Prairie Business March 2020

PREMIER BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS | MARCH 2020

25 TOP

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2020

THIS YEAR’S TOP 25 PAGE 20

TOURISM’S ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THE UPPER MIDWEST PAGE 12

THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSWOMEN WHO TRAVEL IS TRENDING UPWARD PAGE 16

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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O D A R C Y V O L K Darcy Volk joined KLJ in 2015 and has successfully exemplified the ability to develop plans and design processes to implement strategies that have helped put KLJ on the path to continued success. Volk is a life-long member of the Bismarck-Mandan community. Her love for the community in which she lives, and works is evident by her continuous involvement in non-profit and business focused organizations.

TOP 25 WOMEN IN BUSINESS KLJENG.COM

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! s n o i t a l u t a r g n o C COO Jenna Fleck was selected as a Top 25 Women in Business for Prairie Business Magazine

Jenna is incredibly dedicated, hardworking and loyal, all while being a true friend to her colleagues, a fantastic mother to her children and an active member in her community.

The best part about Jenna is that even when she’s up against a deadline, you’ll never know it. She’ll continue to go out of her way to help you, with a smile on her face and her always present positive attitude. All of us at Security First Bank are proud of Jenna!

TABLEOFcontents

DEPARTMENTS

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Editor’S NOTE

10

THE NUMBER 25 ISN’T JUST ABOUT MATH

BY ANDREW WEEKS

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

28 DONNA BLOCK, PRESIDENT OF LUX COMMUNITIES, POSES FOR A PHOTO AT HER OFFICE ON FRIDAY, JAN. 31 IN FARGO. N.D. BLOCK TRAVELS FOR BUSINESS SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND SAID FROM HER OBSERVATIONS MORE WOMEN ARE TRAVELING FOR BUSINESS NOWADAYS. ACCORDING TO NATIONAL STATISTICS, SHE IS RIGHT IN HER OBSERVATIONS. IMAGE: ERIC HYLDEN/PRAIRIE BUSINESS

FEATURES 12

Travel Trends WOMEN ON THE MOVE

BY ANDREW WEEKS

20

Construction Corner ENCLAVE COMPANIES IS BUILDING A NEW HOME OFFICE IN WEST FARGO

BY ANDREW WEEKS

Workplace Safety

32

MINNESOTA WOMAN HIGHLIGHTS PERSONAL TRAGEDY TO BRING SAFETY AWARENESS TO THE WORKPLACE

BY ANDREW WEEKS

36

BUSINESS INSIDER

A Q&A WITH DUSTIN HILLEBRAND, WORKFORCE CENTER MANAGER AT JOB SERVICE NORTH DAKOTA IN GRAND FORKS.

BY ANDREW WEEKS

Tourism Economy TRENDS IN THE VIBRANT TOURISM ECONOMY

BY SAM EASTER

16

30

A NEW DECADE POWERED BY WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

BY H2M

Top 25 Women in Business

40

Midwest Landscaping MIDWEST LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FIRM EXPANDS INTO NORTH DAKOTA

BY PRAIRIE BUSINESS

42

PRAIRIE PEOPLE

44

INSIGHTS & INTUITION

46

BY THE NUMBERS

PRAIRIE BUSINESS IS PLEASED TO PRESENT THE TOP 25 WOMEN IN BUSINESS FOR 2020.

25 TOP

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2020

8

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JAY PETERSON

prairie people VISIT WWW.PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM TO SEE THIS AND OTHER NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS AND AWARD WINNERS IN THE REGION. PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM

HOUSTON ENGINEERING HIRES SENIOR TECHNICIAN BISMARCK, N.D. – JAY PETERSON HAS JOINED HEI’S BISMARCK TEAM AS A FULL-TIME SENIOR TECHNICIAN. PETERSON IS A VETERAN OF THE WATER SUPPLY INDUSTRY AND WILL PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES FOR MAJOR WATER SUPPLY AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THROUGHOUT WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA.

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Congratulations,

Brenda!

Thank you for 39 dedicated years to First Western. We are proud to call you President, Chairman, CEO and one of the Top 25 Women in Business.

9

Editor’snote

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

The Number Isn’t Just About Math

25

Andrew Weeks Editor

N

umbers often mean more than just the quantity of something.

Take 2020, for instance. It’s not just the year in which we currently live but the number by which our visual acuity is measured. The visual acuity of a person who can discern objects normally at 20 feet away is measured as the fraction 20/20. It means by all intents and purposes that eyesight is healthy.

In a different context, bumping the number up five more digits means something, too. A quick search on the internet reveals different meanings behind the number 25.

One site says 25 is a number that represents change, whether personally or professionally, and denotes a sense of self-awareness.

From a biblical standpoint 25 means “grace upon grace.” It also is an important number in Ezekiel’s vision of a new temple. And in still another context 25 denotes wisdom, diplomacy and curiosity.

We here at Prairie Business don’t dabble in astrology, but we do like the number 25. It’s the number of professionals listed in this month’s issue – 25 of the region’s most notable women in business.

These women come from varied backgrounds and professions, but all of them stand out in the workplace and in their communities for their leadership, accomplishments and community service. If you put them against the various meanings of the number 25 mentioned above, you’ll notice they exemplify many of those same traits: curiosity, diplomacy, grace, professionalism, and wisdom.

It’s an honor for Prairie Business to recognize these women, and we give hearty thanks to all of those behind the scenes who nominated them for this prestigious recognition. The selection process wasn’t easy. Many more women were nominated who deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments and successes, and some of those who did not make it into this issue could very well tip the scale and make it into a future edition.

For now, read on and learn what makes this year’s top 25 women stand out in their communities and professions. We’re happy to honor them here.

As you continue turning the pages, you’ll also find stories about travel and tourism, including its economic impact for communities and states, and a tie-in story about the trends in the number of women who travel for business. There’s also a guest piece that highlights a couple of women in the telecommunications field.

We hope you enjoy this edition as much as we do.

Until next time,

Andrew Weeks

I look forward to hearing from you at aweeks@prairiebusinessmagazine.com or 701-780-1276.

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PUBLISHER KORRIE WENZEL AD DIRECTOR STACI LORD EDITOR ANDREW WEEKS CIRCULATION MANAGER BETH BOHLMAN LAYOUT DESIGN SARA SLABY ACCOUNT MANAGERS NICHOLE ERTMAN

800.477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

PETER FETSCH

800-477-6572 ext. 1172 pfetsch@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

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. 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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ADDRESS CORRECTIONS Prairie Business magazine Box 6008 Grand Forks, ND 58206-6008 Beth Bohlman:

bbohlman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

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Congratulations Renee Daffinrud for being g named to the 2020 Prairie Business Top 25 Women in Business list.

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11

TourismEconomy

TOURISM IS A HUGELY IMPORTANT INDUSTRY IN MINNESOTA AND THE DAKOTAS, ACCOUNTING FOR ABOUT $4.1 BILLION IN VISITOR SPENDING IN SOUTH DAKOTA ALONE DURING 2019. A PAIR OF HIKERS IS SEEN HERE IN THE BADLANDS OF SOUTH DAKOTA. IMAGE: COURTESY OF TRAVEL SOUTH DAKOTA

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Trends in the Vibrant Tourism Economy Tourism is a hugely important industry in Minnesota and the Dakotas, accounting for billions of dollars in revenue every year

By Sam Easter For Prairie Business

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B

emidji Woolen Mills – maybe the most famous cold weather-gear company in northern Minnesota – has been in business for a full century this year.

It’s long enough for fourth-generation owner Bill Batchelder to have learned that consistency works. In an interview last month, he read a recent email over the phone from a shopper who never forgot a buffalo plaid jacket from the Woolen Mills that he wore as a young man in the 1950s and ‘60s. The man, about 80 now, told Batchelder that his friends always knew it was him from far across a snowy Iowa State campus, and in his later years, he wanted another buffalo plaid jacket to wear.

"There's a family that vacationed in Bemidji on Cass Lake over 60 years ago, and they never forgot Bemidji Woolen Mills,” Batchelder beamed.

But time has also taught the Woolen Mills that it has to adapt to survive. Batchelder remembers the days when an AM radio ad could make all the difference – now faded – and remarks that his inventory has had to keep up with Bemidji’s decades-long shifting interest toward “silent” sports like canoeing, hiking and bicycling.

And as market forces shape Bemidji’s tourism industry, as the age of the internet reinvents advertising and as younger travelers spend their money in new ways, his business is hardly alone. Throughout the upper Midwest and around the country, local tourism economies – from hotels to state boosters – are reorganizing around a brave new, online world, poised to cater to a new generation that spends its money in markedly different ways.

Teri Schmidt is the executive director of the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau. She can run through a lengthy list of those kinds

of big changes, like the effects of millenials’ tendency to take more spur-of-the-moment, experience-driven trips than their parents, or the ways that the rise of social media have forced a reckoning with a new advertising style.

"We have to adjust all of our marketing, we have to adjust all of our sales, so that we are front-and-center when (travelers) are searching for what's going on," Schmidt said. "If we're not on a social media platform when they're looking – if we're not up to date – if we're not five or six steps ahead of them, we're not going to get business."

And according to Krista Orsack, the Sioux Falls CVB’s marketing director, their digital advertising budget has surged over the past seven years – increasing, by her off-the-cuff estimate, as much as 40%.

Tourism is a hugely important industry in Minnesota and the Dakotas, accounting for about $4.1 billion in visitor spending in South Dakota alone during 2019, up 2.8% from the prior year. Vibrant tourism industries are also a big boon for adjacent state issues – like how attractive local communities are to out-of-state workforce talent.

“When it comes to North Dakota in general, having great parks, great attractions, things like that, they tend to make North Dakota a great place to work, but also live and play,” Arik Spencer, CEO of the Greater North Dakota Chamber, said in September. “And that’s important when trying to attract a workforce.”

