Engineering to help the environment

NDSU student wants to create eco-friendly materials

By Andrew Weeks

Like any aspiring professional, Abigail Henderson wants to make a difference in her career. In doing so, she hopes to help the environment.

Henderson, one of the rising generation’s forward-thinking individuals, wants to create eco-friendly materials for a progressive company. Her path to get to that point: graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in coding materials from North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D.

She is on track to achieve her graduation goal by spring 2023.

Already she has gained experience in the soft skills of engineering, talking to suppliers and learning how companies can move forward while optimizing their products. Sometimes optimization occurs with a new approach.

“I am very much interested in creating new materials,” she said. “Packaging is something that I am very much interested in, but with more environmentally-friendly alternatives to the plastics and other materials that we use in packaging currently.”

Her journey to NDSU started in the summer of 2017, while she was still in high school in her hometown of Hudson, Iowa. She had the opportunity to attend a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) camp, which she said was a positive experience for her and introduced her to the material sciences and research that was happening at NDSU.

It piqued her interest in the field, and after that she kept her focus on the North Dakota campus. She also did a couple of job shadows while in high school that further cemented her interest.

She started in fall 2019, choosing NDSU because it was a smaller school than others she had considered and with personable class sizes. More importantly, it had the current programs and research opportunities she was interested in pursuing.

The material sciences is a broad sweep, which in many instances points to the field of sustainability – another topic in which she is interested.

“I’m very interested in the field of sustainability – utilizing waste products to create new materials or to change how materials are used that can better serve the community,” she said.

Henderson hasn’t completed much lab work yet, but will do more of that going forward. She also plans to start doing undergraduate research under the tutelage of a faculty member, something she is looking forward to.

She is used to working with others, and said she once designed a solution to a unique problem with one of her father’s lawnmowers. It wasn’t a large project by any means, “but it was kind of fun to do,” she said.

Henderson also likes to look to the future as she tries to recognize some of the challenges of her chosen industry.

“Cost savings is definitely a challenge,” she said. “Traditionally, more environmentally friendly or sustainable materials are more expensive, and so that’s an obstacle for many companies to make the switch. There also is potentially a time-cost element, I would say, on the manufacturing side.”

She has met her own challenges caused by the pandemic, saying it is sometimes tough to stay focused while working and studying remotely. To her, it has been both a burden and a blessing.

“I would say it is probably tougher to stay motivated,” she said. “I personally like the flexibility that a hybrid type work model offers, because I have experience being self-motivated. It’s nice for me that way, but I have definitely seen elements of my classes that are neglected more because of the online model.”

Despite those challenges, she is looking forward to a new year and hopefully a new approach to her work. She said she is enjoying her time in North Dakota and at NDSU.

“I really like the small town, community feel to it, but in a larger setting than I am used to,” Henderson said. “It’s definitely larger than my hometown, and so there are a lot more opportunities with businesses, with different community elements. It’s also great to be able to go on a walk around campus and see friendly faces, even if you don’t know everybody. It has a homey vibe.” She said she appreciates what she has learned – and continues to learn – at the school and the care and forethought of her instructors.

“They really care about students and the success of students,” she said. “Specifically, Dr. (Ali) Amiri in the mechanical engineering department. … He’s been able to connect me with different opportunities to learn and grow in ways outside of the classroom.”

After graduation, the world is her footstool. Where she ends up depends on the job. “I’m not tied to any specific location,” she said.

Amanda Torok has been shining a light on Gate City Bank’s culture for the past six years. Her dedication to the mission of creating a better way of life in the communities Gate City Bank serves helps her to make a difference as a leader for team members and customers. As the SVP of Culture, her department oversees the bank’s social media, internal communication, training, philanthropic giving and more. Torok’s diverse work and volunteer history has fueled her zeal for creativity and engagement.

Having a passion for dance since a young age, Torok has been teaching classes at Red River Dance, a non-profit dance studio, for more than 14 years. She dedicates her time and talents to teach youth and mentor future generations. She also volunteers her time speaking to local organizations about philanthropic giving, social media, company engagement and culture and more. She is also an avid supporter of organizations within her community such as Giving Hearts Day, Emergency Food Pantry and YWCA Cass Clay.

