2023 Annual Report

FROM THE 2023 CHAIR

With an economic impact of over $600 million annually, Minot Air Force Base is undeniably a significant pillar. It’s been a privilege to serve in a role that strongly supports our military personnel and their missions as they commit to protecting our freedom every day. Critical funding was secured during the 2023 legislative session to prepare and plan for Sentinel and the goals set forth by the MACEDC to position our community for long-term success.

KEVIN BLACK 2023 BOARD CHAIR CREEDENCE

ENERGY SERVICES

Since merging the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce and Minot Area Development Corporation in January 2021, the Minot Area Chamber EDC has celebrated many achievements and continued to advocate for and invest in business activity by being a collaborative partner in the community, focused on improving quality of life for all.

2023 kicked off with an impactful visit from sixteen fourth-year North Dakota State University architecture students, who chose our Magic City for their semester-long urban design project where they conceptualized a new vision for what downtown Minot could be. This project fit right in with Governor Doug Burgum’s ongoing Main Street Initiative, and helped showcase the immense opportunities we have in the heart of our city.

A strong effort has continued to support entrepreneurs and small business owners through Start Up Minot. I’m grateful for the network of individuals and organizations who have supported this program and helped our area’s entrepreneurial ecosystem thrive.

Economic development hasn’t slowed down. The Minot Intermodal Facility at the Logistics Park of North Dakota continues to provide efficient movement of containerized agriculture exports, sending them on the BNSF Railway to the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle where they are shipping North Dakota commodities to 21 countries throughout the globe. Creating strategic connections with local, regional, state, and even international stakeholder partners continues to drive growth.

It’s no secret that the labor shortage is affecting the Minot area, and to help tackle this issue, MACEDC added a key position in 2023 dedicated to finding solutions. A strong workforce is the most critical component to address in the State of North Dakota to promote economic growth. Removing barriers is part of the process, and MACEDC has helped pilot unique solutions to the shortage.

The Minot Area Chamber EDC can’t exist without the support and contributions of volunteers and member investors, and 2023 marked a deepened partnership with them. We saw increased membership involvement and sponsorships which allowed us to create new and enhance existing programming, particularly signature events.

2023 was the first full year of implementing our five-year strategic plan, with pillars of focus on economic development, community development, workforce development, military support, and member investors. It was an honor and a privilege to work with such a talented, determined, and thoughtful team. A special thanks to Brekka Kramer for your exceptional leadership of the organization. I can’t wait to see what 2024 brings.

THE 2023 BOARD OF

DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

BOARD MEMBERS

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

KEVIN BLACK

PETE HANKLA RANDY SCHWAN

SHANA FORSTER

ROSCOE STREYLE

RIANNE KUHN

CHAD WRIGHT

PAUL KRAMER

KENT KIRKHAMMER

MARK J. JANTZER

TOM RAFFERTY

CASSIDY HJELMSTAD

JONN KNECHT

DR. STEVEN SHIRLEY

RYAN ACKERMAN

LES KNUDSON

DR. MARK VOLLMER

MISSY FEIST-ERICKSON

JOHN KUTCH

JASON ZIMMERMAN

RANDY HAUCK

JASON OLSON

BREKKA KRAMER

MAYOR TOM ROSS

CREEDENCE ENERGY SERVICES AGRIBUSINESS GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

WOMEN CONNECT

AMBASSADORS

INFRASTRUCTURE

ENERGY TASK FORCE 21 MILITARY AFFAIRS

SRT ACKERMANESTVOLD

PEOPLES STATE BANK VERENDRYE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE MINOT AREA CHAMBER EDC

CITY OF MINOT

WARD COUNTY COMMISSION

TRINITY HEALTH JULY - DECEMBER

MINOT AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

AGT FOODS

MINOT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BRAVERA BANK

MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY

MCGEE, HANKLA, & BACKES, PC.