South Dakota, like states around the country, have also seen drastic shifts in how those tourists visit and stay. According to state records, there were 561,000 room-nights booked on Airbnb or HomeAway, two sites that allow users to book open rooms in condos, apartments and houses around the country – giving guests a chance to visit more like a resident and less like a tourist.

continued on page 15

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TourismEconomy

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

VISITORS TO SOUTH DAKOTA ARE SEEN RIDING IN THE BADLANDS. IMAGE: COURTESY OF TRAVEL SOUTH DAKOTA

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continued From page 13 But if the new service is a boon to travelers, it’s something of a headache for the hotel industry, and represents yet another front on which the more traditional tourism model is being transformed. Home-stays rented through Airbnb and its ilk are often less regulated – a favorite talking point of the hotel industry – but consequently less expensive, making them nimble competition.

“If we’re looking at the millennial generation, there’s no question that they have really focused in on authentic experiences when it comes to travel and tourism,” said James Hagen, South Dakota’s tourism secretary. “When they get to a destination, they want to live like a local lives, and they want to eat like a local lives and experience those same sorts of things.”

Tim Johnson owns hotels scattered across South Dakota, including Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Keystone and beyond. To hear him describe it, the rise of internet-booking sites like Airbnb has been a double-edged sword: he now has to think creatively about how to advertise online, for one, like in one hotel that has a 10-foot chair in the lobby – letting guests take a photo, joke to their friends about it and boost the hotel’s profile on social media. But that model also lets him cut back on more expensive, traditional advertising and pursue international tourists.

"The internet has changed the world in our industry,” Johnson said. “The consumer now shows up, and they know everything about your property – whether they have a reservation or not, they know the condition of your hotel, because they know what everybody is saying about it."

Johnson’s experience is just a small part of how businesses are trying to stay ahead of the quickly shifting industry curve. But observers throughout the industry know that there are still plenty more changes on the way – especially as the younger set ages into a larger and larger share of the market.

“And there are lessons there, too, to say, what else should we be thinking about? How else will travel and tourism change as a result of millenials and those who come after millennials?

We have to be on our toes,” Hagen said. “We don’t have the luxury of just resting on our laurels and doing business the same way we’ve always done it. And that’s the challenge.”

Go Dragons!

Congrats to our Dragon alums.

Kimberly Settel, Mass Communications Executive Vice President of Retail Banking & Lending, Gate City Bank

Sandy Korbel, Accounting Senior Wealth Management Advisor, Alerus Financial

Shauna Wimer, Mass Communications Director of Advertising, Midco

15

TravelTrends

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Women on the Move The number of women who travel for business is on the rise

By Andrew Weeks

DONNA BLOCK, PRESIDENT OF LUX COMMUNITIES, POSES FOR A PHOTO AT HER OFFICE ON FRIDAY, JAN. 31 IN FARGO. N.D. BLOCK TRAVELS FOR BUSINESS SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND SAID FROM HER OBSERVATIONS MORE WOMEN ARE TRAVELING FOR BUSINESS NOWADAYS. ACCORDING TO NATIONAL STATISTICS, SHE IS RIGHT IN HER OBSERVATIONS. IMAGE: ERIC HYLDEN/PRAIRIE BUSINESS

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D

onna Block travels several times a month for business.

Sometimes it’s a day trip, other times it’s an overnighter. But traveling for work helps break up the monotony of sitting in an office all day.

The business trips are productive and allow her to get out of town for a day or two. But, depending on how far she travels and how long she’ll be away, they are not without some challenges.

As a single mom and president of a property management company, Block has to make sure her young child is taken care of and that the home office is on track while she’s away. The load isn’t lessened when she returns and has to fill everything else on her plate, both in the office and at home.

“It’s definitely a balancing act,” said Block, president of Lux Communities in Fargo.

But she enjoys her business trips and knows she’s not the only one juggling a balancing act. From what Block has witnessed, she believes more women are traveling for work purposes than just a few years ago. Technology may help bridge the gap in some instances, but it’s not the same as getting in front of a client.

“We are becoming a more global community and people are not just staying in town where they work,” she said. “We are all connected much more than we were in the past. Webcams are great, but it’s even better to connect with people face to face.”

Much of that personable interaction happens between businesswomen and their clients, not only at the home office but with in-person visits to other cities and states.

“As women continue to progress in their careers it will allow for even more travel,” she said.

Travel trends and risks Block is right: the number of women who travel for business is trending upward, according to national statistics. But the trend is not without some risks.

According to the Global Business Travel Association, more than half of business travel programs (53%) have a higher percentage of female business travelers than just three to five years ago.

“A lot more women are going into these types of professions where there’s a higher percentage of travel,” said Mark Sharoff, senior research analysts with GBTA, based in Alexandria, Va. He said finance, consulting, and oil and gas companies typically have a higher ratio of employees who travel. Typically it has been senior employees who do most of the traveling for companies, not newcomers to a given profession; but that is changing with the millennial generation, Sharoff said, as more young people enter the workforce. That in itself might throw some new dynamics into the mix, as the younger generation tends to work and travel differently than traditionalists. More video conferencing, for instance, may further replace travel incentives.

For those who continue to travel for work purposes, however, women are competing with men.

“For the vast majority of my career I’ve been in a fairly male-dominated field. ... There weren't a lot of women in the room, wherever you went,” said business owner and marketing specialist Melissa Goodman. “I've seen that change dramatically, particularly probably in the last five to seven years.”

The downside is that women (69%) face greater physical risks than men (31%).

continued on page 18

Congratulations, Jillian!

// Congratulations, Jenn Rothschiller

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17

TravelTrends

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

continued From page 17 About one-third of travel managers (31%) say their companies are more focused on “providing a safe workplace for female employees,” according to the GBTA report, but far fewer (21%) say their businesses have revisited their travel programs.

The percent of travel managers concerned for their female globetrotters include: traveling to certain countries and citites (82%), sexual harassment/assault (75%), assault or kidnapping (73%), destination-specific gender-related norms (67%), gender-specific health risks (65%) or public transporation (64%).

Block, who mostly travels to cities in both the Dakotas and in Minnesota, said she has not experienced anything she has deemed unsafe or uncomfortable, but she is aware of her surroundings and uses safety practices while away from home.

Goodman, a business owner who originally hails from North Dakota but now lives in Wisconsin, said much the same thing.

“I think it comes down to awareness,” she said. “I've been very aware (of potential risks) since I started traveling in my early 20s – that I am I alone am responsible for my own safety. You don't have to be afraid, but that doesn't mean you should have your head in the sand about what's possible.”

Travel might be better with a colleague but that’s not always possible. More women are traveling by themselves, whether it’s behind the wheel on day trips or taking flights to other states or countries. But being alone doubles the risks, for men as well as women, and Goodman said she takes extra precautions to notice her surroundings when traveling, whether it’s in a hotel or on the street, walking or driving in a car.

She reminds herself to make sure doors are locked, her purse is secured, and keys are tucked away so no one else can grab them.

“I think with anything there are always risks,” she said, “but your personal self awareness does a good job of mitigating those risks.”

Busybodies at home and in the workplace

MELISSA GOODMAN, WHO CO-OWNS A MARKETING FIRM IN WISCONSIN, TRAVELS SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR TO NORTH DAKOTA, WHERE SHE ALSO WORKS AS THE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN. IMAGE: COURTESY OF MELISSA GOODMAN

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Goodman is managing partner of Full Tilt Marketing, a virtual agency that specializes in marketing food. She works out of the comfort of her home in Milwaukee, but travels from Wisconsin to North Dakota where she also works as the marketing and communications manager for the International Peace Garden, located on the North Dakota-Canada border.

Other trips include New York and other points east.

She travels so much, in fact, that she hasn’t taken a day off from work in more than a year. When she is home she tries to cram her schedule with family and friends, which highlights another challenge.

“The challenges of travel aren't the challenges of traveling itself, per se, as much as it is the time away from home,” she said. “I don't have kids but it's the time away from my spouse or my friends or other things that I want to do. It's finding a way to balance that work when

you're on the road, yet the work at home doesn't stop, whether that's in your job or in your business or even in your home.

“I mean, the laundry still needs to get done and the house needs to get cleaned and you may have obligations within your volunteer organization or even among your friends. Sometimes you get home and you’re tired and maybe you don't want to go out for dinner that night; but then for me it’s like, ‘wow, I haven't seen my friends in awhile.’ I don't want to be a terrible person, and so I work that in, too.”

For Block, work doesn’t end when she gets home from a business trip. Not only does her young child need her attention, but there usually are other business projects on her plate to look into or loose ends to wrap up. While both women keep extremely busy, the challenges of juggling so much is lessened by their planning.

As Goodman explained, there’s a difference in the way women plan and schedule their business trips versus how men might do it.

“I think women are better about deciding how much they're going to be home,” Goodman said. “A man might be willing to take a much longer trip, maybe four or five days on the road at a time. He might be willing to leave on a Monday morning and not get back until Friday night. I think a lot of times women make choices and say, ‘How can I cram as much as possible even if it's going to make those couple of days really crazy?’ because oftentimes they have families to get back home to and kids’ activities to attend to. I think women have to be a little more organized in their planning and how they go about it.”

personal or family vacations than business trips – at least they’re not the kind of business trips with which Block or Goodman are familiar.

“Traveling is not nearly as glamorous as people think it is,” Goodman said. “But at the same time, it is also what you make of it.”

Sometimes a flight might be delayed, there might be problems with a rental car, a hotel wasn’t as nice as expected, weather might hamper travel. And then there’s the airport crowds and security lines, the traffic and navigating in an unfamiliar city.

And of course the appointments and business meetings.

The dividend is in the successful business transactions that may have taken place with a client or the new marketing strategy that was promoted, Block said.

Still, Goodman said if she can arrange it, she tries to visit a museum or art gallery or something else unique to the area. It might be something as simple as finding a unique local restaurant.

Challenges and risks – those come as part of life, she said. Her focus is to live the life she’s been given and make the most of each situation by filling her time with positive experiences, which include her many business trips.

“There's always something if you want to just embrace the world and the opportunity you've been given,” she said.