Prairie Business is pleased to present the Top 25 Women in Business for 2021

These women come from different backgrounds and professions, but each of them have something in common: They all are exemplary business professionals in their careers and communities. Their dedication and hard work make the region a better place to live and work, and Prairie Business is happy to recognize them here.

Branch Manager

Capital Credit Union Fargo, N.D.

Originally from Minot, N.D., Andrea Berg earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Minot State University. Her career in financial services began at Town and Country Credit Union where she worked for 12 years before joining Starion Bank for three. She then worked at Fargo’s Rape & Abuse Crisis Center as its community engagement coordinator. Berg reentered the financial services industry when she joined Capital Credit Union in 2020. As branch manager of the new Veterans Boulevard Branch in Fargo, her first year was a whirlwind of activity, including hiring and training staff, assisting with the branch’s grand opening celebration, and guiding her team through processes and procedures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. She leads an eight-person team, including a financial services representative, member services supervisor and six member services associates.

Berg volunteers at the Rape & Abuse Crisis Center and is a member of the board for the West Fargo Exchange Club. She has also served as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. She and her husband, Kevin, live in Fargo with their two sons.

Annette Ambuehl

Commercial Lines Manager Bell Insurance

Fargo, Grand Forks, Detroit Lakes & Minneapolis

Annette Ambuehl has been working in the insurance industry for more than 30 years and has a passion for helping her clients and building relationships with them.

Originally from Borup, Minn., she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from North Dakota State University before beginning her insurance career. After spending the first 15 years in underwriting for various companies, she became a commercial agent. In 2014 she was given the opportunity to act as president of BlackRidge Insurance and work with its bank leaders to start a De Novo agency. After the sale of BlackRidge, Ambuehl joined Bell Insurance where she now works as the commercial lines manager. Along the way, she has earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Certified Insurance Counselor and Associate in Risk Management designations.

Ambuehl has a passion for helping kids and has served on non-profit boards helping local children in the community. She also spends time as a volunteer youth basketball coach in the community.

Brenda

Controller

TSP, Inc.

Moore

Sioux Falls, S.D.

In a tumultuous year, controller Brenda Moore led TSP, Inc. through planned and unplanned changes with vision, financial acumen, and foresight. Her leadership helped the 90-year-old architectural and engineering firm emerge from 2020 strongly positioned for growth.

A major responsibility involved implementing an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan). While the pandemic slowed the pace, it was completed by year’s end. She also led TSP through the often-complicated application procedure for the Paycheck Protection Program loan.

Moore graduated from Augustana University with bachelor’s degrees in economics, professional accountancy, and business administration. She joined TSP, Inc. in 2007 as an accountant and was promoted to controller in April 2013.

The mother of two children, Moore seeks out volunteer activities where she can make a difference in the lives of other youngsters. As a mentor with Junior Achievement of South Dakota, she works with kindergarten students and middle-schoolers. She also volunteers with the Sioux Empire United Way, her church, and other community nonprofits such as The Banquet feeding ministry and the BackPack program for low-income school children.

Camille Grade

Chief Market Officer

Bushel

Fargo,

N.D.

Camille Grade serves as the chief market officer at Bushel in Fargo, N.D., an agtech company focused on building the digital infrastructure for the grain industry. She leads Bushel’s outward voice to the marketplace through marketing and customer experience. She has transformed Bushel’s brand from a nondescript local mobile software company to an international industry innovator, garnering close interest, monitoring, and collaboration with the largest agriculture companies in the world.

Bushel has grown nationwide brand recognition in short order due to Grade’s storytelling capacity and ability to know and speak deeply to the unique values of the agriculture market. She built from scratch marketing, customer experience, support and sales teams. She is a master at asking questions, a powerful storyteller, has an unfailing moral compass, is loyal and an articulate communicator and friend.

Grade believes in community involvement and recently concluded six years on the United Way of Cass Clay’s board of trustees. She lives in Horace, N.D., with her husband, Ryan, and continues to stay connected to her family’s farm near Borup, Minn.

