” she says, adding that a break from the chaos sometimes is crucial. “It helps to refuel your soul and recharge.”

Michalski says she is flattered to be among this year’s Top 25 Women in Business and enjoys seeing women in nontraditional roles make the list, noting that hospital administrators are mostly male. It’s a big job to take on while raising a family, but Michalski says she has an abundance of support from her husband, mother and mother-in-law. That has been a major factor in her career success. “If things aren’t right and balanced at home, you can’t be an effective leader, in my opinion.”

Having access to excellent mentors has helped her succeed, as well, she says, but so has her hard work and determination. She has no plans to switch careers any time soon. “I intend to stay as long as they’ll have me, at least in the near term. … I really enjoy what I’m doing. I enjoy serving the community.”

Anita was recently named Chief Financial Officer at First International Bank & Trust. She also has the honor of being the first female to hold a C-level position at the Bank.

Anita has been with the Bank for 34 years, beginning in September of 1981. She began in Bookkeeping and has since worked in many different areas of the Bank. Most recently, she held the role of the Director of Accounting and Finance.

Anita Quale Chief Financial Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Kris Compton’s favorite part of her job as chief operating officer of Alerus Financial Corp., Grand Forks, N.D., is the satisfaction of helping customers reach their goals. “Knowing that we have been a part of helping a customer fulfill their dreams,” she says, adding that sometimes those dreams are exciting and sometimes they’re challenging. But that means Alerus gets to play an active role in overcoming those challenges with its customers.

Compton has been in her chief operating officer role for 16 years. She has bachelor’s degrees from the University of North Dakota in business and in social work. She says the business degree taught her the technical aspects of her career and the social work degree helped with the human aspect of business.

Compton started working part-time as a bank teller in college and decided to remain in the financial field. “It was really there that I fell in love with the business side of things.” Now, her job duties keep her mostly behind the scenes, helping teams of people collaborate with each other. “Making sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing for our customers,” she says. Having been on the front lines with customer service, as well as in the background supporting staff, Compton has gotten a well-rounded understanding of operations. “I can appreciate and I respect all aspects of the business.”

In her free time, Compton enjoys spending time with her family and is grateful to have her three grandchildren close by in Grand Forks. She and her husband, Michael, raised two daughters — Meghan, 32, Grand Forks, and Katie, 29, Minneapolis. She says raising a family while balancing a busy career was not always easy. “I always tell young women that are trying to raise a family, don’t expect too much of yourself and be easy on yourself because it doesn’t always go smoothly,” she says. She credits a solid support system that includes her husband and both sets of their daughters’ grandparents.

Some people might look at career moms and wonder how they pull it off so perfectly, but Compton says there are aspects of that heavy load that nobody sees. “They didn’t see the nights when I was at home very stressed out about how was I going to get the kids to where they needed to go the next day or a work project done. One day at a time.”

Beyond her career and family, Compton enjoys doing volunteer work in Grand Forks and around the region. She says she found out early in her career that there are three legs to her stool: family, work and community service, in that order. “I quickly found out that if I wasn’t involved in the community, I wasn’t satisfied, so I’ve always been very active in the local community and, in some cases, regional.” That includes board work, volunteering and more, she says. “That’s been a very, very important part of my life.”

Compton has no plans to make any big changes soon and says her future plans are to “Keep doing what I’m doing as long as I’m having fun and I’m healthy. And so far, so good.”

HAPPY EMPLOYEES! HAPPY CUSTOMERS!

BELL STATE BANK & TRUST

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JULIE PETERSON KLEIN!

TEDX FARGO SPARE KEY GOLDEN RULE HAPPY EMPLOYEES! HAPPY CUSTOMERS! FAMILY ATMOSPHERE UNEQUALED PERSONAL SERVICE

Our entire Bell team is proud of your service to our company and community.

PAYING IT FORWARD RECOGNITION HOW BELL OF YOU LEADERSHIP VOLUNTEERISM TEDX FARGO SPARE KEY GOLDEN RULE HAPPY EMPLOYEES! HAPPY CUSTOMERS! FAMILY ATMOSPHERE UNEQUALED PERSONAL SERVICE

PAYING IT FORWARD RECOGNITION HOW BELL OF YOU LEADERSHIP VOLUNTEERISM TEDX

FARGO SPARE KEY GOLDEN RULE HAPPY EMPLOYEES! HAPPY CUSTOMERS! FAMILY ATMOSPHERE UNEQUALED PERSONAL

TISA MASON

President

Valley City State University

Valley City, N.D

Tisa Mason was intrigued by a career in higher education as a senior at Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky., where she graduated with bachelor’s degrees in sociology and anthropology.

“I was a first-generation college student and I had an amazing undergraduate experience,” Mason says. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but then I had the chance to go to graduate school thanks to some great mentors and advisers. After that I always had someone who was there for me, and I try to do that every day for someone here at Valley City State.”

She graduated from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston with a Master of Science in Education and has also earned a Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. She also holds a Certified Association Executive professional certification.