ANDREW WEEKS PRAIRIE BUSINESS EDITOR AWEEKS@PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM 701-780-1276 | @PB_ANDREWWEEKS

Traveling and the glamorous life

Palm trees and gentle ocean waves may look attractive on a postcard or social media post, but those kinds of trips or more suited for

I really appreciate NISC and the value they place on people.

I really like the mission orientation. There’s an encouraging and friendly atmosphere here that is fun to be around. ~ Levi Erdmann Senior ETL Specialist Professional Services

Interested in learning more about life at NISC? Visit NISC.coop/careers to hear more from this employee and see what openings are available.

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Top25WomeninBusiness

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Kim Settel EXECUTIVE VP, RETAIL BANKING AND LENDING GATE CITY BANK FARGO, N.D.

25 TOP

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2020

Prairie Business is pleased to present the Top 25 Women in Business for 2020 These women are leaders in their careers and communities, women who truly stand out in their professions, and we are happy to profle them here.

Congratulations to all!

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TWITTER.COM/PRAIRIEBIZ

Kim Settel has been working in the banking industry for 26 years and has a passion for creating a better way of life for Gate City Bank customers, team members and communities.

As the EVP of Retail Banking & Lending, Kim currently oversees 43 Gate City Bank retail offices in addition to all of the bank’s consumer lending (mortgage and personal), totaling more than 460 team members. She is known for her extensive expertise and experience in the banking industry and is making an impact as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

Kim is also known for her involvement in leading the implementation in the bank’s unique BetterLife Student Loan Program, the only one of its kind for which Gate City Bank received national recognition. Kim has a strong commitment to the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo community and a passion for teaching financial education to youth through Junior Achievement.

She also is passionate about helping community members receive affordable housing. She’s worked with city leaders in Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Wahpeton and Fergus Falls to help provide Neighborhood Revitalization programs, and donates her time to various organizations throughout the community including women’s shelters, food pantries, and homeless shelters.

Ann K. Henderson RESEARCH ENGINEER ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA GRAND FORKS, N.D.

Ann Henderson has worked as a research engineer at the Energy & Environmental Research Center for more than 30 years. She works on pilot-scale combustion and gasification systems, not only writing proposals and reports, but operating the systems. She has worked with clients from all over the world, including Thailand, Japan, Australia, Turkey and South Africa.

Since Henderson started at EERC, the emphasis has shifted from coal combustion to gasification to biomass utilization. Some of her recent projects look at hydrogen production and emissions reduction, especially mercury and CO2.

She loves the wide variety of projects, and the creative and talented people with whom she works every day.

Ann is actively involved in Boy Scouts, and is proud to be an adult leader for the first female troop in Grand Forks.

Jamie Nelson has served as president and chief executive officer of Farmers Security Bank since 2017. She brings more than 20 years of experience, having started her career in banking and finance two weeks after graduating high school.

She worked as a loan officer while going to North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, where she graduated in 2001 with a degree in business.

After many roles and 10 years in the finance industry, she moved to Washburn where she began her career with Farmers Security Bank. She graduated from Dakota School of Banking in 2011 and Graduate School of Banking Colorado in 2016.

Jamie serves as a board of director at Farmers Security Bank, McLean Bank Holding Company, Bank of Turtle Lake, Garrison State Bank & Trust, and North Dakota Bankers Association Services Board. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Mike, and their three kids.

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Jamie Nelson PRESIDENT FARMERS SECURITY BANK WASHBURN, N.D.

Renee Daffinrud PRIVATE BANKING REGIONAL MANAGER FIRST INTERNATIONAL BANK & TRUST BISMARCK, N.D. Renee Daffinrud has been helping North Dakota families reach their financial goals for more than 35 years. She has worked in a variety of capacities in financial services, including mortgage and business lending, but found her true passion in private banking. Renee has established private banking programs at two community banks, including First International Bank & Trust, where she currently works.

Over her 15 years helping clients grow their wealth, Renee commits herself every day to continue developing trusted relationships with each of her clients.

Born and raised in Bismarck, Renee believes in putting the community first and knows that the financial health of every individual client can have an impact on the community as a whole.

Renee is currently on the board of the Bismarck Cancer Center, Zion Lutheran Church Stewardship, and Foundation Boards.

She serves on the board of many annual fundraising events, including Sanford’s Savor the Flavor and American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women.

Julie Nelson has more than 30 years of financial services experience.

She has a double major in business and economics from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., where she graduated cum laude. Since then she has developed a diverse background working with the financial needs of individuals as well as with businesses. As senior vice president of Business Development at American Bank & Trust, Julie works with all areas of the bank, including trust and wealth management, private banking, business banking and mortgage.

Locally, Julie served on the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Board and continues to serve as a diplomat. She is a member and past president of Sales and Marketing Executives. She also has served or is currently serving as a board member for Junior Achievement of South Dakota, South Dakota Achieve (currently Lifescape) Foundation, Volunteers of America Dakotas and Dakota Wesleyan Board of Trustees. She also has worked on numerous Community Appeals campaigns to raise funds for non-profit organizations and served as co-chair of the VOA Dakotas HomePlace project, which provides apartments and life skills support for homeless teens.

Julie’s faith is the foundation that inspires her. She spends the majority of her leisure time with her children and grandchildren.

Family and friends are her greatest blessing.

Bethany Berkeley PRESIDENT AND MANAGING PARTNER DALE CARNEGIE OF NORTH DAKOTA & MINNESOTA FARGO, N.D.

Julie Nelson SENIOR VP, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AMERICAN BANK & TRUST SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

Bethany Berkeley is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations thrive by uncovering and maximizing their unique talents.

She earned her degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a research fellow. Bethany has published articles in the American Journal of Public Health and spent the beginning of her career in social work research and nonprofit development.

She joined the Dale Carnegie team in 2016 and is now the managing partner and president. She leads the team, strategy and direction for the business in North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota, and is a Dale Carnegie Certified Trainer with a client base represented heavily in manufacturing, engineering, and agriculture.

Bethany is passionate about giving back and serves as the board chair for Creative Care for Reaching Independence and is on the board of directors for The Great North Pole. She also serves as a member of the Chamber Business Training Committee. She has been globally recognized annually as an award winner by Dale Carnegie and Associates for her achievements in the industry.

Bethany resides in Fargo with her daughter, two dog children, and husband and they will welcome a second child in April.

Shauna Wimer began her career at Midco in 2014 as the regional sales manager for the Fargo-West Fargo-Moorhead area, responsible for managing the local advertising and business sales team. She became director of advertising sales in 2016 and is responsible for the full advertising sales team, concentrating on sports, digital, and cable TV sales across Midco’s footprint. As part of the Midco senior leadership team, she plays an integral role in building talent, encouraging women’s business leadership, and fostering strong relationships. Prior to her role at Midco, she gained 20 years of marketing and communications experience working for a variety of broadcast companies represented throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a minor in marketing from Minnesota State University, Moorhead, and is a member of the Women in Cable Telecommunications and the Fargo chapter of the Power of 100. She regularly volunteers for and currently serves as president of the board of directors for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley as well as volunteers for Hope Blooms.

Shauna lives in West Fargo with her husband, Nick, and son Charles.

Shauna Wimer DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES MIDCO WEST FARGO, N.D.

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TOP25WomenINBUSINESS

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Tiffany Lawrence VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE SANFORD HEALTH FARGO, N.D.

Reggie MacMaster AUDIT MANAGER EIDE BAILLY LLP FARGO, N.D. Reggie MacMaster started her career at Eide Bailly as an intern in the audit department in 2011 while finishing the Master of Accountancy program at North Dakota State University. From there, she obtained her CPA license. During her time at Eide Bailly, Reggie served clients in the not-for-profit and affordable housing industries.

Reggie is part of the Eide Bailly recruiting team, serves as a career advisor to staff, and partakes in the First Focus program that promotes a culture where women are as likely to succeed as men. She has also been an integral piece of the training and development of staff in one of the firm’s newest offices. Outside of Eide Bailly, Reggie has been involved in Junior Achievement for several years as well as serving as a mentor for college students through NDSU’s Business Connections program.

Reggie and her husband, Ryan, live in Horace, N.D., and enjoys traveling and finding anything to do outdoors.

As a senior executive at North Dakota’s largest employer, Tiffany Lawrence optimizes the values of hard work, growing professionally and giving back to the community.

Lawrence held financial roles over the past 20 years for both MeritCare and now Sanford, working her way up to the top executive financial services position. Her scope of responsibility grew tremendously to where she is now responsible for all financial operations of the medical centers and clinics in the Fargo metro, as well as its network of hospitals and clinics in the region.

Lawrence recently concluded six years on the board of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley, where she was treasurer and then president. She recently joined the United Way of Cass-Clay Board of Trustees and makes sure she takes time to stay involved with her church and school by volunteering.

A married mother of three boys, Tiffany continues to be a mentor for other women striving for excellence in their professional and personal lives while serving her community.

Brittney Newell is the chief financial officer at Expansion Capital Group, a leading technology-enabled small business lender based in Sioux Falls, S.D. She is responsible for overseeing the company’s finance, accounting, human resources, and underwriting departments.

Since joining ECG in 2015, Brittney has led the organization to increase its impact for America’s small businesses from $23 million to $400 million, and be named one of the Best Places to Work in Fintech by American Banker in 2019 and 2020 as well as one of America’s fastest-growing companies by Inc. 5000 in 2018 and 2019.

Throughout her 25-plus year financial services career, Brittney has worked to help thousands of Americans define and achieve their financial success goals. She has led large and small leadership teams, influenced industry stakeholders and thought-leaders, and built long-lasting relationships to ensure that men and women of all backgrounds are more aware and better served in building and managing their finances.

A former business owner, Brittney founded Nico Consulting in 2009, focused on providing accounting and internal audit professional services to several multimillion dollar clients in South Dakota. She also held leadership positions with McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, MetaBank, and POET, LLC.