Cathrine Grimsrud

Managing Director of Mineral and Land Services, VP for Wealth Management

First International Bank & Trust Bismarck, N.D.

Cathrine Grimsrud joined First International Bank & Trust in late 2019 following a decade in the oil and gas industry. She recognized not only the need for mineral owners to have their assets managed by industry professionals, but also the need for the oil and gas industry to have a local bank that understands their business and what it takes for them to succeed.

Grimsrud holds law degrees from both the University of Oslo-Faculty of Law and the University of North Dakota School of Law. She has held several different positions including land manager and legal counsel for private and public oil companies, and recently served as senior attorney for a large Houston-based exploration and production corporation. Grimsrud has broad experience in the oil and gas transactional space primarily focusing on oil, gas and midstream contracts, title examination, acquisitions and divestitures, due diligence, and regulatory compliance. She is originally from Norway and loves horses, skiing, travelling, and hiking – especially in the Norwegian mountains. She resides in Bismarck with her two children.

Cynthia Thormodson

Senior Vice President/ Chief Financial Officer Noridian Healthcare Solutions Fargo, N.D.

Cynthia Thormodson’s 25-year career spans the areas of public accounting, internal audit, and health care operations. In 2016, her passion for healthcare led her to Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC, a government contractor with headquarters in Fargo. As Noridian’s chief financial officer, Thormodson is honored to play an important role in ensuring Medicare beneficiaries have access to care when they need it most.

Thormodson is a servant leader who champions personal and career development. She loves coaching and mentoring, and her “cup is filled” by helping others reach their full potential.

Thormodson is a Certified Public Accountant and has earned the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s (HFMA) Certified Healthcare Financial Professional designation. She and her husband, Kyle, are the parents of two daughters and enjoy following their activities. She is the council president for her church in Dilworth, Minn. Her leadership has supported the well-being of the church through the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Erica Marcussen

Architect Widseth Baxter, Minn.

Erica Marcussen distinguishes herself as a dedicated architect, coworker, community leader, volunteer, and parent. After graduating from NDSU’s architecture program, she returned to her hometown of Brainerd, Minn., where she is making an impact on the area’s residents and visitors through her work on community and educational facilities, including several multimillion-dollar school projects.

Widseth’s repeat clients often request that she work on their projects. Her involvement in her children’s activities led to her mobilizing a cadre of parents to reach out to area businesses with a particular interest in robotics, technology, science, and mathematics to secure sponsorships for the robotics team’s trip to Louisville, Ky., to compete in the 2018 and 2019 Vex Robotics World Championship competition.

Marcussen’s involvement in her church has spanned playing in the bell choir to providing planning and design services (sometimes pro bono). Her experience as an architect, leadership reputation with clients, and her enduring commitment to her family and community characterize Marcussen’s exceptional role as a person dedicated to a meaningful career and in successfully supporting others around her.

Holly Dalen

Laboratory Foreman

Marathon Petroleum Company

Dickinson, N.D.

Holly Dalen grew up in Zap, N.D., and after graduating from college began a career in analytical services in North Dakota’s energy corridor. She started as a laboratory technician at Dakota Gasification Co., working in both the pilot plant and process support laboratories. Later, she took a position with the North Dakota’s State Meat Inspection program as a field inspector for state meat processing facilities.

Dalen returned to the N.D. energy sector during the Bakken oil boom, when she worked as a regional laboratory manager in the Rocky Mountain region for an oil field chemical company. Soon after construction started on the new refinery in Dickinson, she accepted a lab management position with the responsibility to establish a process support and quality control lab. Dalen is facing exciting new challenges in this role, as the refinery switched to producing renewable diesel from soybean and corn oils.

Dalen enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and friends. She actively supports and volunteers for community programs and can even be seen ringing bells at church.

Environmental Manager for ND Operations

North American Coal Corporation

Bismarck, N.D.

Growing up on a ranch in western North Dakota, Jessica Bell learned early in life the importance of environmental stewardship and the benefits of responsible government. These driving forces led her to choose to focus on both Natural Resources Management and Economics for her Bachelor of Science, obtained from North Dakota State University in 2006.

