2026 Women to Know & Watch in North Dakota Business

ALEXIS BAXLEY serves as president of the Independent Community Banks of North Dakota (ICBND), where she leads the association’s efforts to ensure North Dakota’s community banks remain strong, competitive, and locally focused.

With more than 15 years of experience in association leadership and advocacy, Baxley has a proven record of advancing policy priorities and strengthening member-driven organizations. Her background includes roles with the North Dakota School Boards Association, North Dakota Petroleum Council, and several other statewide associations. She is passionate about building strong, engaged North Dakota communities and supporting the industries and institutions that serve them.

Baxley was raised on a bison and then cattle ranch north of Golden Valley, North Dakota, and is a Graduate of North Dakota State University. She and her husband James live in Bismarck with their two French bulldogs, Freya and Olive. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, pizza, and DIY projects.

Dr. JULES EFTA is the founder of aNew Health, a relationship-based functional medicine clinic focused on root-cause healing and personalized care. With a background in advanced diagnostic testing and holistic treatment strategies, she leads aNew Health with a mission to help people feel heard, understood, and empowered in their health journeys. Dr. Jules combines clinical expertise with compassionate leadership, building a trusted wellness resource in North Dakota. She is passionate about community education, entrepreneurship, and redefining what modern healthcare can look like.

BRENDA FOSTER is the Chairman, President and CEO of First Western Bank & Trust, headquartered in Minot, ND with branches and offices in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Arizona.  Born and raised in North Dakota, she is a graduate of Minot State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a concentration in banking and finance. 

Foster has been employed with First Western Bank & Trust for 45 years.  She started at the bank as a high school intern before there were any computers in place and had the opportunity to work in all areas of the bank learning from the ground up. 

Brenda has served the community and state on a number of boards and committees.  She recently completed a six-year term of board service with the Ninth District Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis.   She currently serves as a member of the Minot State University Board of Regents, a State Banking Board member, an advisory Board Member for Bank of North Dakota and is a current member of the Federal Delegate board for the Independent Community Banks of America as well as a Director at Large.  

Brenda and her husband Wayne have a daughter, Danielle and a son, Dustin.

KATIE HEMMER is the Airport Director for Jamestown Regional Airport. She oversees, plans, and directs all aspects of the airport business, security, equipment, and facilities.  She is responsible for the Federal Aviation Administration part 139 safety certification, compliance with the Airport Security Program, and efficient operation of day-to-day activities.

Hemmer has a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from South Dakota State University.  Prior to her role as Airport Director, Hemmer served as Mayor of Jamestown from 2010-2018, and she is running for Mayor now in 2026!  She has advocated for, crafted, and implemented local policy to attract and grow business in the region, reduce government spending, proactively update infrastructure, and leverage state and federal programs and incentives to reduce the burden on local taxpayers.

Hemmer was appointed by Governor Burgum to the State Water Commission in 2017, where she served as the representative for the James River Basin until 2021. She is also the owner of a Downtown Business, Blue Star Drycleaning and Beyond, and as a huge advocate for small business, she is a founding member and has been President of the Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center for eight years.

Hemmer will be in her fourth season as the Jamestown High School Girls Golf coach in the Fall of 2026.  She is also in her sixth year as Secretary for the Jamestown Country Club Board of Directors, and she is a founding member of the JCC Youth Golf Foundation, a 501(c)3 organized to support the development of youth golf education, recreation, and competition. Hemmer is also an NDHSAA gymnastics official, and she has been coaching or judging gymnastics for over 25 years.  Hemmer is a parish musician for the Basilica of St. James.  She sings for weekend mass as well as weddings, funerals, and other celebrations.

In her personal life, Hemmer has two children.  Camron (19) is a sophomore mechanical engineering major at NDSU.  Keira (14) is an eighth grader at Jamestown Middle School where she participates in volleyball and track and competes varsity gymnastics for Jamestown High School. Hemmer also enjoys spending time with her significant other, Preston Bear.  He is a foreman for Hillerud Construction and serves as a Lieutenant for Jamestown Fire Department.