Mason has served as executive director of the Sigma Kappa Sorority and Foundation in Indianapolis, Ind., dean of student life at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and vice president for student affairs at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan. “The president at Fort Hays State actually encouraged me to seek a presidency, and then the search agency hired by Valley City State, who I had worked with before, called and said they thought this would be a good match, and it all worked out.” Mason started her presidency at Valley City State on Oct. 30, 2014, and is currently the only woman serving as president of one of the 11 North Dakota University System institutions.

Mason says she is “following in the footsteps of strong leaders” and is focused on increasing Valley City State’s graduation rate, ensuring the university is an innovative campus in teaching and learning and doing strategic planning for the university’s future. “This is not a one-person job, and I couldn’t accomplish anything without my executive team,” she says.

She is also focused on ensuring all students have the opportunity to attend college, if they so choose. “I had a student from a single-parent family who had received a football scholarship at the university I was at. Before school started, he was injured but we let him keep the scholarship and he became an outstanding student on campus. The next year, he still couldn’t play football and we couldn’t let him keep his scholarship. I found out he was going to have to drop out of school, so I made a few phone calls and we secured aid for him, and I will never forget his reaction when I told him. That’s what it’s all about, and is why I do what I do.”

Mason is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and will receive the organization’s Pillars of the Profession Award in March. She is also active in Kiwanis, her church and the Association of American Colleges & Universities and sits on the board of directors for the Valley Development Group.

LORI BAKKEN

Director of Marketing

EAPC Architects Engineers Grand Forks, N.D.

With 24 years of marketing experience so far in her career, Lori Bakken has been the marketing director at EAPC Architects Engineers in Grand Forks, N.D., for eight years and is responsible for the overall marketing of the rapidly growing firm. In terms of business success, Bakken’s efforts have directly led to the doubling of annual revenue since her hire. Bakken provides marketing support to four divisions within EAPC, including architecture/engineering, wind energy, industrial services and business excellence. Her primary objective is to educate potential clients on EAPC’s services and promote excellent working relationships with existing clients and those she hopes to obtain in the future. She has been successful in expanding the firm’s marketing abilities through her expertise in online marketing, social media marketing, media relations, public relations, strategic planning, brand developments, corporate communications, event management and overall market research. As a member of the EAPC executive team, Bakken contributes to the overall business development of the firm and is specifically driven to not only provide successful external marketing but also to promote and develop the culture of EAPC within each of the office environments. Outside of EAPC, Bakken promotes and participates in volunteer activities with United Way’s Toys for Tots and at St. Michael’s Church. She is also a member of the St. Michael’s School Board, is an ambassador for the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Chamber and a member of the Northern Valley Marketing & Communications Professionals.

ERICA BECK

Vice President of Development Lloyd Cos. Sioux Falls, S.D.

After earning a degree in urban planning from South Dakota State University in Brookings, Erica Beck held multiple planning and management positions with the city of Sioux Falls, S.D., where she played a key role in promoting economic development and historic preservation. During her tenure, she managed and directed the city’s Board of Historic Preservation and the Orpheum Board of Directors. She also served as a liaison to the Downtown Sioux Falls Board of Directors, Development Committee and Design Review Committee. In addition, her efforts led to the successful development and launch of the City of Sioux Falls Leading Green Initiative. She was then promoted to economic development manager, where she administered the city’s Tax Increment Financing incentive and managed planning and permitting efforts for the Downtown River Greenway Project. After a brief period as executive director of the Minnehaha and Lincoln County Economic Development Association, Beck was recruited to Raven Industries, where she established and executed training and leadership development. She joined Lloyd Cos. in 2013 and is responsible for implementing the overall business strategy and development pipeline by creating trusted business partnerships. Beck is active in the community, recently finishing a term on the Downtown Sioux Falls Board of Directors. She has actively served as a capital fundraiser for Feeding South Dakota and was recently appointed as a board member for The New Colossus. Beck and her husband, Ivan, have three children.

ANNE BLACKHURST

President Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, Minn

Anne Blackhurst became the 11th president of Minnesota State University Moorhead on July 1, 2014. She is known on and off campus as a leader, collaborator, connector to the greater community, strategic thinker, marathon runner and avid social media user. As president, and in her previous role as provost and chief academic officer, Blackhurst led campus conversations to define mission, core values, vision and priorities and then refined and focused these high-level, broad concepts into statements that can be used to guide daily efforts to focus on student success and service to the region. Before her appointment as provost at Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2011, Blackhurst served at Minnesota State University, Mankato as acting vice president for academic and student affairs from 2010 to 2011, as interim dean and dean of graduate studies and research from 2006 to 2010, as chair of the department of counseling and student personnel from 2000 to 2001 and 2005 to 2006, and as professor in the department of counseling and student personnel from 2004 to 2011. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, a master’s degree in counseling from the College of Idaho in Caldwell and a doctorate in college student personnel from Ohio University in Athens. Blackhurst and her husband, Joe, have a son and daughter-in-law, Evan and Paige.