Bell’s career as an environmental manager with the North American Coal Corporation provides a background in and deep understanding of direct application of environmental laws and regulations. Serving as state senator for District 33 since 2012, Bell has held the chairmanship for both the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, as well as the Finance & Taxation Committee, leading both state energy and tax policies.

An active member of her Beulah community, Bell has helped lead the local preschool program, as well as establishing the Energy Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art fitness center in Beulah. All of this, though, is done in her spare time, as her two daughters and husband are her largest sources of happiness … and work!

Julie Capasso has been a dedicated safety professional for more than 10 years. She is a cum laude graduate from Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health. She has held safety positions within a wide variety of industries including manufacturing, academia, engineering, and construction.

Her education and diverse working background were fundamental to her achieving the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification. Capasso joined the McGough team in 2019 and is responsible for managing and implementing their safety management program on construction projects, including projects in North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Minnesota. She values her work protecting McGough’s most valuable asset – its employees.

Prior to relocating to Fargo in 2017, Capasso spent four years mentoring two awesome kids through Big Brothers Big Sisters and C-U One to One. Now she is focused on giving back to the organizations that have supported her family such as Hopeful Heart Project, Anthony Rizzo Foundation, and Cal’s Angels.

Capasso resides in Fargo with her husband, daughter, and blue heeler.

Julie Whitney

Market President Bremer Bank Fargo, N.D.-Moorhead, Minn.

Kimberly Heidt

Vice President of People & Culture Steffes, LLC Dickinson, N.D.

As market president at Bremer Bank in Fargo/Moorhead, Julie Whitney lives out Bremer’s purpose of cultivating thriving communities. Currently, she serves on the Public Policy Committee of Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce; on the Board of Directors of Enterprise Minnesota, a federal MEP organization that provides training and advocacy for manufacturers; on the Board of Directors of MinnDak Manufacturers Association, a nonprofit organization that supports manufacturers in the Fargo/Moorhead/West Fargo community, and on the fundraising committee for an area joint-Rotary Natural Play Area project.

Whitney has more than 25 years of experience in business development, risk management, financial and industry analysis and accounting. A graduate of St Cloud State University, she earned CPA designation in 2000 and since 2004 has been serving commercial and industrial businesses through all business life cycles and unprecedented economic times.

Her love of people, finance, and the business community drive Whitney to lead with great energy to motivate and support her team of talented commercial banking strategists, who work elbow to elbow with Bremer’s customers to achieve business success.

Kim Heidt is the vice president of People & Culture at Steffes, LLC., a manufacturer headquartered in Dickinson, N.D., with facilities in Grand Forks, N.D. and Midland, Texas.

Heidt brings more than 15 years of HR experience from multifaceted industries including health care, engineering, pharmaceutical research and manufacturing. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management with a HR management focus from the University of Mary.

Heidt is responsible for strategic HR operations, employee engagement, learning and development, and transformational HR solutions to support the overall success of the organization. She is committed to helping people develop and grow into the best versions of themselves; this passion drove her into the HR profession where she felt she could make a daily impact.

Heidt serves on the SAHRA Board as membership director, Dickinson CHI Charity Ball committee member, and member of the Dream It Do It program, which promotes the diversified career opportunities in manufacturing to the younger generation. During her free time, she enjoys golfing and attending classic car shows with her husband, Chad, and three children.

Kristi Spindler

Vice President Human Resources

KLJ Fargo, N.D.

Laurie Gates

HR and Procurement Manager

ESCO Manufacturing, Inc.

Watertown, S.D.

Laurie Gates has been a senior leader at ESCO Manufacturing for more than two decades, serving as its human resources and procurement manager, and safety director. Her steadfast leadership has provided stability for ESCO, as the company has gone through growth spurts and periods of change, including a transition in ownership.

Through her leadership, the company was recognized through OSHA as a SHARP Certified company – a distinction that only three other South Dakota manufacturers could claim at the time of the recognition.

Gates graduated Magna cum laude with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Mount Marty University in 2007. She is SHRM-CP certified, and was selected the HR Professional of the Year by the NESD SHRM chapter in 2004, 2007, and 2014. She is the SoDak SHRM State Council director. She also owns Hot Shots in Madison, S.D.