Brittney Newell CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER EXPANSION CAPITAL GROUP SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

Tena Lawrence EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN JAMESTOWN, N.D.

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Tena Lawrence grew up in Jamestown, N.D., and graduated from the University of Jamestown (formerly Jamestown College) with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration, history/political science, and secondary education. She completed her Master of Arts in Leadership degree in December 2017, and has held various positions during her 25-year banking career, including vice president of Consumer Lending and Marketing when she left the banking industry. She joined the university staff in 2007 as director of development.

In July of 2008 she accepted the position of Dean of Enrollment Management. Lawrence became the vice president of Marketing and Communications in spring 2014. In 2018 she became the senior vice president for public relations and marketing at the University of Jamestown. Her current position at the university is executive vice president.

Tena has served on the Jamestown Dollars for Scholars as an officer, ND Dollars for Scholars Board as president, Safe Shelter Board as president, the Safe Shelter Capital Campaign Committee chair, on the Trinity Lutheran Church Capital Campaign committee and the South Central Dakota Regional Council Board. She currently serves as vice president of the Jamestown Tourism Board. Tena has two grown children, Megan and Jessica.

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Jenn Rothschiller MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER NETWORK CENTER INC. FARGO, N.D. Jenn Rothschiller is the marketing and communications manager at Network Center Inc.. She is responsible for the vision, strategic planning and execution of all marketing activities. Serving on its management team, Jenn has been instrumental in the overall company growth plan.

Jenn has been involved in community and national ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) events and is an advocate for employee involvement and education in the ESOP at NCI, which allows our employees to share in the company’s success.

Before coming to NCI, Jenn began her career as a project manager at a start-up software company. She is a graduate of North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and advertising and a minor in web design and journalism.

She serves as an alumni advisor for the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at NDSU and volunteers on several event committees in the community.

Jenn lives in West Fargo and spends her free time traveling, teaching fitness classes and going on runs with her german shepherd.

Mandy B. Anderson CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, CERTIFIED LIFE COACH, BUSINESS STRATEGIST, AND MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER RAYMA TEAM BISMARCK N.D. Mandy B. Anderson has distinguished herself as an innovative business woman and leadership trainer with a knack for product development and a trustworthy coach in the areas of life and business. She began her career as a speaker and coach more than a decade ago in Fargo, N.D., while working full time in the hospitality industry.

In 2011 she relocated to the Bismarck-Mandan area with her husband.

It was here she co-founded a coaching company – now called RAYMA Team – with her business partner and best friend of more than 20 years.

Anderson is a 2018 graduate and alumni of the CTB Women’s Leadership Program. Her experience with this program led her to co-lead a Beauty & Dignity Drive in both the Bismarck and Fargo areas to raise awareness for survivors of domestic abuse.

Mandy was born with a life-threatening disease called Cystic Fibrosis, and she has actively been involved in the Cystic Fibrosis Association of North Dakota for many years. She serves as an Ambassador for the Minnesota/Dakota chapters of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Mandy enjoys going to the gym with her husband, coffee dates with great friends, books that teach her new skills or make her feel all the feels, and stiletto shoes that are usually not made for walking.

“Dark web. Schmark web.

My technical team makes me a force to be reckoned with.”

Marco’s Managed IT can beef up your infrastructure to stop threats dead in their tracks. Find out what your technology could be saying at marconet.com.

business IT | managed services | cloud services | copiers & printers

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TOP25WomenINBUSINESS

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Cindy Elifrits Peterson FOUNDER & CEO MAXIMIZING EXCELLENCE LLC SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

Candace Hoff

Cindy Elifrits Peterson, MSW, CFRE, is driven by a passion to make a difference for those she has not yet met. She has dedicated her 20-year career to helping organizations realize their purpose.

In 2010, Cindy founded Maximizing Excellence LLC, a consulting firm that partners with organizations to improve their effectiveness and achieve high impact. She leverages her fundraising tools and methodologies toward more efficient resource development and nonprofit capacity building. Through Cindy’s vision, she and her team have worked with more than 100 organizations, helping them fulfill their mission and multiply their impact.

Cindy’s creative problem-solving and never-quit attitude has allowed her to modernize the science behind the services her team provides. And her direct, often bold approach to fundraising has not only earned her a reputation as the “go-to” for fundraising in eastern South Dakota, but as a thought leader and sought-after keynote speaker in her field.

Holding a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Cindy has a unique way of bringing people together by identifying personal motivators and incorporating them into a common objective. If you ask Cindy what drives her continued success, her answer is simple: She strives to change lives.

Alison Tendler OWNER, OPHTHALMOLOGIST ART VISION SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

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OWNER, OPTOMETRIST VISIONARY EYE CARE DICKISNON, N.D.

Dr. Candace Hoff began her optometry career in 2008 and purchased an eye care practice in 2013.

She’s been dedicated to modernization since taking the helm including rebranding the business, updating product offerings, implementing new technology, and developing team recruitment and education tracks.

She also donates time to the InfantSEE initiative, Head Start Advisory Board and Health Careers program.

Thanks to the incredible support of the community, Visionary Eye Care is currently constructing a new facility, which will nearly double the size of the practice to accommodate its growing patient base and team.

Candace thanks her parents for demonstrating the dedication required for successful business ownership and the incredible team that surrounds her; she said without them her success would be impossible.

With more than 12 years of experience in property management, Donna Block joined Lux Communities, an Enclave company, as vice president in 2016.

She overseas training and leads strategic planning for Lux Communities, and consults with Enclave’s development and construction teams to optimize building spaces, ensuring the resident-centric communities exceed customer’s expectations. From pro forma budgets, selecting finishes and amenities, property maintenance and everything in between, she understands all phases of a project and is an essential resource for the development, construction and property management teams.

Donna embodies the organization’s core values through her innovative and creative thinking.

Always reaching further, her resourceful passion makes any project a possibility. Most of all, she is committed to the support and care of her team members, which fosters a unique culture and motivates Lux Communities to continuously evolve and raise the bar in their industry.

Donna serves as vice president of the Greater Red River Apartment Association Board and is a member on the Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund Advisory Board.

Additionally, she volunteers at her church, leading a weekly class for middle school students.

Donna Block PRESIDENT LUX COMMUNITIES FARGO, N.D.

Dr. Alison R. Tendler is a woman who leads change in her personal and professional life through embodying her motto: See the World Better. See Yourself Better.

Born and raised in South Dakota, she graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University and USD School of Medicine, and became a fellowship trained ophthalmologist. She returned to her hometown of Sioux Falls 14 years ago to practice medicine.

Understanding the importance and unique position of being a physician and a solo business owner, she furthered her leadership capacity by completing Physician CEO, a degree offered by the Kellogg School of Business.

This helped support her decision in 2019 to open ART Vision and ARTisan Skin and Laser Center in Sioux Falls.

In her personally designed boutique, she combines the art of two medical disciplines: superior surgical eye care and medical spa services. As a solo female business owner and entrepreneur, Alison has found strength in partnering with many other female leaders from multiple industries in her community, learning insights and truths.

Through her annual fall ARTisan Annual Appreciation event, she has held fundraisers for multiple charities, including EmBe’s Dress for Success, the Children’s Home Society, and Feisty Fighters. Alison is a member of the Dakota Wesleyan University Board of Trustees.

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Sandy Korbel SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR ALERUS FARGO, N.D.

ss 5 e 2 in

s TopIn Bu n

me o W

With more than 26 years at Alerus, Sandy Korbel has built a career on understanding and serving the holistic needs of high net-worth clients. She has differentiated herself by the level of professional knowledge demonstrated through her experience as well as continuing education with her CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designations. She is passionate about helping her clients.

Sandy has always been committed to serving the Fargo-Moorhead community. She currently is serving her third three-year term as a board member of the MSUM Foundation and MSUM Foundation investment and finance committee member. She’s generous with her time and expertise as the president of First Lutheran Church Foundation and a trustee representative for FM Area Foundation since 1999, which is the longest running representative in the foundation’s history.

Sandy has shared her passion for learning and financial literacy in the classroom as a volunteer for Junior Achievement for over five years.

She enjoys staying active with outdoor activities that include her husband, Brian, and three children.

Karla Santi

Donna Block

President, Lux Communities An

Company

FOUNDER AND CEO BLEND INTERACTIVE SIOUX FALLS, S.D. Karla Santi is a founding partner and CEO of Blend Interactive, a website strategy, design, and development company founded in 2005 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Karla recognized the potential within the web development industry early and began working in web design and development in the 1990s. She owned her own firm, Santi Interactive, before merging with two partners in 2005 to create Blend Interactive. Fifteen years later, Blend has grown into a multi-million dollar company with an international client base.

In addition to running Blend, Karla is actively involved in the Sioux Falls business community, where she serves on the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, on the Chamber’s Business Leadership Council, and Small Business Committee. She also serves on the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship board of directors, where she aims to support the changing needs of the startup community.

Karla is a mentor for Embe’s Women’s Leadership Program and, through public speaking, strives to encourage young women to explore STEAM programs and pursue careers in technology. She’s also a participant in Leadership South Dakota’s class of 2020.

When she’s not running a business, Karla is busy running a family.

Her other titles include wife to husband, Jayson, and mom to their two children.

We exist to create spaces where people are inspired to do their best work and live their best life.

Development • Construction • Property Managment enclavecompanies.com

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TOP25WomenINBUSINESS

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Darcy Volk VICE PRESIDENT OF PROCESSING AND SYSTEMS KLJ ENGINEERING BISMARCK, N.D.

Jenna Fleck COO SECURITY FIRST BANK MANDAN, N.D. Jenna Fleck started her career with a CPA firm in Wisconsin, primarily auditing community banks. While working with these banks, Jenna witnessed the integral role community banks play in the areas they serve. Ultimately, Jenna and her husband decided they wanted to move back to Bismarck, where they both grew up, so he could start his own business. Jenna knew she wanted to work at a community bank when she moved back to Bismarck.

She started with Security First Bank of North Dakota in 2012.