President Midwest Marketing Rapid City, S.D.

After graduating college with three degrees in marketing, Dawn Claymore joined Lee Enterprises in its Classified Sales department. She quickly advanced, working for three of its newspapers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. In 1998, Claymore became the in-house advertising agency for McKie Automotive in Rapid City, S.D. She worked through many acquisitions, and at one point marketed 16 different franchises and businesses under the umbrella. In 2005, Claymore pursued her dream of owning her own advertising agency, with her first client being the automotive company she had been working for. Her company grew quickly, as did the change in the marketing landscape. Claymore has continued to lead her company to be on the forefront of technology. Midwest Marketing led the digital media front by becoming the first Inbound Certified Company in South Dakota and has received many awards for its work. Midwest Marketing received the Best of Rapid City Marketing Consulting Services five years in a row. Claymore and her husband, Troy, also are partners in Granite Automotive. She is the vice president of the Black Hills Works Foundation and secretary of the Rapid City Rush Foundation. She has also served on several other boards, including United Way, Youth & Family Services Board and Rapid City Chamber Diplomats Board. The Claymores have two adult daughters.

EMILY JOHNSON

Strategy and Implementation Director KLJ Solutions Bismarck, N.D.

Emily Johnson began her career at KLJ managing proposal development more than five years ago. She was promoted to marketing manager in 2011, where she continued to manage the proposal process in addition to leading corporate marketing and communications. She led the company through a rebrand, which included brand positioning, a new graphic identity and the recommendation to formally align the company name from Kadrmas Lee & Jackson to KLJ. Shortly after the redesign in 2013, Johnson was promoted again and transitioned into an implementation and resource role. Today, she works alongside the corporation’s senior executive staff as strategy and implementation director for KLJ Solutions and its family of companies. In this role, she is instrumental in the implementation of the corporation’s annual and three-year strategic plans, as well as goals, objectives and key strategic initiatives. Johnson earned a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in human resource management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and English from the University of Mary in Bismarck. She serves on the Bismarck Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors and the ServeYes! Advisory Council and is also involved with Marketplace for Kids and United Way’s Adopt a Classroom program. Johnson has also been involved with the Sanford Health Savor the Flavor Planning Committee and Sanford Health Great American Bike Race. Johnson and her husband, David, have two children, Olivia and Edward.

Executive Vice President/ Chief Culture Officer Bell State Bank & Trust Fargo, N.D.

As executive vice president and chief culture officer for Bell State Bank & Trust, Julie Peterson Klein is responsible for leading the mission of “Happy Employees! Happy Customers!” She inspires passion in Bell team members to live the company’s values of promoting a family atmosphere, providing unequaled personal service and paying it forward by giving back to the community. Peterson Klein has 25 years of banking and management experience, the past 17 with Bell, where she leads the company culture and human resources teams, numbering 1,000. Peterson Klein was instrumental in implementing Bell’s Pay It Forward program, which has given more than $8 million to date. She encourages employee mentorship, serves as liaison between employees and managers and ensures team members are recognized for employment anniversaries, personal milestones and outstanding customer service. Peterson Klein is a certified senior professional in human resources and a member of the Fargo Moorhead Human Resources Association, Agassiz Valley Human Resources Association and Society of Human Resources Management. She is Bell’s United Way coordinator and a Key Club member. She has served as a host for TEDxFargo, serves on the steering committee and is the volunteer coordinator. Peterson Klein has also been selected the past two years to volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. She and her husband, Tate, have three children, Ava, Lola and Cruz.

JULIE PETERSON KLEIN

JOLENE KLINE

Executive Director North Dakota Housing Finance Agency Bismarck, N.D.

Jolene Kline started working at the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency in 1985 as an eligibility technician for the Housing Assistance Program and worked her way up to lead the organization, which has 43 employees and more than $800 million in assets. She served as the state’s coordinator for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, which has become the largest producer of affordable housing for low-income families in the nation. Her efforts with the program were recognized by the National Equity Fund and the National Council of State Housing Agencies in 2010. She was selected as the first director of the planning and housing development division when it was formed in 2006, and was instrumental in developing and administering the agency’s affordable housing programs. Kline was named acting executive director in June 2013 and was appointed as its first female executive director in December 2013. Under Kline’s leadership, the agency was recognized in 2013 by the National Council of State Housing Agencies with an Award for Program Excellence in Rental Housing Production and in 2014 by the Urban Land Institute as a finalist for the Robert C. Larson Award for Housing Policy Leadership. Kline currently chairs the state’s Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Housing Branch of the state’s Multi-Agency Coordination Center for Disaster Recovery. Kline, a mother of two, earned degrees in business administration and accounting from the University of Mary in Bismarck.

Chief Administrative Officer/ General Counsel

Western State Bank

West Fargo, N.D.

