Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of North Dakota for 2024. North Dakota is a gorgeous state known for its diverse landscapes and many outdoor activities. But the great outdoors isn’t the only reason professionals live and thrive in the Peace Garden State. They bring their skills and talents to the top industries, including scientific research and development, commercial banking, hospitals, agriculture, transportation, and tourism.
Among these leaders is Susan Jarvis, the Chief Operating Officer of Sanford Fargo and Health Network. After spending her early career as the director of cardiology, emergency, and critical care, Jarvis now excels in management and strategic planning.
Next, we congratulate honoree Rebecca Herner, the VP of Risk Asset Review at Wells Fargo Bank. Herner has devoted nearly four decades of her career to the bank and has become an established expert in loan reviews.
Finally, we extend our honors to Jill Nelson, the Director of Operations and Community Relations for the Grand Forks Park District. Overseeing fundraising, cultural programming, marketing, and more, Nelson transitioned from a career in broadcasting to building award-winning, life-enhancing facilities.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of North Dakota for 2024.
1. Susan Jarvis
Chief Operating Officer, Sanford Fargo and Health Network North
Susan Jarvis is the Chief Operating Officer of Sanford Fargo and Health Network North. Sanford Health is a nonprofit, integrated healthcare delivery system headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with additional offices in Fargo, North Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Bemidji, Minnesota.
Jarvis started her career in 1980 as a director of cardiology, emergency, and critical care at Henry Medical Center. From there, she went on to Greenville Health System as the director of nursing. She held several roles of increasing responsibility through the years, including chief operating officer, executive director, and VP at Sanford Health. She started her current role in January 2023.
Jarvis possesses industry knowledge in critical care and expertise in strategic planning. Additionally, she excels in management. Her interpersonal skills are evident in her leadership abilities and proficiency in public speaking. She also demonstrates proficiency in HIPAA compliance.
2. Tammy Blumhagen
Vice President & General Manager, Nexstar Media Group
Tammy Blumhagen is the Vice President and General Manager of Nexstar Media Group, an American publicly traded media company. Blumhagen has over 17 years of experience in the broadcast industry and has spent the majority of her career serving local communities in the Minot, Bismarck, Dickinson, and Williston markets. She brings to her role at Nexstar expertise in local and national sales management, personnel training, local programming, content production, business development, and strategic planning across multiple media platforms.
As a director of sales, she developed and led highly effective sales teams and implemented multi-platform marketing initiatives that resulted in increased broadcast and digital revenues. In addition, she established unique programming partnerships and launched innovative mobile content strategies that generated positive results for advertisers, while further enhancing audience engagement and improving top-line performance. Blumhagen has served as a corporate sales manager, where she was responsible for developing revenue-generating strategies for the station’s local programming and leading all aspects of sales across its local, national, and digital advertising verticals. She began her broadcast career in 1999 as an account executive for Forum Communications.
Blumhagen is a graduate of the Bismarck Mandan Chamber Leadership Program and previously served as the board president of AdFed. She also served on the board of directors for MSA United Way and as the former communications chair of MSA Women United.
5. Ann Schulze
Vice President & Mid-Market CPS Relationship Manager, US Bank
Ann Schulze is the Vice President and Mid-Market CPS Relationship Manager of the US. The US Bancorp is an American bank holding company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and incorporated in Delaware.
Schulze is an accomplished business relationship manager, treasury management consultant, liaison, sales manager, and business/risk analyst with extraordinary communication, collaboration, organizational, and leadership skills. She has over 26 years of experience in payments-related leadership in the banking industry. Schulze has a vast understanding and expertise in treasury management and payments-related products and solutions, including commercial card, prepaid debit, business credit card solutions, and merchant processing payment solutions.
Schulze previously served US Bank as the treasury management payments consultant and relationship manager and as the regional treasury management sales manager. She graduated from North Dakota State University with an undergraduate degree.
8. Theresa Larson
Vice President of Nursing & Clinical Services, Sanford Health
Theresa Larson is the Vice President of Nursing and Clinical Services at Sanford Health. She first joined the company in 2006 as director of clinic operations. Sanford Health is a nonprofit, integrated healthcare delivery system headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with additional offices in Fargo, North Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Bemidji, Minnesota.