Gates is active in the local community, serving on the Workforce Advisory Council, the NESD SHRM Board, and the Lake Area Technical College Business Program Advisory Board. She volunteers with PACH (People Against Child Hunger), and the Watertown Banquet.

Kristi Spindler serves as KLJ’s vice president of Human Resources and Safety. She began her career with KLJ in 2019, serving as the company’s Divisional Human Resource director. In that role she transformed the company’s talent acquisition process, making it more agile, cost-effective, and efficient.

She led the implementation of KLJ’s strategic imperative focused on Exceptional People – building an inclusive environment that fosters diversity and encourages everyone to contribute to their full potential. In January, Spindler was promoted to her current role, where she continues to promote an engaging, empowered, and inclusive environment that rewards performance and an employee-owned mindset.

Originally from northern Minnesota, Spindler moved to Fargo with her husband and two young daughters in 2014. She is passionate about empowering and supporting women, which she believes starts at a young age. She is currently a member of the board for BIO Girls, an organization focused on giving girls the tools and confidence needed to navigate adolescence, dream big, and have the confidence to be themselves.

She also previously served as a board member and past-president of Agassiz Valley Human Resources Association.

Executive Vice President of Operations

Digi-Key Electronics

Thief River Falls, Minn.

Linda Johnson has been with Digi-Key for 33 years and currently serves as executive vice president of operations. She is responsible globally for Digi-Key’s customer service, sales operations, accounting and finance, pricing and logistics.

Johnson has championed numerous corporate initiatives that have helped Digi-Key manage its outstanding growth into a $3.19 billion company employing more than 4,000 people around the world. As the COVID-19 pandemic began, Johnson and her leadership team worked with IT and set her team up to work remotely in just over two weeks –including a remote call center workforce managing nearly 3 million calls and processing 5.3 million orders annually – with very little disruption to Digi-Key’s industry-leading customer service levels.

Johnson is passionate about empowering and mentoring young leaders in Digi-Key, which enables them to grow within the organization. She is also responsible for starting a chapter of Women in Electronics in Thief River Falls (one of the largest in the country) and serves on the advisory council, and also co-leads an accelerated leadership program within Digi-Key.

Lisa Chaffee

Tax Partner Eide Bailly LLP Bismarck, N.D.

Lisa Chaffee started her career in business alongside her grandfather Harley Summers, founder of Summers Manufacturing. It was during her time at this family business that she knew she wanted to pursue a career in public accounting. After graduating from Cando High School, she attended NDSU and received her degree in accounting, and soon after obtained her CPA license.

Chaffee has had the opportunity to serve in several roles in her 26 years with Eide Bailly. She greatly enjoys working with commercial clients, individual clients and many clients in the nonprofit industry. She is the tax department head for her local office and serves on the firm’s inclusion and diversity council.

Chaffee thoroughly enjoys volunteering with nonprofit organizations and giving back to her community, including participating in United Way’s Day of Caring and Backpack program. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Sanford Bismarck, The Banquet and Bismarck-Mandan Chamber Foundation. Outside of her career, Chaffee is busy with her family and church. She and her husband Kurt reside in Bismarck with their children.

Become Part of the Solution

Melanie Stillwell

President and CEO Western Cooperative Credit Union Williston, N.D.

Rachel

Kloos

Water/Wastewater Group Leader ISG

Sioux Falls, S.D.

Rachel Kloos has more than 20 years of experience leading process and environmental engineering pursuits. Specializing in industrial and municipal water and wastewater compliance, and the optimization of both water use and carbon footprint, she is committed to developing spaces that support a sustainable, cost-effective future for communities and businesses. To do so, she assists both public and private clients in optimizing operations, steam, and cooling usage to reduce water usage.

Kloos holds two patents for water recycling in biofuel facilities in addition to specific expertise and experience in biogas recovery and utilization to offset natural gas and reduce carbon footprint.