Michelle Kommer serves as chief administrative officer and general counsel at Western State Bank, leading the human resource, information technology, legal and loan/deposit operations functions. Before joining Western, she served in executive roles at Noridian/ BlueCross BlueShield of North Dakota, Otter Tail Corp. and Community First Bankshares Inc. Kommer received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mayville State University in Mayville, N.D., a master’s degree in management from the University of Mary, Fargo, N.D., and a law degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. Kommer has been a passionate advocate for child welfare in North Dakota, as a foster and adoptive parent and in founding the North Dakota Heart Gallery, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the need for adoptive homes for North Dakota children. She also serves on the board of directors for the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce. Kommer and her husband, Toby, have three daughters.

MICHELLE KOMMER

AMANDA MCKINNON

Amanda McKinnon got her start in marketing as communications director for a branding firm in 2003. From there, she went on to various marketing roles with H2M, Catalyst Medical Center, Sanford Health and Dale Carnegie before launching her own branding and marketing company, MSPIRE, in 2012. She graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a Bachelor of Science in Communications. In 2015, McKinnon took second place in the North Dakota Women’s Start-up Weekend with her MISFIX business concept, was nominated for the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber Choice Entrepreneur of the Year and highlighted as a Top 20 Entrepreneurial Risk Taker in the FargoMoorhead community by Fargo Monthly. She is a board member of the Hope Lutheran Church Foundation and helped with the rebrand of the TNT Kids Fitness & Gymnastics annual fundraiser “In Their Shoes.” She has also served on the board of the Rape & Abuse Crisis Center, various United Way committees and chaired events for Plains Art Museum and March of Dimes Bowls for Babies.

KRISTI MAGNUSON NELSON

President Hugo’s Family Marketplace Grand Forks, N.D.

While Kristi Magnuson Nelson grew up working in the family grocery business, she worked with at-risk youth at Tri-County Community Corrections in Crookston, Minn., after graduating from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. In 1998, she came back to the family business as director of marketing and advertising at Hugo’s. Following the passing of her father, Magnuson Nelson took over the reins of day-to-day operations. She has led Hugo’s through continued expansion to include a total of 10 grocery stores and five liquor stores, in addition to ongoing improvements at each location. In 2014, Magnuson Nelson was awarded the National Grocer’s Association Spirit of America Award, and in 2015, she received the North Dakota Grocer of the Year Award. Magnuson Nelson is active with the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, currently serving as past chair of the Board of Directors. She also serves on the board of directors for the local Prairie Harvest Foundation, the North Dakota Grocers Association and the Minnesota Grocers Association. She is also involved with the local United Way, UND and North Dakota Museum of Art. Magnuson Nelson and her husband, Bob, live in Grand Forks.

Bodacious Brander/CEO MSPIRE West Fargo, N.D.

BECKY NEWELL

Co-Founder/ Vice President of Development Stoneridge Software Barnesville, Minn.

Becky Newell is a co-founder and vice president of development at Stoneridge Software, a consulting firm and reseller of Microsoft Dynamics accounting and operations software for mid-size to enterprise businesses. Originally from Onida, S.D., Newell earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, Morris and began her career as a technology consultant at Anderson Consulting in the Twin Cities. Newell became a founding member of Stoneridge Software in 2012 after spending more than 14 years at Microsoft in Fargo. In her time at Microsoft, Newell spent most of her years in support, first for Dynamics GP, then as a developer support engineer for Dynamics AX. She also worked on the Dynamics platform development team, learning the foundation of the product and how to develop in a team atmosphere. Newell coaches youth athletics with her husband, teaches Sunday school and vacation Bible school, is a board member for her community’s Junior Olympic volleyball program and a mentor for the Barnesville Community Fund’s philanthropic youth initiative, Trojans Give Back. She has also served as a judge and mentor in the Stoneridge Software-sponsored Barnesville Business Pitch contest. Newell and her husband, Eric, have two daughters, Katie and Amelia.

Partner/Attorney Vogel Law Firm Fargo, N.D.

In addition to Tami Norgard’s busy law practice, she has spent the past seven years as one of the managing partners for Vogel Law Firm, North Dakota’s largest law firm. In her management role, Norgard chairs the firm’s marketing committee, directs the firm’s marketing strategy and manages the firm’s external relations. She previously spent time as the attorney recruiting chair and regularly mentors many of the firm’s new lawyers. Norgard’s law practice focuses primarily on energy, land use and natural resource issues across the state, serving as lead counsel on some of North Dakota’s largest water projects. She is legal counsel for Cass County Electric Cooperative and other electric cooperatives and utilities. Norgard regularly handles oil and gas issues, landowner rights and pipeline safety issues in the Bakken. Best Lawyers in America has repeatedly acknowledged Norgard’s work with water, natural resource and energy law by identifying her as a Best Lawyer in natural resources law and environmental litigation since 2008. She has been recognized by Superlawyers since 2011 and has been listed by Chambers USA as a leading civil litigation attorney since 2012. Norgard has regularly served as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis, University of North Dakota School of Law in Grand Forks, North Dakota State University in Fargo and Bismarck (N.D.) State College. Norgard graduated from UND and received a Master of Environmental Policy and her law degree from Vermont Law School in South Royalton, Vt. Norgard and her husband, John, have three children.