Larson earned her associate degree as an LPN from the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton. Out of school, she received her first job on the medical-surgical floor of St. Luke’s. She then spent 10 years working on that floor, making advancements along the way. She earned her BS in nursing at this time from North Dakota State University while also cross-training in the intensive care unit.
Four years ago, Larson received a promotion to director of inpatient services for endoscopy and gastrointestinal, moving from oncology into the procedural world. At that time, she also was asked to take on reproductive medicine and intensive care. She started in her current role in October 2019.
12. Shelly Harris
Chief Executive Officer, Indian Health Service
Shelly Harris is the Chief Executive Officer of the Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Health Care Facility with Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she provides leadership and oversight to the organization to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare to the patient population. IHS is responsible for providing direct medical and public health services to members of federally recognized Native American Tribes and Alaska Native people.
Harris was previously the deputy area director of field operations for the Great Plains Indian Health Service. In this role, she provided oversight to 13 hospitals and ambulatory care facilities throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Before that, she was the CEO of Rosebud Healthcare Facility, a 27-bed facility providing 24-hour emergency services, ambulatory care services, and acute care services.
Harris graduated from The University of Dallas with an MBA in Health and Healthcare Administration and Management and from Minot State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to become an RN.
13. Meloney Linder
Vice President for Marketing & Communications, University of North Dakota
Meloney Linder is the Vice President for Marketing and Communications at the University of North Dakota, a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Linder is an accomplished higher education administrator with broad experience in marketing, brand management, public relations, internal communications, and operations. She is recognized for making a positive organizational impact as a strong mentor and coach. She has a proven history of building strong teams and improving performance. Her experience spans marketing and communication, information technology services, and digital media.
Linder’s specialties include brand management, higher education marketing, public relations, corporate communications, web and digital media, IT leadership, and executive leadership. She also has experience in crisis communication, re-branding, reorganizations, strategic planning, CRM system implementation, web redesigns using agile methodology, and higher education leadership.
Previously, Linder was an associate dean of communication, facilities, and technology at the University of Wisconsin School of Business. Before that, she was a vice president for institutional advancement at The University of Texas at Brownsville. Earlier in her career, she worked with Aurora National Bank as a marketing coordinator. Linder earned an MA in Organizational Management from Ashford University and an undergraduate degree in mass communication from the University of Denver.
16. Tracy Schmitz
VP of North American Total Quality Management, Bobcat Company
Tracy Schmitz is the Vice President of North American Total Quality Management (TQM) at Bobcat Company, an American-based manufacturer of farm and construction equipment. Schmitz oversees Lean Six Sigma, quality, SIOP, and material logistics for Bobcat and Doosan Portable Power North America.
Schmitz was previously the vice president of North American operations at Bobcat Company, where she oversaw the operations of four North American manufacturing facilities. Her first C-suite role was VP of EMEA operations and TQM, overseeing European operations, quality, and LSS for five manufacturing facilities in four countries. Schmitz started at Bobcat Company as a manufacturing engineer and was soon promoted to senior manufacturing engineer and then to plant management. She served in this capacity in Gwinner, North Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Dobris, Czech Republic.
Schmitz began her career as a design engineer for Summer Manufacturing Company, a small short-line agricultural equipment manufacturer. She graduated from North Dakota State University and currently resides in Bismarck.
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17. Jessica Franke
Chief Executive Officer, Post Acute Medical
Jessica Franke is the Chief Executive Officer of Post Acute Medical. Post Acute Medical is committed to providing high-quality patient care and outstanding customer service. Franke is also an adjunct clinical supervisor for Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Before becoming CEO in 2021, Franke served Post Acute Medical as the director of strategic initiatives. In this role, she managed the Clinical Navigator and Admissions team and oversaw the admission process. She provided supervision and training for facility-based staff in marketing, case finding, and relationship management responsibilities, and she implemented system and market-specific initiatives to support and achieve organizational goals.
Previously, Franke was the director of business development at Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospitals. Earlier in her career, she worked as a speech-language pathologist for multiple facilities. Franke graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a degree in speech-language pathology.
18. Kristi Hall-Jiran
Chief Philanthropy Officer, Altru Health System
Kristi Hall-Jiran is the Chief Philanthropy Officer of Altru Health System, an American healthcare organization headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Altru is a nonprofit serving over 230,000 residents in northeast North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. It employs around 3,500 health professionals and support staff.
