Kevin Black has served as President of Creedence Energy Services since its founding in 2014. Mr. Black has over 8 years of chemical experience in the oil and gas industry. Prior to founding Creedence, he held various technical and business development roles with Champion Technologies and Baker Hughes. Mr. Black serves his community and the oil and gas industry in many capacities including Rotary Club, Young Professionals, North Dakota Petroleum Council, University of North Dakota Petroleum Engineer Industry Advisory Council, Souris Basin Planning Council, Society of Petroleum Engineers, and American Petroleum Institute. He was recently recognized as “Williston Basin’s Top 20 Under 40” by the Williston Herald. Mr. Black holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering & Management from North Dakota State University (2010) and currently resides in Minot, ND, with his wife, Kalli, and two children, Reagan and Rawley.
Kyle Blanchfield is the Founder and President of Woodland Resort, Woodland Marine and co-owner of Northern Flight Guide Service in Devils Lake, ND. For over 30 years Kyle has worked at developing the tourism industry on Devils Lake by active membership on the Devils Lake Tourism committee and through mentoring many new businesses on the lake. He served as President for the ND Professional Guides and Outfitters Association for 10 years. Kyle is a tireless community supporter and served on many boards including Devils Lake’s economic development group, FORWARD, where he was president in 2009.
701-662-5996
Tom Campbell is the founder of Campbell Farms. Campbell Farms is a 1st generation potato farm which has locations throughout the US that provides potatoes to retail stores and restaurants.
- Campbell was a ND State Senator Dist. 19 from 2012-17.
- Chairman of the board of directors of Choice Banks with assets of $2.2 Billion.
- Past Chairman Florida Potato Growers Association. Partner of Campbell Property Group.
- Past Board member of the Grand Forks Mission for homeless.
- National Outstanding Young Farmer award.NDSU alumni board.
- Past Director National Potato Board.
- Unity Medical Center Hospital Board.
- Board member Pembina Gorge Foundation.
Wife Lori of 33 years, son Thomas who manages the MN farm & daughter Monique who is a Counselor in Bismarck.
Tom has started 11 farms in 6 states, bought banks in smaller cities and moved charters to larger cities, succeeded & closed many business including restaurants, hotels, apartments, & potato chip factory. Tom has been doing prison ministry for over 19 years along with work with homeless missions. Tom ran for the U.S. States Senate & Congress this past year. Tom graduated from NDSU with a bachelor degree in economics.
701-352-3116
701-282-4977
Bruce Gjovig (retired in 2017 as CEO Emeritus, Founder, and Entrepreneur Coach of the Center for Innovation Foundation at the University of North Dakota, an entrepreneur center focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, private investment and entrepreneur ecosystem. Launched in 1984, under his leadership the UND Center for Innovation Foundation became one of the nation’s premier venture development organizations. They received 18 national and international awards for excellence, and is one of just six entrepreneur centers nationwide that has been featured for best practices and outstanding performance of venture development organizations. Since 2006, their two incubators are certified as a “Soft Landings International Incubator” from NBIA, one of just 25 incubators - and among the first six worldwide. He serves as Vice Chair of the North Dakota District Export Council as an appointee of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, and is a member of the U.S. Air Force Civic Leader Group as an appointee of the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. He also serves on several non-profit and for-profit boards related to the public policy, drones, angel capital, entrepreneurship, public art, education and exchanges with the country of Norway.
701-739-3132
Lyn James is the owner of Flowers and Cappuccino by Lasting Visions in Bowman, ND, and has been in business for 32 years. She is passionate about her community and is currently serving her fourth term as President of the Bowman City Commission, after serving two terms as a City Commissioner. Lyn also serves on the Bowman County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, is the Chair of the Bowman Tax and Tourism Committee, and is a member of the Bowman Area Chamber of Commerce and Bowman Rotary Club. She represents North Dakota cities as a member of the ND Peace Officers Standards and Training Board, as the Chair of the ND Economic Development Foundation Board of Directors, the ND Moves Stakeholder Advisory Committee, and the ND Workforce Development Council. Lyn is the past President of the ND League of Cities Executive Board, and served as a member of the Bowman Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, along with various other local and regional boards, committees and advisory positions.