1201 ARROW AVE. WATERTOWN, SD

TAMI NORGARD

LORIE POPE

Co-Founder/Executive Vice President Nexus Innovations Bismarck, N.D.

Lorie Pope co-founded Nexus Innovations, a technology consulting company located in Bismarck and Fargo in North Dakota, in 2000. Nexus provides strategic solutions in IT consulting, custom software development, project management, SharePoint and organizational consulting and is a North Dakota Certified Women Owned Business. In 2015, Pope was recognized as the Center for Technology Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. As an entrepreneurial business owner, she knows all about meeting the challenges, perseverance and vision required to own and grow a successful company. Pope is passionate about organizational consulting, specifically on ways to create a healthy culture that can be leveraged to achieve the organization’s strategic success. She is a certified team member of John Maxwell, an internationally recognized expert in leadership. Along with being a certified executive/personal coach, she loves to help leaders create the long-term results they want in their business and personal lives. Pope volunteers with CRU, teaching, mentoring and speaking for various groups. Pope and her husband, Bob, have four grown sons, three daughters-in-law and three grandchildren with one more on the way.

Chief Financial Officer First International Bank & Trust Watford City, N.D.

Anita Quale is the first chief financial officer for First International Bank & Trust, as well as the first woman to hold a C-level position at the bank. Quale has been with the bank for 34 years, beginning in 1981 in bookkeeping. She has held various positions with the bank, most recently as director of accounting and finance before being named chief financial officer in 2015. As chief financial officer, Quale is responsible for all of the bank’s fiscal operating results and ensuring the safeguard of bank assets. She advises senior management on fiscal control and profitability, prepares, presents and interprets financial reports to senior management and adheres to regulatory compliance to properly reflect the financial position of the bank. Quale received a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. She is active in her church and many community organizations. Quale is married and has three children.

KYA SCHROEDER

Vice President/Architect

LJA Fargo, N.D.

Kya Schroeder began working at LJA while completing her architecture degree at North Dakota State University in Fargo. Upon graduation, Schroeder was promoted to a project manager for the company’s hospitality department. In 2011, she became a registered architect in North Dakota and has been accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED Designer since 2008. She has since branched out into the commercial market, and has been involved with notable projects including the Dakota Events Center in Aberdeen, S.D., the Information Technology Department Office Building in Bismarck, and the still-in-design Dakota Magic Casino remodel and expansion in Hankinson, N.D., as well as numerous hotels nationwide. In 2015, Schroeder celebrated her 10th anniversary at LJA, joined the Board of Directors as a vice president and became an owner of the firm. Schroeder is an active member of the AFLC Grace Free Lutheran Church in Valley City, N.D. She has served as the chair of the Christian Education Board and teaches Wednesday night Answers in Genesis curriculum to first through third graders. The biennial design-build CANstruction competition that raises food for the local Great Plains Food Bank is one of Schroeder’s passions.

SUSAN SISK

Vice President of Finance

KLJ Solutions Bismarck, N.D.

Susan Sisk joined KLJ Solutions as vice president of finance in 2015. In this role, she provides strategic and fiduciary oversight as well as direction for the financial functions of KLJ Solutions and its family of companies. In addition, Sisk is responsible for financial planning, analysis and reporting as well as budget management. Before joining KLJ Solutions, Sisk served as director of finance for the North Dakota Supreme Court and chief financial officer/controller for CHI St. Alexius Health. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from Troy University in Troy, Ala., and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Minot State University in Minot, N.D. Sisk is also a certified public accountant. In addition to being a graduate of Leadership Bismarck-Mandan in North Dakota, Sisk has served as president of the North Dakota Health Finance Management Association, St. Alexius Toastmasters Club and Good Shepherd Endowment Council. She has also been a board member for the Bismarck Cancer Center, Bismarck Transition Center, Northland Healthcare Alliance and Northland PACE Senior Care Services. She currently serves as a board member for the Missouri Valley YMCA and Bismarck Cancer Advisory Board. She serves as a committee member for the Judicial Conduct Commission, the Judicial Nominating Committee and the Bismarck City Human Relations Committee.

STACY SOMERVILLE

President Dynamics Marketing Inc. Cooperstown, N.D.

Stacy Somerville opened her first research call center in Cooperstown, N.D., in 1992, under the name Dynamics Marketing Inc. In 1994, a 42-seat facility was opened in Jamestown, N.D. In 1997, Dynamics Marketing and Uniband Enterprises joined together to open a call center on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, located in Belcourt, N.D. Today, through all businesses she is involved in, Somerville employs 200 people throughout North Dakota, as well as 20 individuals in administrative positions. She has also been a partner in other family business ventures, including Posi Lock Puller Inc., P.L. Manufacturing and Dakota Turbines LLC. She has held various industry board seats. Somerville and her husband, Ryan Iverson, have two grown children.