Hall-Jiran started her current position with Altru Health System in January 2019. Before that, she was the president and CEO of the Community Violence Intervention Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota, for nearly three decades. As an experienced leader, Hall-Jiran has industry knowledge in healthcare management, fundraising, and public speaking, and she is also skilled in counseling.
Hall-Jiran earned her degrees at Concordia College. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Health and an MA in the same fields. She also has an MA in Counseling from the University of North Dakota. Hall-Jiran lives and works in the Greater Grand Forks Area.
21. Lindsay Meidinger
Head of Archival Collections & Information Management, State Historical Society of North Dakota
Lindsay Meidinger is the Head of Archival Collections and Information Management of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. She first joined the organization in 2012 as an archives specialist. Established in 1895, the State Historical Society of North Dakota oversees 58 historic sites and museums located throughout the state.
In her current role, Meidinger plans, coordinates, develops, and supervises staff regarding the acquisition, preservation, and management of accessibility to manuscript and photograph collections and government records, including both analog and digital records. She engages and communicates with state and local governments and prospective donors of manuscript collections, arranging for the transfer of records to the State Archives. Meidinger works with all stakeholders to develop and revise policies, procedures, rules, guidelines, and laws concerning the management of archival materials, including analog and electronic records, content management systems, and digital preservation systems.
Meidinger earned an MLIS from San Jose State University and an undergraduate degree in social and behavioral studies, history, and american indian studies from the University of Mary.|
22. Connie Morris
Vice President of Donor and Hospital Support, Vitalant
Connie Morris is the Vice President of Donor and Hospital Support of Vitalan, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organizations, providing hospitals and patients across the US a safe blood supply, specialized laboratory services, transfusion medicine expertise, and world-renowned research.
Morris has a strong background in healthcare and blood services with over 20 years of experience. She provides strategic oversight and leadership to the donor and hospital support team across the Vitalant enterprise. The donor and hospital team, in collaboration with their medical and quality colleagues, provides consistent, expert, and effective communication with staff, donors, and customers utilizing automated, standardized, and cost-efficient processes. Morris was previously the VP of manufacturing and laboratory services, where she provided strategic oversight and leadership to manufacturing and immunohematology laboratories in blood centers across the country.,
Before joining Vitalant, Morris was the executive director of Blood Systems Inc., providing strategic oversight and leadership to six United Blood Services locations in North and South Dakota. She started there as a center director. Morris has a Masters of Management from the University of Mary.
23. Anne Zimiga
Vice President Human Resources, Swanson Health
Anne Zimiga is the Vice President of Human Resources at Swanson Health, a natural health catalog and Internet marketing company headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. The company sells natural health and wellness products, including health foods, dietary supplements, and natural personal care products.
Before starting the VP role in January 2024, Zimiga was the senior director of human resources and the HR director at Swanson Health. She is an executive leadership team member with a passion for growing people and the business through a strategic focus. She has overseen HR, safety, and wellness. She has also served as the executive sponsor for the organization’s Sustainability Work Group and as the executive director for Swanson Cares, Swanson’s charitable foundation.
Previously, Zimiga held multiple HR leadership roles at Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC, where she led talent management and organizational development strategy with a strong focus on culture and employee experience. Earlier in her career, she was an HR specialist at Falcon Plastics, leading HR and safety focuses within a manufacturing organization. Zimiga graduated from South Dakota State University with an undergraduate degree in sociology and business economics.
26. Julie Peterson Klein
EVP and Chief Culture Officer, Bell Bank
Julie Peterson Klein embodies the North Dakota spirit of ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and unabashed kindness. Through her work as a senior bank executive, a champion for women business owners, and an advocate of the arts; Julie humbly brings a can-do energy everywhere she goes.
Julie is Chief of Staff & EVP | Chief Culture Officer at Bell Bank, where she recently celebrated her 25th anniversary, leading Bell Bank’s mission of “Happy Employees! Happy Customers!” for 2,000 team members across 15 states. She enthusiastically inspires the Bell Bank team to live the company’s core principles: a family atmosphere, personal customer service, and giving back to the community. Julie was instrumental in implementing Bell’s “Pay It Forward'' initiative, which has bestowed over $30 million to worthy causes around the world. She also created the “How Bell of You” program to recognize employee acts of exceptional kindness; the top nominees each year are honored with Bell Value Awards.