TRACY JORDRE, AIA, LEED AP, is an award-winning Principal Architect and Workplace Expert at JLG Architects, a 220-person employee-owned firm and 2026 Top 50 Workplace Giant by Building Design+Construction magazine. With more than 30 years of experience, she leads strategy for JLG’s Workplace Studio, creating exceptional human-centered environments that enhance well-being and high performance. Her mission is to help organizations create destinations of choice—not obligation—where people feel valued and inspired to do their best work. Tracy serves as Chair-Elect of AIA North Dakota and was named a 2024 Prairie Business Top 25 Woman in Business.

SANDY McMERTY is an innovative leader who is passionate about building engaging culture to get results. She currently serves as Deputy Secretary for the Office of the Secretary of State and has held leadership roles in multiple state agencies. She has been involved with Designer Genes of North Dakota for over 20 years helping individuals with Down Syndrome to earn, learn, and belong in our community. During her free-time, Sandy is back-up barista for her husband Matt. Together they own The Gifted Bean Coffee House which seeks to hire and inspire individuals with unique talents and abilities.

LAURA NESS OWENS is Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Doosan Bobcat, where she oversees stewardship of the globally recognized Bobcat brand. As a member of the executive leadership team, she leads a global, cross‑functional organization driving brand strategy, marketing vision, and a connected, data‑driven, customer‑centric operating model that accelerates growth. A creative and strategic brand leader, Laura champions innovation across the customer journey. Outside of Bobcat, she serves on industry boards, supports youth education and senior programs, and is a certified yoga instructor.

In her role as Marvin’s Vice President of Strategy Execution, LINDSAY SCHROEDER is responsible for leading the company’s strategic execution efforts that support Marvin’s transformation strategy.

Lindsay is a results-oriented leader and adviser on Marvin’s senior leadership team who works to translate plans into actionable initiatives, ensuring alignment across departments and driving successful implementation to achieve Marvin’s transformational organizational goals while offering insights and counsel based on industry trends.

In addition to this work, Lindsay leads Senior Director of Marvin’s Transformation Management Office, where she works with the owners of each initiative in Marvin’s 5-year business strategy to plan and manage execution, ensuring the company is focused on the most impactful initiatives to facilitate its transformation.

Lindsay began her career at Marvin in 2006 as a Project Manager supporting new product development for Marvin’s fiberglass solutions. She has also served as the Continuous Improvement Manager and then Director of Engineering before becoming the Plant Manager for Marvin’s Fargo location. In 2018, she transitioned to the New Ventures team while also filling an interim role as Director of Product Development for R&D and later served as a Senior Director of Innovation in the Marvin Design Lab.

Lindsay earned a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a Master’s degree in business administration, both from North Dakota State University. Lindsay, her husband and 4 daughters reside in Fargo, where Lindsay makes time to read, run, spend time at the lake boating and wake surfing – and she enjoys downhill skiing in places not as flat as her home state.

STEPHANIE SCHROEDER is Chief Revenue Officer of Forum Communications Company (FCC), a media company delivering local news, advertising and commercial printing services throughout the Upper Midwest. She joined the company in 2018 to lead the organization’s digital transformation and spearhead the launch of its digital subscription strategy. Today, FCC has more than 100,000 digital-only subscribers.

In addition to overseeing subscription revenue strategy for FCC, Schroeder serves on the Advisory Board for Swanston Equipment, a construction equipment dealer headquartered in Fargo.

Schroeder graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead with a degree in Communication and English Writing. She also completed the Carlson School of Management Emerging Leaders Bootcamp in 2023. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in the water, traveling with her husband Alex, enjoying game nights with family and working out.

WENDY SCHWEITZER is marketing manager with Dakota Carrier Network in Bismarck, N.D. With experience in internal and external communications, event planning and management, and community relations, she is known for her ability to blend creativity with strategy, helping organizations tell their story in clear, engaging, and authentic ways. Schweitzer’s communications career started at an ad agency and has since spanned higher education, grants management, banking, and technology. One thing that has remained constant is her passion for connecting people, ideas, and opportunities that make a positive impact. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Mary.

STEPHANIE SIEVERT is chief accounting and regulatory affairs officer at MDU Resources Group, where she brings nearly three decades of experience to her role. Stephanie has held key positions within the MDU Resources family of companies including controller at WBI Energy, vice president, treasurer, and chief accounting officer for WBI Energy, and controller at MDU Resources.