DEBBIE STANG

Chief Operating Officer Midco Burnsville, Minn.

Debbie Stang serves as chief operating officer of Midco, with management responsibilities for customer service, field operations, supply chain, training and operations systems and support. She also oversees Midco Connections, a subsidiary customer contact center with locations in North Dakota and South Dakota providing call center services to a variety of industries. Stang leads more than 1,200 operations employees throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota and part of Wisconsin. Stang began her Midco career in 1984 in the company’s cable division in Sioux Falls, S.D. She continually progressed in the organization while accepting corporate roles in accounting, finance and human resources. During her career, she served as the company’s first director of employee services and the first vice president of human resources before returning to operations in 2015. The HR positions served as the starting point in pursuing her passion for developing and expanding female leadership programs at Midco. Stang holds a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University-St. Paul. In January, Stang began a position as a Women in Cable Television board member. She is also involved with women’s programs at her church and volunteers at a local Feed My Starving Children location.

ELIZABETH VRESWYK

Founder/President

AWTY Logistics

Dickinson, N.D.

Raised in Colorado, Elizabeth Vreswyk trained and hauled horses to national events before moving to Houston, Texas, to further her equine career, until a life-changing accident forced her from the saddle. From there, she found a love for Geographic Information Systems and gained experience in GIS enterprise solution development and process management with a few organizations: Duke Energy North America in refining New Generation interactive web mapping for both gas and electric traders; Duke Energy Field Services (DCP Midstream) enhancing early GIS Pipeline Integrity Management Programs supporting 56,000 miles of pipeline; and Gulf South Pipeline/Boardwalk Pipeline Partners completing numerous corporate enterprise GIS initiatives. After narrowly missing Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Vreswyk moved to North Dakota and quickly identified a unique niche for “off-line” Android/ Apple navigation applications to guide oilfield workers, vendors and crews to their remote, hard-to-find destinations. This led Vreswyk to start AWTY Logistics, providing highly accurate navigation and data delivery solutions that enhance oilfield safety and industry cost savings while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in North Dakota. Vreswyk also teamed up with the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties to develop a web-based interactive map allowing users to view real-time road restrictions, which then becomes available for those using her navigation solutions in the field.

DIANE STILES

Vice President

Lake Area Technical Institute

Watertown, S.D.

Diane Stiles has served as vice president at Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, S.D., since July 2014. Before her current role, Stiles served as assistant vice president for student affairs at Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland, Kan., before moving to a leadership role in academic affairs. In addition to her post-secondary education experience, Stiles previously served as the executive director of Norton County Economic Development in Kansas and as an English professor in Beijing, China. Stiles has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Education. She is the co-chair of the H20-20 Vision Committee for the Watertown area, a community-driven strategic planning process defining the community’s vision for the future. She also serves on the Watertown Workforce Advisory Council. Stiles and her husband, Asa, have two children.

Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development

South Dakota Wheat Growers

Aberdeen, S.D.

As senior vice president of human resources and organizational development, Judy Stulken is an instrumental part of the leadership team at Wheat Growers, with more than 600 employees in the Dakotas. Before joining Wheat Growers in April 2008, Stulken was assistant vice president of human resources with Student Loan Finance Corp. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a Master of Science degree in Business Management from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D. Stulken is a certified senior professional in human resources and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and her local Aberdeen Area Human Resources Association chapter. Stulken serves on the board for Agriculture Cooperative Employment Services and the Land O’Lakes Human Resources Council. She also volunteers for her local chapter of Junior Achievement as a classroom consultant and is active with the Boy Scouts of America. Stulken and her husband, Brett, have two sons.

Primary Care Puzzle Piece

A cloud-based technology to provide health care through virtual appointments could be the future of rural medicine, and South Dakota State University’s College of Nursing is the first educational institution to train its students to use it

BY LISA GIBSON

Robin Arends, South Dakota State University College of Nursing clinical assistant professor and nurse practitioner for Avera, holds an infant as his father, a student, examines him. Another student is visible on the monitor. IMAGE: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

In a fast-paced and ever-changing health care industry, students at South Dakota State University’s College of Nursing will be trained in some of the most advanced up-and-coming technology in their line of work. SDSU will be the first educational institution to add CareSpan USA Inc.’s newest technology to its curriculum.

CareSpan’s Virtual Clinic is a system that allows physicians to deliver primary care services over the internet that are equal to an in-person visit, according to Mark Winter, CEO of CareSpan USA. It’s a step above current telemedicine services that allow patients to see their doctors remotely, he says, as it allows the monitoring of vital signs through digital health instruments and, perhaps most important, allows remote access to all enrolled patients’ medical records, as well as other physicians for second opinions. Physicians can then adequately prescribe treatment and medications. “It’s really the most comprehensive platform of its kind for delivering what we call digital health care,” Winter says.