TRINITY HEALTH JANUARY - JUNE

CHAIR CHAIR-ELECT VICE-CHAIR TREASURER PAST CHAIR PRESIDENT | CEO & CORPORATE SECRETARY

OUR TEAM

MINOT AREA CHAMBER EDC

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

COMMUNICATIONS &

FINANCE ASSISTANT

FINANCE

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT JUNE - JANUARY

MOTOR VEHICLE DEPARTMENT

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & MILITARY LIAISON

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

CARLA DOLAN BREKKA KRAMER

LACEY COLEMAN

KATIE DOTSON

DESTINY WADDLE

MARK LYMAN

TAMMY HANSON

TRACEY OJA ZERETZKE

CHANDA DECENT

KAREN HEATHERLY

AMANDA NYBAKKEN

MARIE SANDERS

KELLY RYAN-JOHNSON

KELI ROSSELLI-SULLIVAN

WENDY KELDSON

JAIME HAUGE

KIM REEDY

VICE PRESIDENT PRESIDENT | CEO MANAGER

OUTREACH SPECIALIST CLERK

CLERK CLERK

DIRECTOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST CLERK

CLERK

CLERK

SUCCESS STORIES

NDSU ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS SHARE VISION FOR DOWNTOWN MINOT

A potential future for downtown Minot was unveiled as fourth-year architecture students from North Dakota State University, under the instruction of Kristi Hanson, shared the results of a semester-long project. Hanson’s architecture students presented Imagining Minot May 2023 with community leaders from Minot and Fargo, along with statewide elected officials present.

The project features sixteen students’ ideas for ways to reinvigorate downtown Minot — from refreshed façades and green spaces to potential uses for the hospital building and Minot’s two downtown parking structures. Each design concept was brought to life in a video presentation featuring detailed artistic renderings of the designs. The students also discussed their individual projects with attendees during a social following the presentation.

The Imagining Minot project began in January of 2023, when Hanson’s class took a walking tour of downtown Minot and drew inspiration from conversations with various community stakeholders.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

SUCCESS STORIES

STRENGTHENING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

O’LEARY VENTURES VISITS MINOT

In August, Minot Area Chamber EDC hosted the CEO of O’Leary Ventures, Paul Palandjian, and Advisor of O’Leary Ventures, David Haukaas – along with a developer proposing a large-scale project for Ward County – for 1.5 days of meetings and tours in Minot, Velva, and Berthold. O’Leary Ventures manages, through the North Dakota Department of Commerce, a $45 million direct investment program aimed at bolstering economic growth throughout the state. A stakeholder roundtable meeting, made up of public and private partners from across the state, focused on the development of a major natural gas pipeline to carry gas from the state’s western oil patch to serve communities and attract new industry.

JAPANESE DELEGATION DISCUSSES EXPORTS

Minot Area Chamber EDC hosted Rail Modal Group (RMG), Midwest Agri-Commodities, and business owners from Japan in October. Midwest Agri-Commodities is a 45-year-old company made up of 4 partner organizations, including Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative. They represent American Crystal Sugar, Sidney Sugar and Michigan Sugar in selling products and byproducts around the world – tied to sugar beets and sugar cane. One of the buyers of the Midwest Agri sugar is Yoshi International out of Japan. Their visit to Minot was to have “boots on the ground” to see the Minot Intermodal Facility at the Logistics Park of North Dakota prior to utilizing the location for future shipments of ag processing byproducts.

SEAPORT VISIT IN SEATTLE

North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring joined Minot Area Chamber EDC staff and a board member in visiting with intermodal strategic partners in Seattle, The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA). The two-day visit at the end of August to the Pacific Northwest included a tour of the two NWSA Terminals where North Dakota producer’s and processor’s containerized shipments traveled directly from the Minot Intermodal Facility. These direct BNSF Railway shipments add value to the products made in North Dakota and provide a faster route to international markets around the world. Meetings with key stakeholders included a conversation with John Wolfe, the CEO of The Northwest Seaport Alliance on ways both organizations can benefit from increased visibility and awareness, as well as continued support for North Dakota producers and shippers.

SUCCESS STORIES

INTRODUCING MINOT WAYFINDERS

Attracting top-tier talent to the Minot area is a major priority for employers, and a new talent attraction program is here to help. Launched by the Minot Chamber EDC in partnership with RoleCall, a national talent attraction agency, the Minot WayFinders Talent Portal is a digital service designed to make the process of relocation to the Minot area even easier.