Passionate about creating more sustainable environments and healthy communities, she is active in the Friends of the Big Sioux River, an organization that works to reduce urban and rural pollution of the Big Sioux River, where she serves as board secretary. She is also a board member for the Tea Area School Sports Booster, dedicated and committed to promoting sports programs for girls. Kloos resides in Sioux Falls with her husband and two daughters.

Melanie Stillwell, president and CEO of Western Cooperative Credit Union in Williston, has had an eventful career that started after she graduated from Minot State University with degrees in accounting and finance, and she has been a CPA in both North Dakota and Colorado.

The first 12 years of her career was spent as a principal examiner at National Credit Union Association in Denver, before becoming senior vice president of Finance at a Colorado credit union. When she returned to Williston, she went to work as the vice president of Lending, and then as executive VP at Western Cooperative Credit Union. She has been president and CEO since 2002.

Stillwell has participated in numerous community organizations, including Rotary, Chamber of Commerce Casual Day Committee, Chamber Ambassador’s Club, Mercy Medical Foundation, Junior Achievement, Mercy Medical Finance, Compliance & Audit Committee, and Williston Area Development Foundation.

She sits on several boards, including the ND Department of Financial Institution’s State Credit Union Board, Dakota Association of Credit Unions Board, Williston State College Foundation Board, and the CUNA Examination and Supervision Subcommittee.

Stilwell lives in Williston with her husband, Bill, and son Ryland. She enjoys travelling, family events, reading, and watching sports.

Randi Adams

Chief of Credit Administration

Alerus

Grand Forks, N.D.

Over a nearly 30-year career so far at Alerus, Randi Adams has been a driving force in growing the company and creating the sound financial foundation that Alerus exhibits today.

In early 2020, her depth of experience helped guide Alerus’ approach to implementing the complex Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). She motivated her team to create new processes and systems and adapt technology tools at an unprecedented pace, enabling clients to act quickly to obtain needed financial relief. Her leadership was a major factor in Alerus’ ability to distribute 1,580 loans and $363 million in Round 1 PPP funding relief for clients, thus protecting thousands of jobs.

As chief of credit administration, Adams oversees loan documentation and lending compliance, file review and monitoring systems, loan administration, lending portfolio analysis and reporting, and lending systems. She also leads the centralized lending specialist and credit administration teams, and oversees consumer and small business lending, as well as mortgage underwriting. Adams leads by example, setting high personal performance expectations and serving as a mentor for many fellow employees.

Robyn Jensen

Managing Partner and Financial Advisor Legacy Financial Partners Brookings, S.D.

Robyn Jensen serves as a managing partner and financial advisor with Legacy Financial Partners. She has founded her practice on holistic financial planning and is driven by her passion to help her clients achieve their financial goals. Legacy Financial Partners is a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. The team has 27 offices in six states and employs more than 100 people. Always striving to reach her highest potential, Jensen holds the esteemed Certified Financial Planner designation as well as her master’s degree in Family Financial Planning from South Dakota State University.

Community involvement has always been important to her and she currently serves on various boards including Junior Achievement, Women in Leadership and Learning and the South Dakota State University Financial Planning Advisory Board.

Jensen was recognized in 2020 by Forbes magazine as one of the top women wealth advisors and top next generation wealth advisors in the United States.

She and her husband, Josh, have three children and live in Brookings, S.D. In her spare time, you can find her riding horse, enjoying the lake, traveling and attending her children’s sports activities.

Sarah Aldinger

Principal Architect Architecture Incorporated Sioux Falls, S.D.

Sarah Aldinger has been a valuable member of the Architecture Incorporated team for nearly three decades. Though she has designed a wide range of projects during that time, her passion lies in health care.

As a principal architect, she has devoted much of her career to helping sculpt the medical landscape for the region. Some projects for Sanford Health have even afforded her opportunities to work as far away as Ghana. An alumna of the University of Kansas, Aldinger is a genuine leader at Architecture Incorporated, always willing to lend a hand to anyone on the team.

She has also been an active participant in her community, mentoring aspiring architects and lending her expertise through current and past leadership roles on the City of Sioux Falls Building Board of Appeals, ADA Accessibility Review Board, and Board of Historic Preservation.