These are the 2012-13 Board of Directors for the UND Alumni Association and UND Foundation. They are elected for three-year terms and may serve a maximum of three terms. Their dedication to UND is greatly appreciated by the alumni family and also the administration, faculty and students.
2012-13 Alumni Association Chair Carolyn (Howland) Becraft, '66, is senior consultant at CI International, specializing in business development, training and professional development services, and executive coaching. Prior to this position, Carolyn served as assistant secretary of the Navy. She and her husband, Peter, live in Burke, Va.
2012-13 Alumni Association Vice Chair Kris (McConn) Compton, '77 earned her bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota in 1977 and launched her banking career immediately after graduation. She is the Chief Operating Officer of Alerus Financial, a diversified financial services company headquartered in Grand Forks North Dakota, with offices in Grand Forks and Fargo North Dakota, Minneapolis Minnesota, and Phoenix Arizona. She has been, and continues to be, very active in a number of civic and industry organizations. In 2003, Kris was awarded the region’s first annual Athena Award, which recognizes individuals for their contributions to the community, proactive development of women, and personal success in the field of business. Kris and her husband, Mike, live in Grand Forks.
2012-13 UND Foundation Chair Al Royse, '72, '73, '76, is an attorney and a certified public accountant. Al recently retired as a senior partner with Deloitte in San Francisco. He is a native of Mandan, N.D., and lives in Hillsborough, Calif.
2012-13 UND Foundation Vice Chair Jody Feragen, '78, is the executive vice president and chief financial officer for Hormel Foods Corporation, and oversees all financial areas including accounting, information technology, internal audit, investor relations, and treasury. Jody joined Hormel Foods in 2000 as treasurer, assuming the title of vice president and treasurer in 2001. She was promoted to vice president of finance and treasurer in 2005, and was named senior vice president and chief financial officer in 2007. Also in 2007, she was elected to the Hormel Foods Board of Directors. Prior to joining Hormel Foods, she was assistant treasurer for National Computer Systems. Jody’s husband, Duane, is also a 1978 graduate of UND. They have two grown daughters.
Jill (LaGrave) Burchill, '76, earned a BSBA in accounting from the University of North Dakota. She specializes in senior financial leadership of start-up and turnaround public companies and formerly was Chief Financial Officer of companies such as Imation, Angeion and Sheldahl. Jill also served as financial consultant for Salo, LLC in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Currently, Jill is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Dane Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of power assist equipment in Minneapolis. She lives in Hudson, Wisconsin, with her husband Alan, ’76.
Rick Burgum, '68, has been with Arthur Companies Inc., since 1972 and is chief executive officer. He has been a board member of Great Plains Software and the First State Bank of North Dakota. Rick has served as chair of the Northern Cass school district board and the Dakota Conference United Methodist Church board of trustees. He was also a member of the Arthur City council. Rick and his wife, Jody, '74, live in Arthur, N.D.
Steve Burian, '90, '92, earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering at UND. He is the CEO of Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. (AE2S), the firm he co-founded as a grad student. Steve has devoted his career to consulting for drinking water and wastewater systems and is a recognized leader in the industry. He has remained active with UND engineering and athletics since graduation. He resides in Grand Forks with his wife Barb and their two children.
Marc Chorney, '81, grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from UND. He was a 4-year letterwinner in hockey while at UND, and then went on to play professional hockey in the NHL for 5 years. In 1992 he started what is now Rockland Industrial Products, LLC, in Red Wing, MN. Rockland currently has 5 manufacturing facilities in Canada and the United States supplying floors to OEM trailer manufacturers and cabinets to Home Depot and Menards. Marc and his wife, Lynn, live in Hastings, MN. They have 4 children.
Mark Fliginger, '74, is president and partner of Cody Oil & Gas Co., Mark is a past director of the American Association of Petroleum Landmen, Independent Petroleum Association of American and Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States. Mark is also a current director of Wells Fargo’s Bismarck/Mandan Community Board of Directors. Mark and his wife, Cindy, '73, '74, reside in Bismarck.