Jenna wears many hats – she is responsible for financial reporting, compliance, employee training and whatever else needs to be done. She was promoted to COO in January of 2018. In addition to working in various roles at Security First, Jenna keeps up with two active children, and helps her husband with the accounting side of his business.

Jenna serves on various committees for the Independent Community Banks of North Dakota and regularly volunteers with her church and other organizations that support the community. Jenna believes working at a community bank has taught her the importance of being an active part of the community you live in through contributions of your time and resources.

Darcy Volk has distinguished herself as a process and systems strategist and community leader. She has served as an accomplished senior leader in our organization, with expertise in multiple different capacities such as major financial transactions, large scale operations, and accounting controls.

In her current role, Darcy develops plans and design processes to implement strategies that deliver results with a keen focus on cost and quality. Her expertise in system and process design, accounting controls, financial transactions and change management has assisted the corporation on the path to continued success.

Volk is a life-long member of the Bismarck-Mandan community. She has served on the board of trustees and as campaign chair for the Missouri Slope Areawide United Way. She has also been an incredible business leader, serving as a board member for both the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce and the Bismarck-Mandan Development Association. Additionally, she has served as a board member for the North Dakota Development Fund, Inc. since 2004. This is a highly coveted position as it is appointed by the governor.

Darcy currently serves on the Disciplinary Board of the North Dakota Supreme Court.

Heather Cymbaluk has served as the executive director of Companions for Children since 2013. She is a graduate of Minot State University with bachelor degrees in both marketing and management information systems. She continued her education at the University of Mary, graduating with a Master in Business Administration.

Heather is passionate about making a difference in her community, currently serving as president for both the Minot Optimist Club and the Minot Alliance of Nonprofits.

Heather Cymbaluk EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMPANIONS FOR CHILDREN MINOT, N.D.

Jodi Kelsch CO-OWNER, GENERAL MANAGER KELSCH, KRIZ & ASSOCIATES, PC FARGO, N.D.

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Jodi Kelsch started her career as an intern in the tax department of a small accounting firm in Fargo, N.D., while attending North Dakota State University in 1998. Since then, she has built a career on providing income tax preparation services to clients in the tri-state region. Jodi is a certified public account and co-owns Kelsch, Kriz & Associates, PC. Over the past 10 years, she has helped grow the firm to eight employees in three locations throughout North Dakota and South Dakota.

When Jodi is not in the office, she is a volunteer in the small community in which she lives and lends her professional expertise to such organizations as the local industrial development corporation, where she has been a director for more than seven years, an instrumental member of a committee that organized and started a new community day care and a longtime member of the finance council at her church. She has also gone into the classrooms at the local high schools to educate students about income tax.

Jodi earned her accounting degree from NDSU and is a certified public accountant through the North Dakota Society of CPAs. She and her husband, Mike, spend many hours attending and enjoying their three children’s sports activities.

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Brenda K. Foster

Jillian Lagasse

CHAIRWOMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO FIRST WESTERN BANK & TRUST MINOT, N.D.

VP OF MARKETING CAPITAL CREDIT UNION BISMARCK, N.D.

Brenda Foster began her career at First Western as a high school intern and hasn’t looked back. Over the past 39 years she has worked in all areas of First Western Bank & Trust and now serves as board chair, president, and CEO. Brenda has experienced the evolution of the banking industry over the last four decades. One of the most dramatic changes has been in technology. Brenda reflects on beginning her career when computers were nonexistent in banking. Fast forward to today, when banking can be done from a smartphone. Brenda is grateful and feels blessed to be part of a wonderful organization with supportive owners, directors, employees and customers.

She remains passionate about participating in the success of customers, employees and the communities First Western serves.

Brenda was recently elected as a Class A director of the Federal Reserve Board of Minneapolis’ board of directors. She is chair of the Large Community Bank Council for the Independent Community Banks of America, a member of the Minot State University Board of Regents, volunteer for Junior Achievement, and past president of the Independent Community Banks of North Dakota.

Brenda is a graduate of Minot State University. She and her husband, Wayne, have two children.

Jillian Lagasse grew up in the small town of Oakes, N.D., and following high school graduated from the University of Mary in Bismarck.

Much of her career has been spent as the marketing manager at Investment Centers of America in Bismarck. There she helped financial advisors across the county with their marketing, helping them to grow their business and gain more clients. Jillian also obtained her FINRA Series 7 and 66 investment licenses during this time.

After a brief stint working at the University of Mary, she joined Capital Credit Union in Bismarck as vice president of marketing, where she oversees all marketing strategy, communications, advertising, and public relations. She is a member of the senior management team.

She currently is chairperson of the Bismarck Mandan Young Professionals Network. She also has served as co-lead of the Professional Development Team, YP Day chair, vice president, president, and now chairperson. In 2018, she received the Theodore Roosevelt Award from the organization. She is a member of the Bismarck Optimists Club Board of Directors and sits on the Missouri Valley Credit Union Chapter Committee and the Ft. Lincoln Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization.

Jillian lives in Mandan with her husband, Ryan, and their three young daughters.

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Telecommunications

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

A new decade powered by women in leadership Two women in telecommunications discuss their successes in a male-dominated field

By H2M MOORHEAD, Minn. • The gap in male to female employment in technology fields has narrowed over the years. For local telecommunications company 702 Communications, based in Moorhead, Minn., the new decade brings with it the rise of two female community members from within the organization.

H2M recently interviewed the two women, Rachel Weber and Christel Schmidt, about their journeys and perspectives on the current landscape of women in technology.

Rachel Weber 702 COMMUNICATIONS CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER AS OF AUGUST 2019

Q: How did you find yourself in the tech industry?

ers and organization as a whole). I’m glad I stayed the course and that my superiors felt like I was the right person for the role.

A: This was my first job when I moved to Fargo so this industry wasn’t necessarily a choice, but as soon as I was here I knew this was where I wanted to be. We are fast-paced and our business evolves with technology. There is a strong sense of belonging here and it’s exciting to be surrounded by people who strive to deliver their best.

Q: What do you most look forward to in your new role?

Q: You were recently promoted to Customer Relations Manager.

What would you attribute to your success in your career?

Q: In the past the tech industry was predominantly populated with male employees. Over the years have you noticed a shift?

A: Endless curiosity, self-reliance, and calmness under pressure. I believe there is more to learn. It motivates me to research and ask questions so I can be better equipped at understanding the big picture.

Q: What did you find most challenging about your career path?

A: Maintaining patience and work-life balance. I had a desire to lead and be on the executive team here at 702, but I had to wait awhile for that opportunity. Over 18 years I held many roles: CSR, marketing specialist, and now customer relations manager. All the while, trying to make sure I was doing the right thing for everyone (family, cowork-

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A: Helping to develop the long-term goals for 702 and working with the team members here.

A: Early on, I would attend conferences and feel like women were all in customer service or administration jobs and more men were in the executive roles, but this has changed.

Telecom has many women role models in the industry holding top management positions. Here are a few of my favorites: Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA; Kristi Westbrock, CEO of CTC in Brainerd; and Staci Malikowski, CFO of Arvig in Perham.

Women in technology have always been behind because young women study science, technology, engineering and math in lower numbers. There is a movement now to change this and to encourage women to pursue these majors.

PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM

Christel Schmidt

everything around you changes in the blink of an eye and often the instructions come later.

702 COMMUNICATIONS MANAGED SERVICE SUPERVISOR AS OF FEBRUARY 2020

Q: What do you most look forward to in your new role?

Q: How did you find yourself in the telecom/tech industry?

A: I started as a software and technical trainer. That led to the start of consulting for companies and assisting with their networks. I really enjoyed being hands-on with customer networks and moved on to a local telecom provider as their local network administrator.

Q: What would you consider to be the greatest hurdle you overcame to get where you are today?

A: A big challenge is balancing family, friends, and career. Days fill fast and it can be overwhelming to get it all done. I still find myself drawn to the “killer to-do list,” which includes not only my own tasks, but what needs to be done for others in my life. I have allowed myself to focus more on “what is the priority” rather than “how I can get all of it done.”

Q: What would you attribute to your success in your career?

A: When I started, it was just a concept to provide additional network support for our customers. Our recent acquisition of Computer Wrench is allowing us to expand our offerings and strengthen customer relationships. I look forward to leading this team to deliver exceptional IT services to the area.

Q: In the past, the tech industry was predominantly populated with male employees. Over the years have you noticed a shift?

A: In a room of IT professionals, I am typically the only female. I see more gender bias out in the field when it is a first meeting. Customers often address network and security questions to male sales counterparts. It never takes long before they realize I’m the technical consultant.

Personally, I have not known many network engineers in the area; however, someone I consider to be a successful female in the tech industry is Lisa Bortnem-Wiser. As an engineer for the railroad and owner of Mid States Wireless Inc., she has shown me that as a female in male dominated industries you CAN be successful and lead others with grace, intelligence and maybe a little sassiness on the side.

A: The ability to adapt quickly and not be afraid to take on challenges even when I was given little to no instruction. In technology,

H2M IS A MARKETING AGENCY BASED IN FARGO, N.D.

INSPIRED TO LEAD Eide Bailly would like to congratulate Audit Manager Reggie MacMaster for being named one of Prairie Business Magazine’s Top 25 Women in Business! Reggie’s dedication to serving her clients and community is an inspiration to all.

Thank you for all you do, Reggie!

eidebailly.com

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ConstructionCorner

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Enclave Companies is building a new home office in

West Fargo

By Andrew Weeks

WEST FARGO, N.D. • A new home office is underway for a growing Fargo-based development and property management firm.

Enclave Companies is building a 60,000 square-foot multi-tenant building at 310 24th Ave E., West Fargo, in space behind Costco off Veterans Boulevard, along the Sheyenne river.

The new facility will be much larger than the 7,000-square-foot building that the company currently is using in Fargo.

“Most of our offices are doubled up right now, so we’re out of space from that perspective,” Enclave Companies co-founder Austin Morris said in a phone interview on Feb. 7 with Prairie Business. “So it’ll be nice to have some extra space.”