Beyond her work at Bell, Julie is a passionate champion for women-owned businesses and is a member of the Los Angeles-based She Angels Foundation, which funds grassroots female-led nonprofits. Julie’s dual passions for championing women entrepreneurs and supporting the arts recently came together when she served as an associate producer for “Show Her the Money,” an award-winning documentary highlighting the gender gap in business funding. Julie’s love of the arts runs wide and deep. She happily serves on the boards for TEDxFargo and the Fargo Theatre. Additionally, you'll find her working at film festivals, movie premieres, and Hollywood events. As a career woman and wife, Julie strives to live the North Dakota values by example for her three kids.
29. Missy Keney
EVP & Chief Engagement Officer, Alerus
Missy Keney is the EVP and Chief Engagement Officer of Alerus, overseeing Alerus’ employee and client engagement strategies, including strategic alignment and planning in the areas of marketing and client experience, human resources, and facilities. Alerus Financial Corporation is a commercial wealth bank and national retirement services provider with corporate offices in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area.
A member of the leadership council team, Keney joined Alerus in 2005 and progressed through a series of leadership roles within the retail sales team before joining marketing in 2007. She previously served as director of marketing and client experience. Keney is a past president of the American Advertising Federation of North Dakota. She was also a volunteer with Junior Achievement and the United Way of Cass Clay, including leading Alerus’ employee campaign for six years.
Keney received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from North Dakota State University. She also earned the Certified Financial Marketing Professional designation through the Institute of Certified Bankers. Keney makes her home in Fargo, North Dakota, with her husband and their two daughters.
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30. Laurie Peters
Chief Privacy Officer & Compliance Director, Orion Health
Laurie Peters has over 30 years of work experience, with a strong focus on privacy, compliance, and health information management. She currently holds the position of Chief Privacy Officer and Compliance Director at Orion Health, a New Zealand-based global software company that delivers and sells healthcare software. She is responsible for leading privacy initiatives and ensuring compliance with regulations.
Before this, Peters served as the global compliance and assurance director and the global privacy officer/HIE client director. Before joining Orion Health, she worked as the HIT outreach coordinator at Quality Health Associates of North Dakota, where she was responsible for coordinating health information technology outreach efforts. She also served as the compliance/privacy officer at The Koble Group, where she managed compliance and privacy functions. She briefly worked as the outpatient coding manager at Himagine Solutions Inc.
Her career began at Northland Healthcare Alliance, where she worked as the regional HIM director. Peters provided consulting services and ensured compliance with HIPAA regulations for network hospitals. She also served as the controller at Sakakawea Medical Center. Peters obtained a Bachelor's degree in Health Information, Medical Records, and Administration from the University of Cincinnati. Before that, she earned an Associate degree in Health Information Management from North Dakota State College of Science.
33. Jennifer Dirk
Senior Vice President of Deposit and Card Servicing, Gate City Bank
Jennifer Dirk is the Senior Vice President of Deposit and Card Servicing at Gate City Bank, a mutually owned bank headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, with 45 branches across North Dakota and central Minnesota.
Dirk is a senior executive with over 25 years of proven experience in operations and project management. She has accomplished measurable results while managing teams to perform at high levels. She excels in a high-energy, fast-paced environment, driving results that outperform industry peers and performance goals. She possesses extensive knowledge of Bank Secrecy Act regulations and compliance areas related to deposit and card processing. Dirk successfully manages vendor contract pricing and performance-based incentive contracts in the card industry, and she is a big-picture, mission-driven leader who excels at turning complex tasks into a manageable workflow, helping staff efficiently perform and exceed goals.
Dirk has held several leadership roles at Gate City Bank, starting in 1994 as a bank teller and starting her first VP role in 2012. She earned an undergraduate degree in finance from Minnesota State University Moorhead.
37. Michelle Schumacher
Chief Financial Officer, Stoneridge Software
Michelle Schumacher is the Chief Financial Officer at Stoneridge Software, where she sits on both the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors. Her day to day consists of overseeing the Accounting, IT, Legal and Continuous Improvement teams within the company. Prior to Stoneridge, Michelle worked in both Corporate Accounting and the Cloud + Artificial Intelligence groups within Microsoft. She started her career in public accounting at PwC and Eide Bailly.