“The beauty of the CareSpan platform is that it is a primary care clinic in a cloud,” says SDSU College of Nursing Dean Nancy Fahrenwald. “It’s patient-centered and I believe it’s part of the solution of helping to make primary care available to our rural populations.” Fahrenwald says CareSpan is the puzzle piece that pulls technology-based care together. “Our vision and our mission is that we prepare our graduates, both registered nurses and the nurse practitioners as well as the nurse educators and nurse scientists who address rural health care ... to help meet the gap of primary care needs, and we know that part of that solution is integrating technology into the curriculum.”

Robin Arends, College of Nursing clinical

Craig Sandstrom Fargo

Gregg Schaefer Grand Forks

Rollin Mehlhoff Bismarck

Melissa Almer Grand Forks

Mark Winter, CEO of CareSpan USA Inc. IMAGE: CARESPAN USA INC.

assistant professor and nurse practitioner for Avera, says, “We know that this is a very mobile world, so it would be very helpful if you’re traveling to a different part of the country, or even to a different country, to have your records available for you at all times in case there is some medical emergency.”

SDSU was chosen as the first university to train students in CareSpan for a few reasons, says Terry Knapp, CareSpan founder, chairman and chief medical officer. First, Native American reservations are often the most underserved in primary care, which made North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska prime candidates, Knapp says. SDSU is the alma mater of CareSpan Senior Vice President for Clinical Quality Jo Ellen Koerner, which boosted its candidacy for the partnership, but Fahrenwald’s enthusiasm for the program helped seal the deal, Knapp says. “We found in Dean Fahrenwald a very forward-thinking individual,” he says.

Fahrenwald says she is impressed with the quality of the CareSpan platform and says the school and company are “kindred spirits” in their desire and motivation to remedy the global primary health care shortage.

Knapp says CareSpan is excited about the partnership and will ensure SDSU’s graduates enter their careers already familiar with such a program. “It is instrumental that in the higher education of medical providers that there is a foundation in that education that addresses the new era of digital health. … I would love to have CareSpan in every medical and nursing school on the globe.”

Across the Globe

SDSU’s nursing school will implement the program on its campuses in Brookings, Rapid City, Aberdeen and Sioux Falls, Fahrenwald says. The

college received a $1.3 million federal grant in July that facilitated the purchase of telehealth equipment. The addition of CareSpan is an added bonus, according to Arends, who is the project director for the grant. “As we are developing the competencies and the curriculum and simulation for that telehealth grant, the introduction of CareSpan is an exciting opportunity for us.”

“We were able to integrate technologies for video-interactive care and purchase various pieces of equipment that were plug-and-play,” Fahrenwald says of the telehealth grant. “Our goal is that we will develop the virtual-based training so that other primary care education programs can integrate those education modules into their curriculum.” SDSU is building its curriculum and expects its students to begin using the CareSpan program this spring semester.

“We’re working on an education platform, a demo platform, but [CareSpan] is providing actual care in off-shore oil sites, south of Texas,” Fahrenwald says.

CareSpan also is rolling out service in Sweden, Finland, Norway and soon Denmark, Winter says, and is serving people on ships traveling through the Panama Canal in Latin America. The company is in negotiations to bring the virtual clinic to Nigeria, as large cities there with enormous populations struggle with transportation and citizens can’t always get across town to a clinic, Winter says.

CareSpan’s network functions with the help of providers who enter agreements to administer care through the program. Those physicians are then entered into the system and patients can look through their schedules,

CareSpan’s virtual clinic allows detailed physician exams via the internet. This video conference shows virtual evaluation of a patient’s heart and breathing. IMAGE: CARESPAN USA INC.

Patient’s breathing has improved since last exam. No indication of bronchitis.

make appointments or request an immediate exam. Insurance programs often initiate the contact with physicians and patients enrolled with CareSpan, Winter says. It’s designed for consistency of care, not “episodic” care like current telehealth systems, where patients sometimes never see the same doctor twice. Winter calls those “talk-to-a-doc” systems.

The Future of Medicine

Darlene Hanson, director of simulation for the University of North Dakota’s nursing program in Grand Forks, agrees that virtual care is key to solving rural health care needs. The school employs a variety of virtual training programs, including IV administration, simulated charting and a virtual Alzheimer’s Disease care program called Second Wind. The system demonstrates how disorienting Alzheimer’s and dementia can be for patients by clouding auditory interpretation and increasing

40

confusion, interfering with central and peripheral vision and overloading sensory nerves and fine motor skills. Hanson says UND has done simulations in its training for years, but is just beginning to implement its virtual programs. “I see a lot of value in virtual teaching,” she says.

“It’s definitely something that’s needed in education.”

Fahrenwald says the staff and students in SDSU’s College of Nursing are eager to begin using telehealth training in conjunction with CareSpan. The program will be great for nurse practitioners, who are heavily recruited and must satisfy many demands. “The outcomes of care from nurse practitioners have been demonstrated through research as being high-quality, cost-effective outcomes, and for us to be able to integrate this and for them to be able to develop these skills to put such a platform into their practice gives them all kinds of opportunities that we could have only imagined 20 years ago.”