Morris and business partner Ben Meland opened their company in 2011, but in the past eight years they have moved four different times due to company growth and the need for more space. Morris said besides providing more room, the building now under construction will accommodate the company well into the future.

“We’re trying to plan longer term so we won’t have to move again,” Morris said. “It will certainly accommodate us for the next decade and allow us to have more flexibility.”

One tenant has already rented 25,000 square feet of space in the three-story building, Meland said, and the company will lease the remaining space on the second floor.

Construction of the new facility, which the business partners said will feature expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, underground parking, timeless design and a variety of amenities including electronic charging stations, is expected to be finished by January 2020 or before. It will house between 250 and 300 people.

The business partners of Enclave, a fully integrated company that specializes in multi-family, commercial and industrial spaces, wanted to make their own space inviting and spacious, knowing that employees work better when they have room to stretch with various amenities and natural lighting.

A RENDERING OF ENCLAVE COMPANIES FUTURE HOME OFFICE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN WEST FARGO. THE BUILDING IS EXPECTED TO BE FINISHED BY JANUARY 2021.

IMAGE: COURTESY OF ENCLAVE COMPANIES

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ENCLAVE COMPANIES RECENTLY EXPANDED INTO THE TWIN CITIES MARKET. HERE’S A RENDERING OF THE DECO, AN ENCLAVE PROJECT UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SHAKOPEE, MINN. IMAGE: COURTESY OF ENCLAVE COMPANIES

One particular inviting feature of the building will be the open rooftop, Meland said, where employees can take their lunch breaks on the outdoor patio and use the provided grilling stations or firepit.

The building will have a “fantastic lobby,” Morris said, that spills into the outdoor space. “There's a shared conference room overhanging the lobby on the second floor that can be used by any of the tenants and hopefully add value to everyone working there.”

The owners said the future of their company looks bright – literally with the facility’s natural light amenities, but also figuratively with many projects underway and years yet to grow.

Some of the company’s current projects being developed include downtown Fargo’s 300 Lime, Fargo Center for Dermatology, MedPark Medical Center and the recently completed lifestyle center, Uptown and Main on Veterans Boulevard.

The company also recently expanded into the Twin Cities market with mixed-use and multi-family buildings currently under construction in Maple Grove, Shakopee and Savage, Minn.

ANDREW WEEKS PRAIRIE BUSINESS EDITOR AWEEKS@PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM 701-780-1276 | @PB_ANDREWWEEKS

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Workplacesafety

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

DAWN CHISHOLM, OF HAWLEY, MINN., FOUNDED ‘IF ONLY’ IN HONOR OF HER LATE HUSBAND, BILL LAMBERT, WHO DIED IN A WORKPLACE ACCIDENT IN FEBRUARY 2002 IN NORTH DAKOTA. DAWN TRAVELS THE REGION TO SHARE BILL’S STORY WITH BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS AND OTHERS IN THE HOPE THAT SAFETY WILL BECOME TOP OF MIND FOR THOSE WHO HEAR IT. IMAGE: COURTESY OF DAWN CHISHOLM

Minnesota woman highlights personal tragedy to bring

safety awareness to the workplace

By Andrew Weeks

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HAWLEY, Minn. • When Bill Lambert stepped into a corn silo on the cold afternoon of Feb. 7, 2002, in Leonard, N.D., he had no idea he would never in this life see his family again.

He went into the silo to do a routine job. Unexpectedly it became the perfect storm and, ignoring safety protocol, it cost him his life.

The outer edges of the top layer of corn had crusted with ice. Bill stepped onto it so he could push the corn toward the silo’s auger, but he never fastened a safety harness before doing so; there also was no one else inside the silo to spot the auger for him.

“It was a routine job, something that needed to be done and something he had probably done a thousand times before,” said his widow, Dawn.

But on this winter day, the unthinkable happened: Bill fell through the crusted layer, got his leg caught in the auger, and was pulled down into the corn.

At the age of 40, Bill died alone that morning, suffocating about six feet from the ground in 10,000 bushels of corn.

Alone except for God, whom Dawn believes was with him when darkness closed in and oxygen trickled out, comforting him and allowing his passing before he suffered too long.

It’s a comfort she has carried for 18 years – but it hasn’t replaced the void that his death has caused her and their three children.

Bill wasn’t there to attend their son’s graduation or walk their eldest daughter down the aisle when she got married. He didn’t see his youngest child’s first birthday.

Dawn knows she’ll see Bill again, but for now she travels the region sharing his story in the hope that other families won’t have to go through what hers has experienced: the life-long separation of a loved one who died because safety measures weren’t a priority. *** Not long after Bill’s death, Dawn decided she needed to make his story known in the hopes that others would learn from his mistakes. She did this whenever she could while working as an interior designer for a Fargo-based company, a place she had worked for about 20 years.

That changed in 2017 when the North Dakota Safety Council contacted her about speaking at its annual conference that February. When she sat down to work on her presentation, she said she felt heaven’s guiding hand.

“I basically sat down at my computer and, I tell you, God took over and wrote what I was supposed to say,” she said. When she addressed about 80 people in a breakout session at the conference, she said she shared what happened on the day of Bill’s death. It’s been a template for her presentations ever since. She explained to Prairie Business that she does not tell employees what company rules or regulations they should follow. That’s up to the individual supervisors at companies; she’s there instead as an emotional consultant, sharing a story that hopefully will impact people as they hear it.

“We need to keep in mind that the choices we make on a daily basis affect not only ourselves but the people around us,” she said, including “our families, our friends and communities, our workplace. If you make choices that could potentially affect yourself or others around you, well, I’m just trying to make people aware of it.”

continued on page 34

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Workplacesafety

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

DAWN AND BILL’S THREE CHILDREN, SHOWN YEARS AFTER BILL’S DEATH, VISIT THEIR FATHER’S GRAVE IN CASSELTON, N.D. DAWN, WHO HAS SINCE REMARRIED WITH THE LAST NAME OF CHISHOLM, SAID IF WORKPLACE SAFETY WAS TOP-OF-MIND WHEN HER HUSBAND ENTERED A GRAIN SILO IN EARLY FEBRUARY 2002, HE LIKELY WOULD STILL BE WITH HIS FAMILY TODAY. IMAGE: COURTESY OF DAWN CHISHOLM

BILL LAMBERT, WHO DIED IN A WORKPLACE ACCIDENT ON FEB. 7, 2002, IS PICTURED HERE WITH HIS THREE CHILDREN ON CHRISTMAS 2001, JUST A FEW WEEKS BEFORE HIS UNTIMELY PASSING. IMAGE: COURTESY OF DAWN CHISHOLM

continued From page 33 The same year the Safety Council contacted her, Dawn decided it was time to give up her job as an interior designer and devote more time to speaking and sharing Bill’s story.

Through her efforts with a project she calls “If Only,” she urges farmers, business professionals and employees – everybody – to put safety first in their daily actions and routines.

Dawn, who has since remarried and now lives in Hawley, Minn., has another reason to be passionate about safety in the workplace: her husband now, Randal Chisholm, also is a farmer who lost a family member much the same way she did. In early December, a cousin of Randal’s suffered the same fate as Bill after falling into and suffocating in a grain silo.

“It is a common thing that seems to happen in this region,” Dawn said. “The Red River Valley has a lot of farmers. They don’t have a lot of hired hands and not always the right safety equipment. People don’t realize – they don’t believe – that something like this can happen to them.”

Just like what Bill believed. And Dawn.

But now she knows differently.

She especially worries with such wet harvests, such as this year created, that these same types of tragedies could befall others if they do not take a few extra seconds – sometimes that’s all it takes – to make sure they are safe.

For instance, Dawn often demonstrates to audiences how long it takes to put on a safety harness. She clocked it time and again at just around 40 seconds. It’s 40 seconds that could potentially save a life.

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*** Dawn’s website describes her mission: “If Only seeks to have employees speak up when they face unsafe situations and for employers to embrace and encourage open dialogue, training and action to put safety measures in place.”

Besides sharing Bill’s story and the importance of workplace safety, she also addresses topics that help people consider how they can be more safe at home, at school or when behind the wheel. So far, Dawn has been invited to speak at companies, conferences and church groups, among others.

“If Only really is about the choices we make on a daily basis,” she told Prairie Business. “I just want people to understand what that means, to slow down and think about safety, whether it’s with their occupation, at home or on the roads.”

Dawn said faith is an integral part of her efforts and feels impressed that her project is a calling from above, believing she has felt both heaven’s influence and that of her late husband’s in her work. She said she has never been angry with God or Bill for what happened 18 years ago. She knows why Bill did what he did on that tragic day; he wanted to hurry and get the job done so he could get home to his family. Instead of taking a few extra minutes to make sure he was safe, however, a bad decision cost him his life.

Dawn doesn’t talk about religion when she gets in front of audiences unless it’s a church group, but said her primary responsibility and goal is to bring home the message that safety, no matter the time or

PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM

We need to keep in mind that the choices we make on a daily basis affect not only ourselves but the people around us, our families, our friends and communities, our workplace. If you make choices that could potentially affect yourself or others around you, well, I’m just trying to make people aware of it.

Be inspired by your workplace.

- Dawn Chisholm, owner of If Only

place, should be paramount. A look at some numbers show why: In 2018, the latest numbers that have been released, 35 people lost their lives while on the job in North Dakota, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s a slight decline from the previous year, which saw 38 workplace deaths in the state.

In neighboring South Dakota, 32 died in work-related deaths in 2018, which was two more than 2017’s number.

In Prairie Business’s three-state coverage area, Minnesota had the highest number of work-related deaths in 2018. That number was 75, down from 101 in 2017.

There are separate numbers for work-related injuries, and Minnesota saw a significant decrease (61%) in this category over the past two decades.

The problem is that even one workplace injury or death is too many.