Minot WayFinders creates a personalized connection for newcomers and potential newcomers to the Minot area, helping them access the information, assistance, and support they need during their relocation process. The Minot WayFinders program seeks to fulfill the needs of local employers to help retain talent they work to recruit to their organizations and Minot. This program provides intentional, established, and precise procedures for actively onboarding new community members.

BAKKEN GROW: BRINGING UKRAINIAN IMMIGRANTS TO N.D. OIL & GAS SECTOR

Minot Area Chamber EDC is proud to serve in the role as a community liaison for Bakken GROW: an initiative that aims to tackle workforce shortage issues in the oil and gas industry through immigration.

Bakken GROW, which stands for Global Recruitment of Oilfield Workers, was launched by the North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) in April. As a community liaison, the Chamber EDC worked with NDPC as well as local oil and gas businesses to help legal immigrants find roles in the industry. Three local businesses agreed to participate: Creedence Energy Services, NewKota, and SandPro. All three are member investors of both NDPC and MACEDC. The Bakken GROW program is a humanitarian mission and a workforce solution. Many community partners, individual sponsors, and businesses supported the pilot program.

$1.8 MILLION FOR IMMEDIATE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN REGION 2

The MACEDC team led the effort of applying for $1.8 million for community projects in our sevencounty planning region through the North Dakota Regional Workforce Impact Program (ND RWIP). The ND RWIP provided grants to regional workforce entities in North Dakota to design and implement innovative plans to address their region’s most demanding workforce challenges. More than 400 hours were dedicated by MACEDC staff in working with more than 20 partner organizations in researching and writing the region’s sole proposal. In close connection with Souris Basin Planning Council (SBPC) & other partners, research was conducted with dozens of employers, county officials, public school and higher education leaders, economic development organizations, JDAs, non-profit organizations, Job Service ND, etc. The end result of this research led to a 150+ page application requesting the ND RWIP Region 2 funding be used for the following programs/initiatives: CDL simulators/training equipment at the new Minot Area Workforce Academy, childcare infrastructure support to various private entities, dental assistant program training equipment for the new Dakota College Downtown center, nursing training equipment for Trinity Health, a Mobile Meats Lab for use by the Central Regional Area Career and Technical Center, and equipment for the family homeless shelter.

SUCCESS STORIES

MINOT AREA CELEBRATES 77 RIBBON CUTTINGS DURING 2023

There was a lot of red ribbon flying as Ambassadors helped to cut 77 and celebrate achievements in 2023! Those milestones were everything from new businesses, renovations and new locations to some historical happenings in Minot.

In 2023, that included the new Minot City Hall with space for the city council chambers and offices for employees in a centralized location. The long-awaited Magic City Discovery Center opened last year with attendance exceeding expectations. This provides both young and old alike a place to play indoors all year, but especially during the cold winter months. Our brand-new state of the art Trinity Health hospital on Minot’s south side is now up and running, providing quality care to the surrounding area.

SUCCESS STORIES

ACHIEVEMENTS IN GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

Minot Area Chamber EDC serves as the champion and voice for business by representing the best interests of our member investors at local, regional, and national levels. During the 2023 State of North Dakota 68th Legislative Assembly, the team worked closely with legislators, state agencies, organizations, and businesses to advance policies to improve our state’s business environment. The Chamber EDC team tracked and provided testimony on bills tied to business climate, workforce, and infrastructure. The team also served on the policy committees for both the Greater North Dakota Chamber and Economic Development Association of North Dakota. North Dakota is working hard to be the most military friendly state and numerous military friendly bills passed through this session. Senate Bill 2240 is a direct appropriation to the Minot Area Chamber EDC to support the military advocacy and education work, along with preparing the Minot area and the state of North Dakota for the Sentinel Project.

Legislative forums were hosted by our Governmental Affairs Committee in Minot Saturdays throughout the session. The forums allowed member investors and community members an opportunity to ask questions of local lawmakers. Senate Majority Leader David Hogue shared updates throughout the session to member investors through the Communicator and our Governmental Affairs Committee.