Sara Garland, '68, '72, served as chief of staff in the personal office of Sen. Kent Conrad until his retirement in December 2012. Garland has over 20 years of experience on Capitol Hill. Her first Senate job was as a legislative assistant for Sen. Quentin Burdick. In 1993, she founded The Greystone Group, a government relations firm which she headed until 2005. She and her husband Kim Uhl live in Washington, DC.
Phil Gisi, '82, is the owner and CEO of Edgewood Management Group, an owner, developer and operator of quality independent living, assisted living and memory care communities across the Upper Midwest. He is a member of the Altru Hospital board in Grand Forks and a member of the UND Alumni Advisory Council of the College of Business and Public Administration. He and his wife Trish, live in Grand Forks.
Bart Holaday, HON, ’06, is founder and chairman of The Dakota Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 to focus his philanthropic efforts on initiatives that foster social entrepreneurship in the states of North Dakota and New Mexico. Formerly, he headed the Private Markets Group of Brinson Partners and its predecessor entities for 15 years prior to his retirement in January 2001 as managing director of the UBS Asset Management Private Markets Group. Bart serves as chairman of the Center for Innovation Foundation at UND. He lives in Grand Forks and Colorado Springs.
Charles “Chuck” Kluenker is retired from his position as senior vice president of 3D/International, Inc., a construction management company. He has been a national leader in developing, marketing and delivering construction management for 25 years. Chuck is chair of the UND Aerospace Foundation Board of Directors. He and his wife, Maggie, live in Roseville, Calif.
Linda Laskowski, '72, '73, retired from a career in the communications industry in 2002. She was a vice president with MediaOne Group, a vice president with US West Communications, Northwestern Bell, Comcast and a vice president with Continental Cablevision. Linda focuses her board involvement to non profits. She is currently the national chair of Unitarian Universalism. She graduated from UND in 1972 with a BS in mathematics and physics, and again in 1973 with a BSEd in mathematics and physics. She received her MBA from the University of Nebraska. A native of Deering, North Dakota, Linda lives in Berkeley, Calif.
Carrie McIntyre Panetta, '88, is an Alemeda County Superior Court Justice. She graduated from UND with double major in English & Political Science in 1988. She received her law degree from University of Virginia. In 2007 she was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger as one of the Alameda County Superior Court Justices. Prior to that appointment, she was the deputy district attorney in Alameda County and an associate with the San Francisco law firm Brobeck, Phleger and Harrison. A native of Rugby, North Dakota, Carrie and her husband Jim reside in Oakland, Calif., and have 2 children.
Rob Mitchell, '74, is an attorney with K & L Gates in Seattle, Wash., focusing his practice on appellate, constitutional and governmental litigation issues. Rob received his BA from UND and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1974. He was a Rhodes Scholar and received a BA from Oxford University in 1976. In 1979, he earned his juris doctorate from Yale Law School and was recipient of the Benjamin N. Cardozo Prize. Rob was a law clerk for Hon. Myron H. Bright, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit, from 1979-1980. Rob and his wife Grayce life in Seattle, Wash.
Lauris Molbert, '79, '83, is the Chief Executive Officer of TMI Hospitality, headquartered in Fargo, ND. The company develops manages and owns select service and extended stay hotels across the United States and employs approximately 5,000. Prior to TMI Hospitality, Lauris was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Otter Tail Corporation, with headquarters located in Fargo, ND and Fergus Falls, MN. Otter Tail has holdings in electric utility, manufacturing, health services, plastics, construction and transportation businesses. Lauris currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for Sanford Health, on the board of BlackRidge Financial, Inc., and formerly served as chair and executive committee member of the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corporation. Lauris and his wife, Jane Grove, have three children and live in Fargo.
Jennifer Neppel, '86, an East Grand Forks, Minn., native, is director of cash and investments for Catholic Health Initiatives, the second-largest Catholic health systems provider in the country. She and her husband, Jay, live in Littleton, Colo.