A native of Bismarck, North Dakota, Stephanie graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of North Dakota and is also a Certified Public Accountant. She enjoys solving complex problems, has a keen attention to detail and an ability to communicate complicated matters effectively.

Stephanie’s leadership is marked by her dedication to sound decision-making and her commitment to delivering high-quality results for the company and its stakeholders. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, walking, hiking and spending time on the water pontooning.

TAYA SPELHAUG is the Director of Fargo Site TechSpark Engagement for Microsoft. Her primary focus is to build out Microsoft philanthropic initiative, TechSpark in North Dakota, and manage the Fargo Microsoft campus. TechSpark is a civic program aimed at fostering greater economic opportunity through partnerships with rural and smaller metropolitan communities across the US and to expand the great synergies between the company and community. Before her role at Microsoft, she was the Resource Development Manager for the United Way of Cass-Clay and in various roles at North Dakota State College of Science for over seven years including TrainND. She serves on several local and state boards, including the Grand Farm Board of Directors, TechND and the State of North Dakota’s Higher Education Challenge Grant Committee to name a few. She was awarded YWCA’s Women of the Year in Technology in 2019. Taya grew up on a farm outside of Kindred, North Dakota and was very active in FFA and 4-H. She attended North Dakota State University and graduated with a BS in Psychology and a MS in Mental Health Counseling. She currently lives in Horace, ND with her partner, Grant, who farms south of Moorhead, their daughter, Olive, and son, Davis.

LAURIE STROMMEN is a graduate of Dickinson State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1999. She serves as co-owner and general manager of Quality Quick Print, a successful, family-owned business that has operated in downtown Dickinson, ND for 47 years.

Over the past several years, under her leadership, Quality Quick Print has expanded its capabilities in digital and large format printing, enhanced its graphic design services, invested in advanced equipment and technology, and strengthened relationships with local businesses and organizations—positioning the company as a trusted, full-service printer in the Dickinson community.

Strommen is deeply committed to her community. She currently serves on the Dickinson Area Community Foundation Board and actively contributes to local downtown business organizations.

In addition to her professional and community involvement, Strommen is a proud wife and mother of two. She enjoys supporting her children’s sporting activities, spending time at the lake, and staying connected to the community she is proud to call home.

CALLI THORNE is a leadership coach, certified trainer, and keynote speaker who equips individuals and organizations with practical strategies for growth and performance. Since 2019, she has been a member of the Maxwell Leadership Team, working with clients across industries in leadership development, communication, and personal growth. She is also a certified Mental Health First Aid trainer, advocating for stronger, healthier workplaces and communities.

Currently raising the fifth generation on her family’s land at Triangle M Ranch & Feedlot, Calli and her husband expanded their agricultural footprint with the acquisition of Yellowstone River Beef in May 2024, strengthening direct-to-consumer access to locally raised and processed beef.

She serves on multiple local and statewide boards and committees, contributing to initiatives that advance agriculture, business, and leadership across the region. Calli and her husband are raising three active children and spend much of their time at practices and games, rodeos, and community events. She enjoys travel adventures, exceptional dining experiences, and challenging herself to some distance running, especially in the badlands.
 

JANE VANGSNESS FRISCH, Ph.D. serves as Vice President of Workforce at the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce, where she advances employer-driven workforce strategy that strengthens North Dakota’s business climate and economic competitiveness. She also oversees the EDA Good Jobs Challenge multi-million-dollar award and co-leads the workforce development workstream for the NSF Ag Tech Engine (FARMS) initiative, aligning education, industry, and community partners to address talent shortages, expand career pathways, and support long-term economic growth across the state.

Throughout her career in higher education and public service, Dr. Vangsness Frisch has led initiatives that connect workforce strategy directly to business needs while championing higher education and training pathways as drivers of economic mobility, individual opportunity, and stronger communities. She was named the 2025 YWCA Cass-Clay Science, Technology and Innovation Woman of the Year and was selected as an Aspen Presidential Fellow (2019–2020) and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Business Leads Fellow (2025). She holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from North Dakota State University.