People in business

Jul. 5, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Nodak Electric

adds employees

Four employees have joined Nodak Electric Cooperative

Gretchen Schmaltz, energy services analyst, works with Nodak's commercial accounts as well as load management control. In addition, she works with the cooperative's automated meter reading system and maintains communications throughout the department. A native of Angus, Minn., Schmaltz earned an agricultural business degree from the University of Minnesota-Crookston. She went on to earn a master's degree in agricultural business and applied economics from North Dakota State University.

As a staking engineer, Joe Snustad meets with clients to assess their electrical situations and provides solutions accordingly. He also assists with updating Nodak's GIS system to work with Nodak's automated meter reading system. A Bismarck native, Snustad graduated from UND with a civil engineering degree.

Ryan Schmaltz has been hired as an operations technician. He is primarily responsible for dispatching crews. In addition, he handles the outage database and assists with Nodak's automated meter reading system. Ryan graduated from UND with a degree in industrial technology. He is originally from Grand Forks.

As an apprentice apparatus technician, Todd Lommen works in the metering department at Nodak. He is responsible for assisting with metering installation at new services, as well as changing and repairing meters. A graduate of North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, Lommen earned a degree in electrical technology and interned at Nodak in summer 2001.

Stack joins

Tastefully Simple

Sarah Stack, Grand Forks, has become an independent consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct-sales company featuring easy-to-prepare gourmet products.

As a consultant, Stack offers the company's gourmet foods and beverages to guests at home taste-testing parties. Guests receive samples, easy meal ideas, recipes and serving suggestions.

For more information, e-mail Stack at sarah2619@msn.com.

JLG Architects

adds four

Naomi Echternach has joined JLG Architects in Grand Forks as a project designer. Echternach earned both her Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in evironmental design from North Dakota State University. While at NDSU, Naomi participated in the Hybrid High Rise and Marvin Windows Design Competitions, and was a runner-up in the Park Co. Development Design Competition. Before JLG, Naomi volunteered on the ABC show "Extreme Makeover -- Home Edition" when the show came to Minot.

JLG has also added three student interns.

Kara Braaten is pursuing her bachelor's and Master of Architecture degrees at North Dakota State University, where she has been on the dean's list for six consecutive semesters. Braaten also volunteered on an episode of "Extreme Makeover -- Home Edition." Outside of JLG, Kara is a teaching assistant and tour guide at NDSU.

Kendra Halling is also pursuing her bachelor's and Master of Architecture degrees, a Bachelor of Science in environmental design and minors in sociology and art at North Dakota State University. Kendra was the 2006-2007 recipient of the Patrick Germ Scholarship, which is awarded to the most promising NDSU second-year architecture student, and has been on the dean's list for seven consecutive semesters.

John Holten is also pursuing his Bachelor's and Master of Architecture degrees at North Dakota State University. Holten also owns a side business selling model wood.

Sjoberg appointed

Richard Sjoberg, Thief River Falls, has been appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to the High-Speed Broadband Task Force. Sjoberg's term expires March 2, 2010.

Sjoberg is president and CEO of Sjoberg's Inc., a cable television business that operates in 33 Minnesota towns and townships in northwestern Minnesota. He is appointed as the representative of rural area cable communications systems providers.

Alerus Financial

promotes, hires

Jeff Nieuwsma has been promoted to loan operations specialist at Alerus Financial's Banksouth location, 2300 South Columbia Road.

Nieuwsma has been employed with Alerus for the past year as a teller. He graduated from UND with a finance degree and also was vice president of operations for the Student Managed Investment Fund. Nieuwsma lives in Grand Forks.

Nicholas Nelson has joined Alerus Financial as an on-call teller. Nelson will rotate between the four Alerus locations in Grand Forks.

Nelson graduated from Red River High School in 2007 and attends UND. He is a member of the UND Honors Program, National Honor Society Phi Eta Sigma and the President's List for academic achievement.

Aleasha Omlid has been hired by Alerus Financial as an assistant property manager at its Banksouth location, 2300 South Columbia Road.

Omlid had been a leasing specialist for a local apartment company. She earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and minor in criminal justice from UND.

Lexie St. George has joined Alerus Financial as the marketing analyst at its corporate center location in downtown Grand Forks.

St. George graduated summa cum laude from UND this past spring with a bachelor's degree in business administration in both marketing and management.

Brett Wysocki has been added by Alerus Financial as a graphic design intern for 2008.

Wysocki was a Web master for Minot State University–Bottineau for seven years. He recently earned a Bachelor of Science degree in graphic design technology with a minor in computer science and entrepreneurship from UND. Wysocki was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity and received the Outstanding Student Leader award in 2006.