Fernanda (Santos) Philbrick, '94, '96, is originally from Rio de Janero, Brazil, and came to UND to study chemical engineering. She serves as an area manager for Intel, and has been an active participant in the Women at Intel Network since 2000. She and her husband, Steven, '95, live in Phoenix.
Douglas Podolak, '72, a native of Oakes, ND, joined Northwest Airlines initially working in finance and sales. He was named Director of Procurement and Petroleum Administration beginning a career in aviation fuel, oil products trading and consulting. In 1982, Doug jointly founded Langham Hill Petroleum (LHP), an independent oil products trading and marketing organization specializing in distillate oil products in the US, UK and Europe from offices in Charlottesville, VA and London, England. Doug returned to Northwest Airlines in 1991 as President of NWA Fuel Services Corp. directing oil product and aviation fuel procurement and risk management operations. He co-founded Jet-A.com, a provider of online services managing on- and off-airport fueling operations. In 2001 he left Northwest, establishing Greenwood Associates, a service consultancy providing strategic counsel to the aviation fuel community. Doug and his wife Rita live in Greenwood, MN.
Cathy (Wilson) Rydell, '88, was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1984, and continued to serve until 1996. She is now the executive director and CEO of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), a membership organization of more than 24,000 neurology professionals. She also serves as executive director and CEO of three affiliated organizations. Rydell and her husband Chuck live in St. Louis Park, Minn.
Lisa Wheeler, '75, '82, is owner and president of The Title Company, the largest title company in the Fargo-Moorhead area. She is a licensed attorney in North Dakota. Lisa holds a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy, as well as a law degree from UND. Lisa lives in Fargo with her husband, Tom.
Terri Zimmerman, '85, is the Chief Operating Officer for PacketDigital, LLC. She has wide-ranging business expertise working with private and public companies. Zimmerman has served as COO and CFO of several companies, including Dakota Technologies, Wamnet, and Great Plains Software. Terri and her husband Todd make their home in Fargo, N.D.
Ex-Officio Members of the Board
Tim O'Keefe,'71, is the executive vice president and CEO of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation. He and his wife, Becky, live in Grand Forks.
Laura (Mosolf) Block, '81, '10, is the CFO of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation. She and her husband Rick live in Grand Forks.
Alice Brekke, '79, '87, is the Vice President for Finance and Operations. She holds a Master of Accountancy and is a Certified Management Accountant as well as a Certified Research Administrator. Alice and her husband David live in Grand Forks.
Robert Kelley, UND’s 11th president, is former dean of the College of Health Sciences and professor of medical education and public health at the University of Wyoming. Prior to his roles at the University of Wyoming, Dr. Kelley held several positions at the University of Illinois at Chicago including associate vice chancellor for research and executive associate dean of the graduate college. Dr. Kelley also served as chair of anatomy and senior executive associate dean, as well as other faculty capacities, at the University of New Mexico. He and his wife, Marcia Bell Kelley, have four grown children and two grandchildren.
Paul LeBel is the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs. He came to UND as Dean of the School of Law in May 2004. He received a B.A. in American Literature from George Washington University in 1971. He served in the U.S. Air Force before attending law school at the University of Florida, graduating in 1977. He has taught at the University of Alabama (1978-1982), the College of William and Mary (1982-1997), and Florida State University, where he remained on the faculty after serving as Dean of the College of Law. His teaching and research expertise includes tort law, products liability, workers’ compensation, and law & literature. He and his wife Lucinda live in Grand Forks.
Lori Reesor has been the UND Vice President of Student Affairs since February 2011. Prior to that, she was at University of Kansas (KU), where she has been instructor and Associate Vice Provost for Student Success since 2006. At KU, she oversaw the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, University Advising Center, and the University Career Center. Reesor earned her bachelor's degree in business management from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in Whitewater, Wis.; her master's degree in from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where she specialized in higher education; and her doctorate in educational policy and leadership from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan. Lori and her husband John Miller live in Grand Forks.