Tawnya Bernsdorf

Ms. Bernsdorf is the Director of Public Relations for North Dakota Port Services. Her past work experience includes positions as Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving for Minot State and Flood Recovery Fund Coordinator and Program Director for Minot Area Community Foundation. She is  a board member for the Souris Valley United Way, MSU Beaver Hockey, the Athletic Advisory Council for Minot State and is actively involved with Minot Young Professionals and Sertoma. Ms. Bernsdorf has 2004 B.S. in Marketing and a 2008 M.S. in Management from Minot State.

Chad Thompson

Mr. Thompson is the president of Norsk Brothers LLC, a downtown Minot property development company, Dakota Kid LLC, and The Starving Rooster LLC. Chad is the Chief Development Officer for Dakota Apple Partnership; he has been involved in commercial real estate for the past ten years overseeing new restaurant site development, construction management, and real estate site selection. He is on the board of Our Savior Lutheran Church and Visit Minot.

Shannon Straight

Mr. Straight is the owner-operator of Straight Concessions LLC, a locally owned business with a 50-year history at the North Dakota State Fair and other seasonal events around the region. A 2000 U.N.D. graduate with degrees in English and International Studies, Shannon spent more than a decade away from Minot living in Alaska and Vermont working in education and as a volunteer in the Americorps VISTA program. He returned to Minot in 2011 to help his family rebuild following the flood.

Shaun Sipma

Originally from Bowman, Mr. Sipma moved to Minot in 1997 to attend Minot State; he graduated with a B.A. in Broadcasting. He began his career as a television journalist in 1999, finishing in 2013 after a 13 years with KX News. Now an insurance agent with North Dakota Farmers Union Insurance, Shaun is also s a board member for Farm Rescue Foundation, President of Magic City Networkers, and member for the Minot Valley Citizen Coalition. Married with two kids, Shaun and his family continue to rebuild their valley home following the 2011 flood.

Shanda Cool

Ms. Cool is owner and Chef at Sweet & Flour Patisserie in downtown Minot. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute in San Fransisco, Ms. Cool also has a Business Administration degree from MSU Moorhead. She is a former director of the North Dakota Muscular Dystrophy Association and worked as a loan officer in Minot for many years. Shanda is actively involved with the Downtown Minot Association and was a founding member of the Minot Young Professionals.

Jay Lundeen

Mr. Lundeen is the owner of both Jerome’s Collision Center and Ask Fitness in Minot. A graduate of Minot State with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing, Jay has been working the collision repair business since 1990. Married with three children, Mr. Lundeen is a member of Rotary Club and the Minot State University Board of Regents.

Sean Keeney

Mr. Keeney is President of MightCouldDo Entertainment, a locally owned video production company as well as the Hess’s Senior Data Analyst for Plant and Field Operations in the Bakken. Married and a father of five, Sean is actively involved with ND Strong, the Minot Film Society and serves as a Chaplain with the Northern Plains Chaplaincy.

Mike Miller

A Velva native, Mr. Miller returned to Minot after years working the food and beverage business in both Phoenix and San Fransisco to open the Big Time Bistro. He is now the owner of Elevation, the recently opened public restaurant at the Minot Country Club. Mike is a board member of the Downtown Business and Professional Association and a passionate Minot advocate.

Scott Louser

Mr. Louser is a Realtor, broker, and owner at Preferred Real Estate in Minot. A Graduate of Minot State University with a B.S. in Business Administration and M.S. in Business Management, Scott has also served in the N.D. House of Representatives since 2011. He was  the 2012 Vice President of the National Association of Realtors and is currently a board member for Minot Hockey Boosters. Married and a father of three, he has been previously involved with Minot State Alumni Association and  was a founding member of Minot Young Professionals.

Josh Wolsky

Mr. Wolsky is the publisher, editor, and developer for The Minot Voice.com. A 1999 graduate of the University of Delaware with a degree in economics, Josh moved back to Minot in 2009 following multiple careers in the South Carolina golf industry — each with varying degrees of success. When not writing and wrangling for The Minot Voice, he’ll be found on the big lake sailing or varnishing.