Schumacher is actively involved in the CPA profession globally, currently serving on the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Board of Directors, AICPA Governing Council (governing body of the American Institute of CPAs), AICPA Board of Examiners (senior committee responsible for setting policy for the Uniform CPA Examination), and the AICPA Board of Examiners – Financial Oversight Group (committee responsible for financial oversight of the Uniform CPA Examination).
She is also active in the local community, having served on Boards for the North Dakota CPA Society (Past President), Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation Growth Initiative Fund (Past Board Chair), YWCA Cass Clay, Junior Achievement, the Fargo Moorhead CPA Society, along with the University of North Dakota Department of Accountancy Advisory Board. She has also volunteered on the Finance Committees of the United Way and YWCA. Schumacher is a graduate of the AICPA Leadership Academy and United Way’s 35 Under 35 Women’s Leadership Program. She was also a North Dakota CPA Exam Award winner, given to the top 3 scores in the state.
38. Andrea Crass
Chief Marketing Officer, Swanson Health
Andrea Crass is the Chief Marketing Officer of Swanson Health. Swanson Health Products (SHP) is a natural health catalog and Internet marketing company headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. The company sells natural health and wellness products, including health foods, dietary supplements, and natural personal care products.
Crass started her career in 2001 as a marketing analyst at Coldwater Creek and served in leadership roles in marketing for Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops before joining the Swanson Health team. She is an accomplished omni-channel marketing executive in the direct-to-consumer, brick-and-mortar retail, e-commerce, direct marketing, and catalog industries. She has a proven track record for delivering revenue-driving marketing strategies, overseeing all facets of creative and advertising execution, and managing media buying, including digital, print, broadcast, and out-of-home advertising.
Crass is a strong leader of large in-house marketing organizations with over 150 members. She graduated from Chadron State College with an undergraduate degree in business administration and marketing. She’s now the Foundation Trustee for Chadron State College.
40. Jenny Davis
Vice President of Marketing, Skillable
With more than 20 years of communications, publishing, and event management experience, Jenny Davis serves Skillable as the Vice President of Marketing. Skillable is a virtual platform designed to create hands-on experiences that connect learning to work.
Davis has worked for very large companies, has owned a very small one, and has provided project management for a variety of industries. In her current role, she is responsible for overseeing marketing, communications, and customer recognition programs for the company, most notably a badging program that has resulted in 36,000 badges issued to lab developers, operations managers, and instructors who work on and with their platforms to deliver hands-on skilling to unlock the potential of their teams.
Before joining Skillable, Davis worked with a variety of Microsoft teams to project manage their conference involvement, partner programs, and executive retreats, specializing in creating unique and memorable experiences. She also owned and served as managing editor for The Partner Channel, Inc., which produced a magazine and annual events for the Microsoft Dynamics partner community and four magazines for the Dynamics User Group community, reaching 25,000 subscribers each quarter. She has a BS in Communications from North Dakota State University.
44. Traci Winter
Vice President of Revenue - Americas, ClickDimensions
Traci Winter is the Vice President of Revenue, Americas. Founded in 2010, ClickDimensions is the solution for SMBs that unifies all sales and marketing efforts and gives more control over every lead, with more than 3,000 customers around the globe and a partner network that spans 76 countries today.
Previously, Winter worked in inside sales for Microsoft. From there, she went on to APAC Customer Services, before eventually rising to Microsoft AOC project coordinator at Razor Consulting Solutions, her most recent position before joining ClickDimensions. She now has over 15 years of experience as a sales, business development, and partner management leader, bringing a wealth of expertise in driving revenue growth and fostering strategic partnerships. Her career spans various facets of sales and go-to-market strategy, strategic account management, and partnership building, with a focus on software and service delivery in cloud and SaaS environments for enterprise organizations like Microsoft.
Winter excels in driving vision, strategy, and execution for new business development, product portfolio expansion, operational scaling, account management, and partnership development efforts across diverse verticals. She also has extensive experience in crafting channel sales and alliance strategies, implementing partner recruitment and onboarding processes, designing partner enablement programs, and launching go-to-market initiatives that build robust partner ecosystems and drive seamless solutions delivery.