SUCCESS STORIES

COVETED BARKSDALE TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING

COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO

AN AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMAND BASE

After months of competition across the command, Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) honored the “Best of the Best” in bombers, ICBMs, helicopters, maintenance and security forces during the November 2023 scoreposting event.

During this “Best of the Best” event, another equally-important honor was handed out for the fourth time since it was created in 2017 – the Barksdale Trophy – given to the community with the most outstanding community support to an AFGSC base.

Minot won the trophy in 2019 and Abilene, Texas, won the trophy in 2017 and 2021.

The criteria used in judging are:

• Community-based programs that positively impact the quality of life for airmen and their families.

• Community investment in infrastructure designed to benefit airmen, officers and families associated with the base.

• Community assistance and support in securing state and federal funding for infrastructure or programs beneficial to airmen, officers and their families, as well as the overall mission of the base.

• Overall community hospitality, kindness, and acceptance of airmen, officers and their families.

Minot Area Chamber EDC Task Force 21 members accepted the award. The Barksdale Trophy will be showcased throughout the Minot area and state until 2025.

MORE THAN $85,000 RAISED FOR 36TH ANNUAL PRAIRIE WARRIOR AUCTION

Minot Area Chamber EDC is pleased to announce that a recordbreaking total of $87,898.55 was raised to support Team Minot at the Prairie Warrior Auction.

The funds come from a combination of live auction, silent auction, VIP table sales, raffle games, and cash donations. Proceeds from the event will be used to help squadrons at Minot Air Force Base fund events, meals, and other morale-boosting activities aimed at improving day-to-day life for Team Minot.

Verendrye Electric Cooperative’s sponsorship and support allowed MACEDC to welcome active-duty military members to attend at no cost. In addition, $15,000 was raised specifically for Home for the Holidays and the Chamber EDC board presented the first check for this program at the event.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS SENDS HOME

115 AIRMEN

Thanks to a generous community, Minot Area Chamber EDC was able to book 115 airline tickets to send airmen home for the holidays. The Home for the Holidays campaign kicked off with the Prairie Warrior Auction and gained momentum quickly when Magic City Beverage and Mayor Tom Ross launched the Harley Davidson raffle with all proceeds going to the program. From dining events to the significant donations from organizations and businesses $124,000 was raised. Preferred Travel supported the Chamber EDC and booked all tickets.

“Planning to go home during the holidays was getting pretty stressful especially because of plane tickets so I’m just grateful I was able to get the opportunity to go see my family without having to worry about travel costs!” stated airman Markus Perez with Minot Air Force Base 91st Missile Wing. Because of the great community support for this program, Perez was able to travel home to California for Christmas.

It is the mission of the Minot Area Chamber EDC to advocate for and invest in business activity by being a collaborative partner in the community, focused on improving quality of life for all.

To be the go-to organization for our business community to drive key initiatives that build and strengthen our economy.

WHO WE ARE OUR MISSION OUR VISION OUR VALUES

Advocacy: We serve as the champion and voice for business by representing the best interests of our member-investors at local, regional, and national levels.

Catalyst: We are a catalyst and convener for regional economic development focused on business expansion, retention and recruitment.

Collaboration: We are stronger and better together. Partnership is the core of what we do, working together to strengthen our community.

Community: We focus on creating a diverse community in which people want to live, work, and play.

Leadership: We encourage community involvement and provide opportunities for engagement and leadership development.

Integrity: We are stewards of the community resources with which we have been entrusted.

