Prairie People

KLJ Hires Michel BISMARCK – KLJ recently hired Eric Michel as the vice president of the Energy and Natural Resources Division.

Michel brings more than 30 years of engineering and business management to KLJ. His experience includes profitability improvement, leadership development, and innovative problem solving on a regional, national and global level.

He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from North Dakota State University and is a registered Professional Engineer in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Wyoming.

He currently serves as the president of the North Dakota Chapter of American Council of Engineering Companies and is an active member of the North Dakota State University Foundation and Alumni Association.

Michel is based in KLJ’s St. Paul office.

Burgum appoints Kruse to lead N.D. Department of Financial Institutions

BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum appointed Lise Kruse to lead the state Department of Financial Institutions, where she has served as chief examiner of banks since January 2011.

The department oversees North Dakota’s state-chartered banks and credit unions as well as other financial companies. Kruse replaces Commissioner Robert Entringer, who will retire Nov. 30.

A native of Elverum, Norway and a North Dakota resident since 1997, Kruse earned a bachelor’s degree in business and organizational communication in 1996 from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and a masters of business administration degree with an emphasis in information technology in 2003 from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

She graduated from the Colorado Graduate School of Banking in Boulder in 2012 and has served as chair of the Conference State Bank Supervisors’ Risk Identification Team.

This appointment requires confirmation by the North Dakota Senate.

Shover to lead UAS business development for Grand Forks Region EDC

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - The Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corp. announced that Wes Shover has joined the organization as UAS Sector Development Manager to lead business recruitment in the unmanned systems industry.

Shover has more than 10 years of military, commercial and entrepreneurial experience in the industry as a trainer, logistics manager and business owner.

He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years. Following his military service, he entered the private sector, where he worked for companies supporting the training and development of manned and unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance student aircrews.

Shover also conducted unmanned systems support for companies operating UAS platforms.

Wells Fargo Business Banking names Jeff Glas leader for Bismarck-Mandan

BISMARCK, N.D. – Jeff Glas has been named the market leader for the Business Banking team in Bismarck and Mandan, N.D., Wells Fargo Business Banking announced.

Glas will manage local market relationships and daily business operations in Bismarck and Mandan as well as maintaining his position as business banking manager in Minot, N.D.

Glas began his career at Wells Fargo in 2010 as a business banking trainee in Des Moines, Iowa. He also worked as a business relationship manager in Colorado before transferring to a role as senior business relationship manager for Bismarck in 2013.

Glas replaces John Giese, who recently retired after 37 years with Wells Fargo in the Midwest region.

Glas has a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of North Dakota.

Bande named department chair for UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences

GRAND FORKS, N.D.— Dr. Dinesh Bande, clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and hospitalist with Sanford Health, has been named the new chair of the school’s Department of Internal Medicine.

Bande, who is based in Fargo, N.D., and has been the school’s Internal Medicine clerkship director for third-year medical students since 2015, is assuming the role long held by chair emeritus Dr. William Newman.

Among other responsibilities in his new role, Bande will lead the department in ways that will support the school’s goal of being a national leader in rural medicine, patientcentered learning, and research.

Bande completed his medical education at the University of Health Sciences’ Kurnool Medical College in India in 2006 and was a resident in Internal Medicine at the UND SMHS Southeast Campus in Fargo, N.D., from 2008 to 2011.

He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and also been a Hospice physician at Hospice of the Red River Valley since 2014.

Sanford Health welcomes six new providers

FARGO, N.D. – Six new providers have recently joined the Sanford Health Fargo team.

Katherine Klipfel, Ph.D., received her graduate degree from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. She specializes in pediatric neurology at the Sanford Professional Building in Fargo.

Lori Loomis received her graduate degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. As a nurse practitioner, she specializes in gastroenterology at Sanford Broadway Clinic in Fargo and is board certified as a family nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Mary MacLeod received her graduate degree from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in Minneapolis. As a certified registered nurse anesthetist, she specializes in anesthesiology at Sanford Medical Center Fargo. She is board certified by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists.

Smith joins Cornerstone Mortgage

Austin Smith has joined Cornerstone Mortgage as a home mortgage consultant in Grand Forks, N.D.

Smith graduated from the University of North Dakota. He started his banking career as a teller before working in commercial banking. He brings two years of banking experience and seven years of customer service experience.

Cornerstone Holding Company, based in North Dakota, is the parent company of Cornerstone Bank and is one of North Dakota’s ten largest financial institutions.

Dr. Gautam Sachdeva received his medical degree from Government Medical College in Patiala, India. He specializes in neurology at Sanford Neuroscience Clinic in Fargo.

Laurie Somerville received her graduate degree from NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. As a physician assistant, she specializes in pain management at Sanford South University Urgent Care in Fargo. She is board certified as a physician assistant by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Dr. Alex White received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in Omaha. He specializes in orthopedic trauma at Sanford Medical Center Fargo.