"Every worker in Minnesota has the right to be safe and healthy at work and the right to finish their workday in the same condition in which they started it,” Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner Nancy Leppink said in a statement.

In all, 5,250 workers died on the job last year across the U.S. While the numbers give the statistical angle of the problem, the real impact is when a loved one doesn’t come home at night.

Dawn said there is nothing on the job more important than making sure all employees are safe.

“Your family wants you to come home at the end of the day,” she said.

ANDREW WEEKS PRAIRIE BUSINESS EDITOR AWEEKS@PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM 701-780-1276 | @PB_ANDREWWEEKS

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BUSINESSINSIDER

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

A Q&A

with Dustin Hillebrand, workforce center manager at Job Service North Dakota in Grand Forks.

Job Service does more than help people find work

By Andrew Weeks

EDITOR’S NOTE:

GRAND FORKS, N.D. • McKanzie Goss sat across from a computer monitor, tapping a keyboard as she searched for employment opportunities.

Goss, from Grand Forks, N.D., has spent most of her career in the retail business and she didn’t want to change now.

But finding a job wasn’t the easiest task in her book, and so she decided to visit Job Service North Dakota.

Besides offering computers where visitors can search employment opportunities, the agency, which has nine locations across the Peace Garden State, has staff ready and willing to answer questions and a number of programs to help the job seeker.

Through its array of services and programs, Job Service North Dakota also helps young people and veterans.

Dustin Hillebrand, workforce center manager of the Grand Forks office, met with Prairie Business and answered questions about the agency’s services and programs.

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DUSTIN HILLEBRAND, WORKFORCE CENTER MANAGER FOR THE JOB SERVICE NORTH DAKOTA OFFICE IN GRAND FORKS, POSES FOR A PHOTO AT HIS DESK IN JANUARY. HILLEBRAND HAS BEEN WITH THE STATE AGENCY SINCE 2015, AND SAYS JOB SERVICE HAS MORE OFFERINGS THAN WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT AT FIRST ASSUME. IMAGE: ANDREW WEEKS/PRAIRIE BUSINESS

PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM

Q. HOW LONG HAS JOB SERVICE BEEN AROUND? A.

Job Service North Dakota has its roots in the Social Security Act of 1935, when Congress established unemployment insurance as part of an employment security system designed to provide an economic safety net during the height of the Depression.

Q. A.

DO YOU GENERALLY HAVE A TIME OF YEAR THAT IS BUSIEST AND, IF SO, WHEN IS IT? Sure, we see seasonal patterns. There are some big industries, like farming and construction, that do a lot of seasonal hiring and layoffs. So spring and fall are typically busy. But really, every day is different. Each Workforce Center hosts employers that come into our offices to hold hiring events either weekly or monthly, and we also have regional multi-industry job fairs twice a year. But we also serve employers and job seekers through a variety of programs that don’t see seasonal arcs.

Q. A.

HOW MANY STATE OFFICES ARE THERE?

Q. A.

ON AVERAGE ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE USE THE FACILITY?

There are nine Workforce Centers across North Dakota: Grand Forks, Fargo, Wahpeton, Devils Lake, Jamestown, Bismarck, Minot, Williston, and Dickinson. We also have a central office located in Bismarck.

The Grand Forks office serves about 1,100 people a month on average.

We also share space with Vocational Rehabilitation, which is convenient for clients using both services.

Q. IN WHAT WAYS DOES JOB SERVICE HELP PEOPLE FIND WORK? A.

The most visible way is our website, www.jobsnd.com. All nine of our Workforce Centers are resource centers with computers job seekers can use to look for work, fill out resumes and applications, and file unemployment insurance claims.

Less visible, but still extremely important, are the different programs available to job seekers.

Through the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) we provide classroom training, on the job training, and opportunities to build work experience. WIOA is broken into adult and youth programs, so we can really customize the services to each client. We have a program called PRIDE that assists noncustodial parents who are behind on child support to find employment. We have services for people who are receiving Unemployment Insurance, to assist their job search in a variety of ways. And our Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP) helps veterans with significant barriers to employment overcome those barriers. All DVOPs are veterans themselves, which helps build relationships with the veterans looking for work.

We also have business services consultants who work with employers to help them find workers. Our staff works hard to bridge the gap between employer and job seeker.

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BusinessInsider

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

THE GRAND FORKS OFFICE OF JOB SERVICE NORTH DAKOTA OFFERS SEVERAL SERVICES, INCLUDING YOUTH AND VETERAN PROGRAMS. IMAGE: ANDREW WEEKS/PRAIRIE BUSINESS

Q. A.

WHAT IS THE GENERAL PROCESS OF FINDING WORK THROUGH JOB SERVICE? All of the assistance we offer can sound intimidating, but we’re here to make the process easy and help clients navigate. Appointments are not necessary, just walk in and register, and we’ll point you to the right resource, whether that’s a computer to use, a seminar to take or a specialist to talk to. Often, a visit to our Workforce Center is not even necessary. Our website is userfriendly and available 24/7.

US ABOUT SOME OF THE UNIQUE Q. TELL RESOURCES THAT JOB SERVICE PROVIDES? A.

Job Service North Dakota has an entire Labor Market Information (LMI) department that gathers and receives data from the state and federal governments, and compiles it so we can see trends.

This data is so important to the business environment in our state.

Many Economic Development Corporations (EDCs) and Chambers of Commerce use information from LMI to work with member companies. In the Workforce Centers we use that data in a lot of ways, for instance, to help clients find career paths with growth.

We have programs to help employers find the right employees.

We have multiple programs to help employees learn skills, explore careers and find employment.

We also operate the state’s Unemployment Insurance program.

Q. WHAT ARE A COUPLE OF THE PROGRAMS YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF AND WHY? A.

All of our programs have an impact on our clients. We have such a diverse clientele it’s hard to compare specific outcomes.

I started off as a Disabled Veteran Outreach Program specialist so that program is closest to my heart as a veteran myself. I enjoyed working with veterans daily. I helped a 70-year-old vet find some part-time work because he still had so much to offer, yet he was bored and felt trapped at home. I helped newly separated veterans find their next path after leaving the military, and pointed them in the right direction to find the answers as they filed for disability claims or went back to school. All of that was really fulfilling.

Honestly, every day we see clients at a low point in their lives. Imagine working at a company for 20 years, and then being laid off. Those folks come to our office surprised, hurt, confused, and with no idea what their next step is. Our team works to help them move on through kind words, support, information, referrals, and dedication. We all celebrate when a client that was in tears when we met sends us a card saying they got a job.

Our WIOA and PRIDE programs are the same way. It is amazing how successful clients can be with a little help. Both of those programs have very dedicated team members who invest themselves in the lives of their clients.

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WHAT WAYS DOES JOB Q. INSERVICE PARTNER WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY?

Q. HOW IS JOB SERVICE FUNDED? A.

JSND is 98% federally funded through a variety of grants. The other 2% comes from our state legislature.

A.

Q.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FOR YOUR OFFICE WITH THE STATE’S LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE?

A.

This is a problem for our entire state, and solving it is going to take a collaborative effort between the state government and private businesses. Job Service North Dakota is proud to play a role by connecting employers and employees with the best fit. Right now there are more than 15,000 open jobs listed on our site.

Q. WHAT OTHER CHALLENGES DOES THE AGENCY FACE? A.

Funding can be a challenge at times, but that’s not specific to our agency. Everyone has tight belts.

Congratulations

ANN HENDERSON RESEARCH ENGINEER

A dedicated professional who w consistently make m es positive contributions to the organiza ation n and to our commun nity.

The most visible projects are the regional multi-industry job fairs we hold twice a year.

In Grand Forks we average 65 employers and about 350 job seekers at each one. Most of our workforce centers hold hiring events for local businesses so they can come to job seekers. In 2019 in our Grand Forks office we held 194 hiring events.

Many of our team around the state sit on different boards to provide insight on workforce solutions. JSND has programs that use income tax withholdings help primary sector businesses fund training for new positions, help employers receive federal income tax credits, and provide businesses with bonds to hire justiceinvolved job seekers.

ANDREW WEEKS PRAIRIE BUSINESS EDITOR AWEEKS@PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM 701-780-1276 | @PB_ANDREWWEEKS

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39

MidwestLandscaping

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

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CONFLUENCE HAS ACQUIRED LAND ELEMENTS, AN ARCHITECTURE LANDSCAPE FIRM IN DOWNTOWN FARGO, N.D. THIS IMAGE SHOWS ONE OF THE COMPANY’S PROJECTS, THE VA HOSPITAL IN FARGO. IMAGE: COURTESY OF CONFLUENCE

Midwest landscape architecture firm expands into

North Dakota

By Prairie Business

FARGO, N.D. • A Midwest landscape architecture and urban design company is expanding into North Dakota.

Confluence, which already has offices in South Dakota and Minnesota, among other states, has acquired Land Elements, an architecture landscape firm in downtown Fargo.

“We reviewed the North Dakota market for several years looking for the right strategic opportunity – one that was consistent with who we are at Confluence and the way we work,” Senior Vice President Wm. Christopher Cline said in a statement.

“As we reviewed Land Elements’ portfolio of work and their relationships – it became clear our priorities of quality design, creative collaboration and client-focus were in total alignment. We look forward to joining forces to provide even more design and planning services in the future throughout the Fargo market and beyond.”

Land Elements founder Mike Allmendinger and associate principal Brian Reinarts will serve as leaders in the Fargo office. Allmendinger will serve as a principal and Reinarts as an associate principal. The entire Land Elements staff will continue with Confluence, ensuring a smooth and seamless transition, the company said in a news release.

“Confluence brings a wealth of urban design and planning expertise to the Land Elements team,” Allmendinger said. “The Land Elements team and I are excited to join Confluence and continue to provide landscape architecture services to the region.”

Land Elements was founded in 2003 and has done projects in both the Dakotas and Minnesota, according to Reinarts. He told Prairie Business that the team will continue to serve clients in all three states.