45. Erika Bauer
President, Operations, Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing
Erika Bauer is the President of Operations for Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, Inc. (KMM), a 450-employee aerospace electronics contract manufacturer with three locations in North Dakota and one location in Texas. Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing is a contract manufacturer of electronic circuit board assemblies, cables, harnesses, and ground support equipment.
Bauer is responsible for leading KMM in their innovation and fabrication of top-quality aerospace products for various customers around the globe, for both commercial and military applications. Born and raised in Killdeer, Bauer attended North Dakota State University where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree In Industrial Engineering and a Master’s degree In Managerial Logistics.
She started at KMM after college where she spent 10 years in the supply chain before moving into her current role. Bauer obtained her Professional Engineer Certification in Industrial Engineering through the state of ND in 2018 after seven years in the aerospace industry.
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48. Jill Nelson
Director of Operations & Community Relations, Grand Forks Park District
Jill Nelson is not your typical leader. From launching the first golf course drone delivery service in the US to building award-winning, life-enhancing facilities, Nelson has been behind some truly amazing projects.
As the Director of Operations and Community Relations for the Grand Forks Park District, Nelson oversees everything from fundraising to cultural programming and marketing to golf courses. Her positive, innovative leadership style and collaborative approach are the key to Nelson’s ability to make a lasting impact within her community. Through her philanthropic work, she helped build ICON Sports Center, Choice Health & Fitness, Scheels Sports Complex, Veteran’s Memorial Park, and more. Nelson is currently raising funds for a future children’s museum, destination playground, and turf/aquatics facility.
As a seasoned broadcaster, Nelson can also be found in front of the camera, co-hosting radio shows, and public speaking. She is passionate about volunteering and serves in leadership positions on boards like the Public Arts Commission, Grand Forks Children’s Museum, and Public Health Coalitions. Nelson has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of North Dakota, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of South Dakota. Nelson attributes her success to the support of her husband, their two daughters, and the inspiring community of Grand Forks.
49. Lisa Schwinden
Director of Instruction, Fargo Country Club
Lisa Schwinden is the Director of Instruction at Fargo Country Club. In an elite group, she is the twelfth female PGA Master Professional in the world and the twelfth PGA Pro to earn Master Professional status in the PGA Minnesota Section.
Schwinden’s passion is teaching golfers of all ages and experience levels. Her relaxed and low-pressure style of teaching helps create an environment conducive to learning while making beginner and intermediate golfers feel comfortable. Commitment, passion, and growth of the game are the trademarks of her golf career.
Schwinden earned her PGA Class A membership in 2005 and completed the PGA’s Certified Professionals Program in Teaching and Coaching in 2007. She earned PGA Master Professional status in December 2019 by completing an intense research project on the golf swing. Schwinden is currently one of a handful of female PGA Members in the tri-state region and is available for private, couples, and group lessons for both juniors and adults. She has been selected to participate in The PGA of America’s 2024-25 PGA LEAD class, the program’s ninth cohort. She serves on the PGA’s National Committee for Adult Player Development and has been a part of the PGA’s Reimagine Member Content and Communications Committee. She also serves as a Board Member of the YWCA Cass-Clay.
50. Kara Kalbus
Director of Transformation Office, Eide Bailly
Kara Kalbus is the Director of the Transformation Office of Eide Bailly. Eide Bailly LLP is a Trans-Mississippi American mid-tier public accounting and ancillary professional services firm. Kalbus is an innovative and energetic professional who loves to take on new challenges in an ever-changing business world. Her specialties include business development, product design and delivery, process efficiency, technology, training, and program and project management.
Before joining Eide Bailly, Kalbus was a director of solution delivery for Salesforce at Perficient. In this role, she ensured a cohesive team dynamic, adherence of the team to the Scrum project process, the timely tracking of risks and decisions, and client happiness. Before that, she was a senior solutions architect and project manager at Perficient.
Earlier in her career, she served in multiple roles for WEX Health and WEX Discovery Benefits, including a business analyst, an operations manager, an HR technology and recruiting manager, and a business readiness manager. She held similar roles at Microsoft, beginning there as an operations associate at the start of her career. Kalbus graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead with an undergraduate degree in elementary education.
View the complete list of awardees.