701-523-3383
Megan Laudenschlager is the Executive Director of Strengthen ND and has served in this position since August 2015. Laudenschlager is a graduate of Minot State University with a B.A. in Mathematics and has obtained a Certificate in Fundraising through the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Laudenschlager’s areas of expertise include board and staff development, fundraising planning, grant writing, strategic planning, organizational action planning, program design and evaluation, succession planning, and meeting facilitation. Before founding Strengthen ND, Laudenschlager was employed at the Minot Area Community Foundation as the Finance & Program Director. In addition to the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Laudenschlager is a 2014 Bush Foundation Fellow and has participated in professional development activities through the Harvard-Kennedy School of Government, Midwest Academy for Social Justice, Independent Sector, and TED. In addition to her position at Strengthen ND, Laudenschlager is active in the community and across North Dakota by serving in leadership positions with North Dakota Rural Development Council, Minot Young Professionals, Visit Minot, Minot Family YMCA, Minot Alliance of Nonprofits, Magic Day of Giving, USDA-Rural Development Livability Steering Committee, Sunrise Rotary, and Rotary District 5580. Through her experiences, Laudenschlager has been able to refine her approaches to rural community fundraising, organizing, and advocacy.
701-303-0840
Vicki Monsen is the Market President of Cornerstone Bank in Watford City, ND. She currently serves on the Watford City Economic Development Corporation Board, the Watford City Housing Authority Board and the Watford City High School Cooperative Work Experience Advisory Board. She has served on the Watford City of Chamber of Commerce and Rural Leadership North Dakota Council, Vicki and her husband, Clayton, live on a farm near Arnegard, ND, where they raise small grains. Vicki has been recognized by North Western Financial Review as an Outstanding Woman in Banking. She was also honored by Prairie Business Magazine as a "Top 25 Women in Business."
701-444-8205
Jamal Omar is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SPECTER, a data solutions and general consulting firm in Fargo. SPECTER represents various individuals and entities across the State of North Dakota by providing them with cutting-edge data solutions and financial technology. Omar's goal is to be a contributing factor in North Dakota's growth and development. Omar hopes to realize his goal through public service and his business venture. Omar is a member of the FMWF Chamber of Commerce and is an Ambassador for The World Wildlife Fund.
Mike Seminary (former Commissioner and Mayor of Bismarck is the Business Development Manager for Houston Engineering, Inc. and brings 30 years of Business Development & Client Relations Management experience to the foundation board. His public policy experiences included serving as Commission Vice-Chair and Chairman of MEDAG. Mike’s portfolio assignments included Economic Development, Administration, Community Development, Planning and Zoning Commission, County Planning Commission, Intergovernmental Relations/MBBM. He has served as President of Missouri Valley YMCA, and board member for the United Way, Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce and Marketplace for Kids. Mike continues to serve the community with involvement in his church, trustee of the Sauer Dynasty Trust, and as Chair of Civic Arena Productions.
701-323-0200
Paul Steffes P.E. is the CEO and chief innovation advisor for Steffes LLC, an American manufacturer of oilfield products, off-peak electric thermal storage (ETS) heating systems and contract manufacturing.
Steffes has grown from 2 to 450 employees and sales from zero to over $120 million since 1973. Paul is known for his innovation and entrepreneurial spirit which has won him many local and national awards to include North Dakota’s Small Business Person of the Year awarded by the federal Small Business Administration. Through his participation and support of various local organizations and economic development efforts, Paul has become a respected leader of his community and inspiration to his family, peers, and employees. His name is on many patents. Paul is focused on successful succession in using the owner board management (OBM) system to help ensure its success.