“I think this will give us a deeper bench as far as capabilities go, allowing us to go after projects with a larger scope,” he said. “We’ll have additional people in the fields of planning and architecture to tape into. I think this will be a really good thing for Fargo, the state and the region.”

Allmendinger said the Land Elements team appreciates the business relationships it has developed over the years and looks forward to building even more client partnerships in the future.

“We’re grateful for the relationships and projects we’ve created together over the past 16 years,” he said. “The Fargo team looks forward to continuing to create a unique sense of place in each new project for our clients, and to offering more design and planning services in the future.”

The Fargo expansion is part of two simultaneous acquisitions by Confluence: it also is adding Wolff Landscape Architecture, an award-winning landscape architecture firm in downtown Chicago.

41

PrairiePeople

MARCH 2020 VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Joshua Sherwood

Tanner Linderman

KLJ welcomes several new team members

RAPID CITY, S.D. • Engineering firm KLJ recently welcomed several people to the company.

Joshua Sherwood and Tanner Linderman have joined the Rapid City office.

Sherwood, a graduate of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with a bachelor’s in civil engineering, comes to the team as an engineer.

Linderman also joins KLJ as an engineer. He earned his bach-

Keelee Roggenbuck Ryan Bjork elor’s in civil engineering with an emphasis in structural engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Keelee Roggenbuck joined the firm’s St. Paul office as an engineer. She earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Purdue University and is a member of Women in Transportation.

Ryan Bjork, also an engineer, comes to the firm at its Devils Lake office. He graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s in civil engineering.

Executive director hired at Consensus Council

Ann Crews Melton

Greg Gallagher

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Bismarck, N.D. • Ann Crews Melton, an associate editor at the State Historical Society of North Dakota, has been hired as the executive director of the Consensus Council.

She will become the third executive director in the council’s 30-year history, succeeding Rose Stoller, who died in November after nearly 17 years at the helm of the organization.

Prior to her work with the State Historical Society, Crews Melton worked as a reporter and magazine editor at the Bismarck Tribune. She is currently vice chair of Humanities North Dakota’s board of directors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and a Master of Arts degree from Emerson College in Boston.

Also, Greg Gallagher has been promoted from director of programs and research to deputy director. He has been with the Consensus Council for two years after a 28-year career with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

Gallagher earned a bachelor’s degree in human development from St. Mary’s College in Winona, Minn., and a master’s in religion and religious education from Fordham University in New York City.

Prior to his service at DPI he worked for 10 years as director of non-public education programs for the Diocese of Bismarck

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Teresa Spaeth New chairwoman joins University of Minnesota Crookston

CROOKSTON, Minn. • Teresa Spaeth recently joined the University of Minnesota Crookston as the veden chair of Rural Economic Development and director of strategic initiatives. Previously, she held executive director positions at the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute and the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa.

Spaeth served as interim dean at White Earth Tribal and Community College, and has more than 20 years of experience catalyzing rural economic development, spearheading communities of practice in value-added agriculture, renewable energy, conservation and experiential learning.

Spaeth also serves on the advisory board of Lead for Minnesota, an AmeriCorps program focusing on rural opportunity development, as well as the Charities Review Council program committee.

Burns & McDonnell expands engineering services with new hire

BISMARCK, N.D. • Burns & McDonnell, a multi-service engineering and construction firm, has hired Ryan Klute who will work at its office in Bismarck, N.D. Klute helps the company expand the firm’s engineering, architecture and construction services in the region. He will support the delivery of environmental services including remediation, compliance and permitting, and emergency response.

With more than a decade of experience, Ryan recently served as a project manager for an engineering-consulting firm in central North Dakota, where he led monitoring and remediation efforts for petroleum and brine impacts.

Ryan Klute

New hire to lead Banner Associates’ environmental division

Jesse Fonkert

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. • Rebecca Baker has joined Banner Associates to lead the firm’s environmental division.

Baker earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental management and biology from South Dakota State University. Since then she has gained extensive experience working as a consultant on projects in South Dakota, North Dakota and the surrounding states over the past 16 years.

Baker joins the Sioux Falls office and will be leading projects throughout the region. In her role, she will facilitate environmental permitting, assessments, impact statements and other environmental reporting for various types of projects.

Becky Baker

Regional economic development groups name new executive director

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. • Jesse Fonkert, Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development director for the city of Hartford, has been selected as the new executive director of the Lincoln and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations.

Fonkert succeeds Nick Fosheim, who accepted a position with the American Coalition for Ethanol.

Fonkert began as Hartford’s Chamber and Economic Development director in July 2016. He worked with the Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce and Hartford Area Development Foundation to support existing businesses, increase the number of jobs and businesses in Hartford and to enhance community prosperity.

Prior to his work in Hartford, he interned for several years at First PREMIER Bank, followed by internships with the Office of Rep. Kevin Cramer and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

His office is centrally located in downtown Sioux Falls in the Commerce Center and he will work closely with the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

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Insights&Intuition

MARCH 2020

SPONSORED BY

VOL 21 ISSUE 3

Q.

INSIGHTs & INTUITION As an organization what fuels your competitive drive and how do you use it to achieve success?

Mike Delfs President and CEO Jamestown Regional Medical Center Jamestown, N.D.

Our mission at Jamestown Regional Medical Center is to exceed expectations and be THE difference in the lives of those we serve. To do that, our board believes independence is the fuel that best serves the community and helps us succeed.

Our community also clearly wants us to remain independent. Independence at JRMC means we can quickly respond to the needs of our nine-county service area. Our ticket to independence is growth. Knowing that, we’ve offered specialty care service lines (cancer care, urology, orthopedics, podiatry, ear, nose and throat and wound care), many of which are unheard of in communities and hospitals of our size.

We also offer specialty care in neighboring communities like Carrington and Valley City. The success of those service lines is defined in two ways: 1) their impact on the community, and 2) the impact on the organization. We’re proud to say we’re exceeding expectations in both.

Jordan Pope At Nexus Innovations, our competitive drive is fueled by a highly competitive and constantly changing technology environment that provides the opportunity for our team to compete.

We are a team who wants to win at whatever we do – and winning to us means empowering our clients for success by delivering strategic technology solutions that help make them more effective and efficient.

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Director of Business Operations and Solutions Nexus Innovations Bismarck, N.D.

PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM

We exist in a world where you could walk into any community bank and find the same products and services that we offer at Choice Bank, but what you won’t be able to find elsewhere are our people.

One of our core values is to better the places we live; when we hire individuals who are as passionate about what we do in our communities as we are, and provide them opportunities and validation that affirm each of their roles are critical to our overall success, we create a work experience that can’t be recreated across the street. When new roles and opportunities arise, we make it a point to look for talent from within, before considering external candidates, because we know that we can teach the mechanics of banking to anyone – but we can’t teach passion for service.

When you find people whose drive to have an impact is intrinsic, you do everything in your power to give them opportunities to take on new roles and challenges to grow, not only as professionals, but also as people living in the communities that they serve.

D.J. Campbell Branch HR Business Partner Manager EMC Insurance Companies Bismarck, N.D.

Emily Wieck VP, Talent Management and Organizational Development Choice Bank Bloomington, Minn.

You must inspire your team, and that starts with culture. Workplace culture isn’t created by any one person. It’s the collective effort of a group of inspired individuals working toward common goals with purpose and inclusivity.

As leaders, we must show each team member how their goals and performance contribute to the success of the organization. We ensure alignment of our team’s individual goals all the way up to our corporate strategic objectives, so that everyone understands the impact they have on the success of the organization.

If you think of the goal as the destination, then creating an action plan is the journey. The key to hitting any goal is finding joy in that journey. We create action plans and schedule regular touch points to foster an environment of collaboration and open communication. As leaders, it’s our job to provide our team members with training, resources and inspiration to find that joy in their journey.

Charles Cooper

Renee Daffinrud

(701) 499-7551 3001 25th St, Fargo

(701) 751-8511 1601 N 12th St, Bismarck

Private Banking Manager

Private Banking Manager

Our Private Bankers are here to take care of your financial service needs; to build that trust, to accomplish your goals, so you can do what matters most, Live First.

FIBT.com

45

ByTheNumbers

MARCH 2020

SPONSORED BY

U.S. AVERAGE DOMESTIC FARES

VOL 21 ISSUE 3

From 2Q 2019: -3.6% From 3Q 2014: -18.3%

PASSENGERS ON U.S. AIRLINES IN 2019

Airfares for the third quarter in 2019 was down 3.6% ($358) from the second quarter of the same year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and down 1.2% ($349) from the third quarter of 2018. However, it’s an even larger decrease, 18.3%, from the third quarter total in 2014 ($422).

926 Million

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, BTS Air Fares, Origin and Destination Survey

One Year: 4.1% Two Years: 9.0% Estimated

TICK T I CK E T E T

PASSENGERS IN MILLIONS, UNADJUSTED (000,000) U.S. airlines carried more passengers in 2019 than in any previous year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which estimates that 925.5 million passengers boarded flights in the full year of 2019. It was the highest total based on comparable records since 2003.

926M 889M

770M

763M 704M

647M

SOUCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014 2015 2016

2017

2018 2019 (EST)

PASSENGERS IN MILLIONS (SEASONALLY ADJUSTED) U.S. airlines carried an estimated 78.2 million systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service passengers in December 2019, reaching a new seasonally-adjusted alltime high, according to the BTS first estimate, up 0.4% from the November second estimate. BTS estimated 68.6 million domestic passengers and 9.7 million international passengers on U.S. airlines flights in December. The domestic passenger number was a seasonally-adjusted all-time high.

December 2019 78.2M estimated

December 2016 69.7M

SOUCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

46

TWITTER.COM/PRAIRIEBIZ

FACEBOOK .COM/PRAIRIEBUSINESS

Dec 16

69.2M Hurricane Irma

Apr 17

Aug 17

Dec 17

PRAIRIEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM

October 2019 77.7M reported

73.4M Hurricane Florence

Apr 18

Aug 18

Dec 18

Apr 19

Aug 19

Dec 19

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