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.