701-483-5400
Eric Trueblood is an owner of Aircorps Aviation, a WWII aircraft restoration facility. Aircorps, which specializes in fighter aircraft, uses its rebuilding and fabrication expertise to serve a worldwide customer base. Trueblood grew up in Minot, studied Marketing and Economics at the University of North Dakota and graduated in 2006. Eric currently serves on the Bush Foundation, the North Dakota Young Professionals Board, Varsity Bachelor's Club, NDSCS Foundation and is a member of the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce. He has a commitment to providing positive growth and opportunities for young people in North Dakota.
218-791-8717
John Nagel is the Chief Security Officer for BEK Communications and President of CyberNet Security by BEK. Nagel was the founder of CyberNet Security, LLC, which was acquired by BEK in 2021. CyberNet Security by BEK provides professional, project and managed security offerings to infuse information security standards and practices into everyday business. His extensive experience in strategic-minded technology and business development has led him to serve in several senior positions in Fortune 500 companies. With over 25 years of experience, his credentials also encompass venture capital, funding and developing internet start-ups, software product development, ecommerce, and global business experience.
Nagel is on the Board of Directors for the Technology Council of North Dakota, Computers and Office Technology for Bismarck State College and President of InfraGard North Dakota. He was appointed by Governor Burgum to North Dakota’s Economic Development Foundation in 2021 and is a founding member of CyberConND, North Dakota’s only critical infrastructure cyber security conference. Nagel is a Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Project Management Professional and a graduate of General Electric’s Accelerated Leadership Program and Bismarck State College.
701-475-1331
Kevin Miller, PE, MBA, is the founder of ITCB Consulting and author of Finding Ways to Win: Mastering the Success Potential Formula. With nearly 30 years of management experience, Kevin’s expertise is widely diverse, from construction foreman to engineering management, regional and national sales manager, and GM. Taking his success in athletics to the business world, he has brought about growth factors of 60%, 200%, 300%, and 500%, in different industries and each in less than 5 years. As manager of the overseas liaison team for Bobcat, he wrote Bobcat’s initial acquisition and due diligence guidelines. Kevin specializes in strategic planning and management consulting with leadership and boards as well as management and leadership and sales training. Kevin believes that an organization’s corporate culture is the biggest competitive advantage, and that culture starts with good leaders.
701-527-1315
Ron Day has recently retired from a 30 plus year career in the refining industry, with the past 20 years at the Mandan Refinery. Ron’s career was focused mainly in the area for Environmental, Health and Safety and most recently in the area of Public and Government Affairs. He spent time at several different refineries across the mid-west and he also spent time in Wyoming in the upstream side of the oil and gas business as well. Ron has bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and physic from Chadron State College, Chadron, NE. Ron and his family enjoy the outdoor riches of North Dakota and they plan to make North Dakota home in his retirement.
Lindsey Narum started her position as an Implementation Project Manager for National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) in 2020. NISC is an industry-leading consumer billing, accounting, and engineering & operations technology solutions cooperative. She earned her marketing degree from North Dakota State University, which has given her the opportunity to take up small marketing and photography projects in her free time.
She currently lives in Mandan, ND, her roots lie in Bowman, ND on her family’s farm. While living in Bowman, she worked for the Bowman County Development Corporation for several years. Her background and passions have led her to develop a strong sense of pride for North Dakota and rural America. Her ultimate goal is to continue to practice servant leadership in her personal and professional life.
701-206-0762
Thomas Stromme is an Assistant Vice President Business Banker at First International Bank and Trust in Fargo. Thomas holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Mary, with a Certification from the Harold Schafer Leadership School. He is a graduate of the Dakota School of Banking, hosted by the North Dakota Banker’s Association, and is a 2015 graduate of the Iacocca Institute‘s Global Village for Future Leaders in Business and Industry on the campus of Lehigh University.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for ND Dollars for Scholars, is a graduate of the FMWF Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program,and has previously served on the Fargo Forum Reader’s Board and the Independent Community Banks of North Dakota. Thomas and his wife Jadin live in north Fargo.
701-390-4291