Peterson appointed

AARP tax-aide

coordinator

Muriel Peterson, Bismarck, has been appointed to a two-year term as state coordinator of AARP's Tax-Aide program in North Dakota.

Peterson has been a Tax-Aide volunteer since retiring in 2002, and served as a district coordinator for the past three years. She hopes to add to the state's 18 Tax-Aide locations and recruit more volunteers to help people with their income tax returns.

Peterson spent 19 years with the N.D. Department of Human Services as a program administrator, establishing in-home and community-based services for the elderly and physically disabled persons.

Tax-Aide has about 100 volunteers in North Dakota. Each year they help nearly 5,000 people file their federal and state income tax returns.

Kerian joins

NDFA board

James Kerian, Grafton, N.D., is one of three new members of The North Dakota Family Alliance board of directors.

Joining Kerian are Chuck Crary, West Fargo, N.D., and Shane Goettle, Mandan, N.D.

Kerian is part-owner of Kerian Machines Inc. in Grafton. From 2001 to 2005 James attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. and earned his degree in mechanical engineering.

Chuck Crary is one of the founders and board chairman of Crary Co. in West Fargo. Shane Goettle serves in the governor's cabinet as the Director of the North Dakota Department of Commerce.

Citizens Community

Credit staff earn

certificates

April Aker and Tiffany Shirley of Citizens Community Credit Union in Grand Forks have earned Star/Merit Certificiates.

The Star/Merit programs are a series of credit union professional education courses completed on a correspondence basis. The programs are designed to educate credit union staff members and keep them abreast of new information.

The Mid-America Credit Union Association, the trade association for North and South Dakota's 87 affiliated credit unions, and the Credit Union National Association administers the STAR program.

Aatrix adds three

Dona Wambsganss has joined the Aatrix eFile Center as a professional accounting advisor. Wambsganss continues to own and work in her own firm, Business Specialties CPAs. She has more than 25 years of management, payroll and bookkeeping experience.

Her former employers include the UND Alumni Association, where she was instrumental in the conversion of the accounting system into Blackbaud Software and in setting up the payroll, and Compass Facility Management, where she set up the Alerus Center's accounting systems and payroll before the facility opened.

She is a UND graduate and has worked in the Grand Forks area for more than 15 years.

Christy Remmick will be the project manager for the Aatrix Electronic Forms Division and will coordinate all product development projects for that group.

Remmick graduated from UND in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in communication. She spent the past 3 1/2 years working as a project manager for Verisae, a private software development company based out of Minneapolis. Verisae was listed by Inc 500 as 44th in the top software companies in the United States.

Remmick worked with the largest retailers in the world including Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) , Target and Tesco (in the UK) implementing software programs related to refrigerant tracking, maintenance automation and energy monitoring. Her hometown is Selkirk, Man.

Ryan Sturlaugson will be the primary Web-application developer for a number of new product initiatives for the Aatrix Electronic Forms Division. Before joining Aatrix, he worked as an engineering co-op for Rockwell Collins (NYSE:COL) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and developed software for EcoSure -- a division of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) that provides food safety services. Sturlaugson is a UND student planning to graduate in August.

Meeks joins Altru

Adina Meeks has joined the staff at Altru's Outreach Therapy. She provides physical therapy services at Altru's outreach site in Thief River Falls. Adina holds a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Mary, Bismarck.

NASA interns

at HNRC

Alisha Engh and Melissa Gunn, both of Devils Lake, are participating in a 10-week research program at the USDA-ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center. This opportunity was offered through the North Dakota NASA Space Grant Consortium.

The students are working with Cindy Anderson, assistant professor of nursing at UND, on the study, "Copper Deficiency as a Predictor of Pre-eclampsia."

Gunn plans to attend Lake Region State College this fall. Engh attends North Dakota State University.

Fortman joins

Monarch Management

Wendy Fortman has joined Monarch Management and Consulting Services as billing and collections supervisor. Fortman earned her associate degree in health information management with a certificate in billing and coding from Williston (N.D.) State College. Fortman worked at Noridian Administrative Services for six years in the Medicare department and durable medical equipment.

Fortman, originally from Lisbon, ND, lives in Grand Forks.

Monarch Management and Consulting Services of Grand Forks is located at the Aurora Medical Park Complex.

Haugan heads

state group

Ted Haugan, Minot, was elected president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors- North Dakota, formerly known as N.D. Association of Life Underwriters.

Also elected were Keith Phillips, Moorhead, president-elect; Jeff Case, Minot, vice president; Patricia Saltsman, Bismarck, secretary/treasurer; and Harlynn Bjerke, Adams, N.D., past president.

Richard Greener, Fargo, was named agent of the year.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0074-26457554