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.

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-

Executive director hired at Consensus Council

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.

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

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.

New hire to lead Banner Associates’ environmental division

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.

Jesse Fonkert

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.

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.