These are the 2010-11 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.
2010-2011 Alumni Association Chair James L. Williams '62, worked as assistant treasurer of The Bank of New York in New York City before moving back to North Dakota in 1972. He is president of the Arthur Mercantile Company and Valley Equipment, Inc., and serves as chairman of First State Bank of North Dakota, The Goose River Bank, and The First State Bank of LaMoure. Jim is the mayor of Arthur, N.D., where he resides with his wife, Barbara (Wood), ’62.
2010-11 Alumni Association Vice 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.
2010-11 UND Foundation Chair 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.
2010-11 UND Foundation Vice Chair Al Royse, '72, '73, '76, is an attorney and partner with Deloitte in San Francisco. He is a native of Mandan, N.D., lives in Hillsborough, Calif.
Jill (LaGrave) Burchill, '76, Jill earned a BSBA in accounting from the University of North Dakota in 1976. 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.
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.
Kris (McConn) Compton, '77, Kris 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, North Dakota.
Patrick Dirk, ’71, ’72, is chief executive officer of TROY Group, Inc. Prior to the role, he and his wife, Mary, co-founded Pierce Companies, the predecessor company of TROY Group. Earlier in his career, Patrick served as the controller and later president of Kroy Inc. Patrick is active in numerous volunteer organizations, including vice chairman of Opera Pacific and vice president of development for Canyon Acres Children and Family Services. He is also a retired Lt. Colonel from the Air National Guard. Patrick and Mary live in Newport Beach, Calif.
Mark Fliginger, '74, is president of Cody Oil & Gas Co., and has been in the industry for more than 30 years. Mark and his wife, Cindy, reside in Bismarck.
William Guy, III, '68, '76, is an attorney with Vogel Law of Fargo, where he and his wife, Marilyn (Walter), '69, '71, '76, reside.
Timothy Haas, '68, recently retired as senior vice president of the Coca-Cola Company, and he now runs his own investment management company. He and his wife, Joann (Senger), ..'65, live in Houston.
Bart Holaday, HON, ’06, is founder and chairman of The Dakota Foundation, a non-profit 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 and his wife, Lynn, live in Placitas, New Mexico.
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 currently chair of the UND Aerospace Foundation Board of Directors. He and his wife, Maggie, live in Roseville, Calif.
Lauris Molbert, '79, '83, is executive vice president and chief operating officer for Otter Tail Corporation, responsible for overseeing all utility and non-utility operating companies of Otter Tail Corporation. He also serves on the board of Community First Bankshares, Inc. Lauris and his wife, Jane, 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.
Linda M.Pancratz, '76, serves as Chairman and CEO of Mountain Capital LLC, an investment company, and is also President of the ELM Family Foundation Limited. She retired as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of TDL Infomedia in the United Kingdom. She also served on the Group Executive Committee of Seat Pagine Gialle S.p.A. ( Italy ) and was on the Board of Directors of TDL Infomedia (UK), Thomson Directories Limited (UK), Mobile Commerce (UK) and Euredit (France). Linda and her husband, Mark (‘77), and their daughter, Elizabeth, recently relocated to Colorado from the United Kingdom.
Fernanda (Santos) Philbrick, '94, '96, is originally from Rio de Janero, Brazil, and came to UND to study chemical engineering. She currently 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.
Keith Reimer, '73, is president and chief executive officer for Pepsi Bottling Ventures, LLC, in Raleigh, N.C. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in Cary, N.C.
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 over 22,500 neurology professionals. She also serves as executive director and CEO of three affiliated organizations. Rydell and her husband, Chuck, divide their time between Bismarck and 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.
Ex-Officio Members of the Board
Tim O'Keefe,'71, is the executive vice president of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation. He and his wife, Becky, 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.