PAST BOARD CHAIRS

MINOT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

C.E. Danielson ............ 1921-24

Dr. R.W. Pence 1924-26

G.D. Colcord 1926-27

Hal S. Davies .............. 1927-29

Robert E. Barron 1929-30

A.M. Christensen 1930-32

R.J. Coughlin .............. 1923-33

C.D. Aaker 1933-35

Henry J. Brosnahan 1935-36

W.H. Dunnell .............. 1936-37

D.H. Griffith ................ 1937-38

R.A. Russell 1938-40

C.C. Hvambsal 1940-42

H.J. Westlie................ 1942-44

R.A.H Brandt 1944-45

Lloyd E. Arndt 1945-46

H.M. Grant ................. 1946-47

Ray C. Dobson 1947-48

W.M. Harrington 1948-49

T.A. Solheim ............... 1949-50

L. Donald Thorson 1950-51

Lester Dahlen 1951-52

Ray C. Miller ............... 1952-53

Reuben P. Krebsbach 1953-54

A.R. Weinhandl 1954-55

Morris O. Broschat ...... 1955-56

R.J. McDonnell 1956-57

Alton C. Anderson 1957-58

W.R. Williams ............. 1958-59

Glen W. Benson 1959-60

George M. Johnson 1960-61

Jack Coughlin ............ 1961-62

George Fowler 1962-63

Charles Westlie 1963-64

Ralph Christensen ...... 1964-65

W.D. Johnson 1965-66

Chester Reiten 1966-67

Roy A. Ilvedson ........... 1967-68

Alvin Braun 1968-69

Forrest Baker.............. 1969-70

Harold Brunner ........... 1970-71

Jim Fisher 1971-72

Clair Watne 1972-73

Orlin Backes ............... 1973-74

Douglas Anderson 1974-75

Lynn Aas 1975-76

Ken Johnson .............. 1976-77

Leo Makelky 1977-78

Warren Sands 1978-79

Al Kramer ................... 1979-80

Jim Maragos 1980-81

Archie Peterson 1981-82

O.H. Mittelberg ........... 1982-83

Harriet Herigstad 1983-84

Ernie Selland 1984-85

Dr. George Christensen .. 1985-86

Karen Krebsbach 1986-87

Art Ekblad 1987-88

Gary Kramlich ............. 1988-89

M.E. “Buzz” Syria 1989-90

Larry Thompson 1990-91

Jim Montgomery ........ 1991-92

Tom Stockert 1992-93

Gloria Emerson 1993-94

Mark V. Larson ........... 1994-95

Rich Allen 1995-96

Mark J. Jantzer 1996-97

Ed J. Steckler ............. 1997-98

Randy Burckhard 1998-99

Jim Searcy 1999-2000

Bruce R. Carlson ......... 2000-01

Lyn Dockter-Pinnick 2001-02

Pete Hankla 2002-03

John Stewart .............. 2003-04

Christine Morsfiled ..... 2004-05

Richard White 2005-06

Pete Zimmerman 2006-07

David Reiten ............... 2007-08

Rob Dick 2008-09

Terry Zeltinger 2009-10

Brekka Kramer ............ 2010-11

F. Bruce Walker 2011-12

Jonn Knecht 2012-13

Randy Hauck .............. 2013-14

Alan Estvold ............... 2014-15

Duane Poynter 2015-16

Jessica Merchant 2016-17

Jason Zimmerman...... 2017-18

Doug Hollingsworth 2018-19

Tom Rafferty 2019-20

Jeff McElwain ................ 2020

MINOT AREA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

T.A. Solheim ............... 1967-70

Morris Broschat .............. 1971

George Johnson 1972

Doug Anderson 1973

Al Braun ......................... 1975

Roald Mattson 1976

Leo P. Makelky 1977

Robert A. Wheeler ........... 1978

Clair A. Watne 1979

C. Morris Anderson 1980

Ed Schmit....................... 1981

Jim Jensen 1982

Eldon Seelig 1983

Lanny Wade ................... 1984

Ken Johnson 1985

John Pierson 1986

J.J. “Joe” Vihstadt .......... 1987

Tim Kretschmar 1988

Gary L. Wickre 1989

Bob Horne ...................... 1990

John Petrik 1991

John Hoeven 1992

Marv Semrau .................. 1993

M.E. “Buzz” Syria 1994

Bob Lamont 1995

Rich Campbell ................ 1996

Terry Hoff 1997

John Stewart 1998

Michael Zaun ................. 1999

Clayton Fegley 2000

Daryl Somerville 2003

Karen

Steve Bigelow 2016

Jim Montgomery 2017

Jim Rostad ..................... 2018

Brekka Kramer 2019

MINOT AREA CHAMBER EDC

Randy Hauck 2020 Jonn Knecht ................... 2021

Randy Hauck .................. 2022

Kevin Black 2023