Winter says, “Eventually, there’s no question this is the future of the way health care will be delivered.” PB

Lisa Gibson Editor, Prairie Business 701.787.6753 lgibson@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

The 40 Under 40 names were revealed in the December 2015 issue of Prairie Business and the Top 25 Women in Business can be found in this edition.

Come out and mingle with the impressive winners, network with your peers and, most impor tant, have fun! Enjoy entertainment by local musician Warren Christensen, try some delicious complimentary food provided by Sazerac Alley, Barbacoa and The Boiler Room, and throw back a free pint from Fargo Brewing Co

Please

visit prairiebusinesspar ty.eventbrite.com to RSVP by March 21. We hope to see you there! Business Prairie premier business magazine of the northern plains

Robin Arends, SDSU College of Nursing clinical assistant professor. IMAGE: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

SDSU College of Nursing Dean Nancy Fahrenwald. IMAGE: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

Women in TOP 25 Business

Changing Campus

University of Mary’s Vision 2030 capital campaign to reshape campus

BY KAYLA PRASEK

Over the course of the next 15 years, students, faculty and staff at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., will see their campus change drastically. The university’s $272 million Vision 2030 capital campaign will be split into three phases.

Phase one will consist of $96 million worth of projects and will be split into separate parts. Three projects make up the first part of phase one, totaling about $40 million: a residence hall, a wellness center and a campus center. The three projects were designed by JLG Architects, while Kraus Anderson and Roers are providing general contractor services.

Work on the university’s $11 million, 276-bed residence hall for freshmen women started in October 2015 and is expected to be completed by August. “It has been a goal of the university to become more of a residential campus,” says Executive Vice President Greg Vetter. “There has been a need and demand for on-campus residency as we grew significantly. Right now, there are no single rooms and not as many upperclassmen can live on campus as would like.”

The residence hall is a standard suite-style dormitory, but it will also house the Saint Scholastica Hall for Women, which is for women of all ages who have the desire to live in the community and grow in faith, character and holiness, Vetter says.

U of Mary broke ground on its $9.25 million fieldhouse in November 2015, with work expected to be finished by November 2016. The two-level fieldhouse will house four basketball courts, a 200-meter track, tennis and racquetball courts, a group fitness room, coaches’ offices, locker rooms, a wellness center and student lounge.

“We haven’t had a wellness center to this scale before,” Vetter says. “It’ll be available to all athletes, non-athletes and faculty. In addition, it’ll have a full-size indoor track, which means we’ll be able to host events. We have 17 varsity sports that need this space to practice.”

The university will break ground on its $20 million campus center in May and has set a completion date of August 2017. The campus center has been in the works

TOP: The University of Mary’s newest residence hall is on track to open in August. IMAGE: UNIVERSITY OF MARY

TOP RIGHT: The University of Mary’s newest residence hall will consist of 276 beds for freshmen women, as well as those women who choose to live in Saint Scholastica Hall.

IMAGE: UNIVERSITY OF MARY

for several years, says Jerome Richter, vice president for public affairs and mission advancement. The two-story, 80,000-square-foot campus center will repurpose the existing fieldhouse and will be connected to the McDowell Activity Center to create a central focal point for the campus.

“The campus center has been talked about for four years, so it’s been a known need,” Vetter says. “Especially with our growth in out-of-state students, we need this ‘living room’ on campus. It will really be the heartbeat of campus.”

The campus center will feature Founders Hall, a 600-person events center, along with a 24/7 dining hall, book and retail store, individual conference rooms, student lounges, student organization space, a coffee shop and Hall of Fame concourse. The campus center will overlook the Missouri River Valley, with two sides of Founders Hall consisting of floor-to-ceiling windows to give guests a good view.

“These are three needs that really go together,” Richter says. “If we have more students, they need more space and more things to do. It benefits the public as well, as they can make an evening of it when there are events on campus. It really will be a social experience from top to bottom.” PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer, Prairie Business

The new residence hall will be a standard suite-style dormitory. IMAGE: UNIVERSITY OF MARY

Interest Rates

Employment

Gas Captured/Sold

Data provided by David Flynn, chair of the University of North Dakota Department of Economics. Reach him at david.flynn@business.und.edu.

New-well oil production per rig barrels/day

New-well oil production per rig barrels/day

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Monthly

New-well gas production per rig thousand cubic feet/day

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Marcellus Niobrara Permian Utica

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian Utica

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Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian Utica

(150) (125) (100) (75) (50) (25) 0

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Indicated monthly change in oil production (Mar vs. Feb)

thousand

thousand

barrels/day

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Legacy gas production change million

Legacy gas production change million cubic feet/day

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian Utica

(700) (600) (500) (400) (300) (200) (100) 0

Indicated

80

60

40

20

-20

0

Legacy oil production change -40

-60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian Utica

-250 -200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250

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March-2015

March-2015

Indicated monthly change in gas production (Mar vs. Feb)

million cubic feet/day

feet/day

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March-2015

Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian

Niobrara Permian Utica

2

March-2015 March-2016