Eight from Greater Grand Forks honored at annual Prairie Business recognition event

FARGO – Greater Grand Forks was again well represented at the annual Prairie Business Awards banquet held in Fargo Thursday, Sept. 26. Between three of the magazine’s award contests, Grand Forks and East Grand Forks had eight winners among those honored at the Radisson Blu.

Honorees from 2023’s 40 Under 40, along with the 2024 winners of Top 25 Women in Business and 2024’s Leaders & Legacies and their guests enjoyed an evening of socializing and celebrating. Approximately 130 invited honorees and their guests attended.

Prairie Business covers business trends and news across North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota.

Korrie Wenzel, publisher of Prairie Business and the Grand Forks Herald, welcomed the honorees and guests and served as master of ceremonies. Prairie Business is celebrating its 25th anniversary and a special recognition was shared to mark the milestone.

“I want to say thank you to all – readers, sources and, especially, our advertising partners – who have contributed to Prairie Business over the years,” Wenzel said during a speech before handing out the awards. “Our magazine really isn’t about us at all, but it’s about you, the people who are making business and commerce happen throughout this region. Your stories fuel Prairie Business. Your advertising allows us to continue telling those stories and also draws attention to our product. Your loyalty over the years has contributed greatly to our magazine’s success. And it’s these relationships that have led us here today, starting our 25th year and with an outlook that remains bright.

Three of the eight Leaders and Legacies Award winners were in attendance. The honor is bestowed upon those who have created a lasting impact and legacy in business. The honor was created in 2019 as Prairie Business magazine’s most prestigious award and recognizes executives from around the region who have had successful careers, including leaving a legacy of exemplary leadership.

The Grand Forks recipient of the Leaders and Legacies Award, Charles Gorecki, was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. Gorecki is the CEO of the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota.

Wenzel read a few words of acceptance from Gorecki:

“Although I am unable to be with you in person today, I am deeply honored to receive the Prairie Business magazine’s 2024 Leaders and Legacies award. This recognition is also a testament to the incredible team at the Energy and Environmental Research Center,” Gorecki wrote. “It’s a privilege to lead such a dedicated group of individuals working tirelessly to innovate in the fields of energy and environmental technology. This award reflects what can be accomplished when people come together with a shared vision for the future. Thank you again for this incredible honor.”

Three Greater Grand Forks professionals were honored with Top 25 Women in Business awards, a category that profiles female business leaders who have achieved remarkable success in their business and industry. They were Paula Anderson, president and owner of Sterling Carpet One and Sterling Siding and Remodeling; Meghan Compton, chief clinic operations officer and executive vice president at Altru; and Heather Novak, executive director of United Way of Grand Forks-East Grand Forks.

“Many times during the event it was mentioned about the team you work with. Everything that I do is because I work with an amazing team who do it for the community of Grand Forks,” Novak said.

Anderson said accepting the award was a “huge honor,” and credited her team for helping make her company a success.

“I have great coworkers,” she said. “We have fun.”

Four from Greater Grand Forks were named to Prairie Business’ 40 Under 40, which recognizes outstanding business professionals — age 40 and younger — from around the region who have gained notable achievements in their careers and communities. They were Tiffany Boespflug, RN, Women’s Way coordinator and Health Promotion team leader with Grand Forks Public Health; Andrew Budke, project architect with JLG Architects; Brittany Caillier, director of philanthropy at Altru Health Foundation; and Andrew Williams, assistant professor in the Department of Population Health at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences and executive director at the North and South Dakota Perinatal Quality Collaborative.

Caillier said she was honored and humbled to be nominated by her Altru colleagues and for the growth the organization has experienced at the foundation over the past few years.

“It’s an honor to be among such distinguished young leaders, women in business and leaders and legacies,” Caillier said. “It’s inspirational to hear some of the stories from those winning the Leaders & Legacies Award as I continue my own leadership journey.”

Boespflug said her award came thanks to a team effort at Grand Forks Public Health.

“I was very honored by the award. There was a lot of emphasis on it taking a team to show the value of one single award, so just recognizing that, and the team that I work with at Grand Forks Public Health, is impactful. I just really want to acknowledge that aspect of it,” she said. “The event was very well done — it was fabulous to see all of the leaders and people who were being honored. There is a lot of value in that.”

The event included hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and musical entertainment provided by Billy Lurken, from Mitchell, South Dakota.

Special recognition was given to the event’s sponsors: North Dakota State College of Science, McGough Construction and The Green House, and all of the advertising partners who have helped make Prairie Business a success over the past quarter-century.

Carrie McDermott joined Prairie Business magazine in March 2023. She covers business industry trends in North Dakota, South Dakota and west central Minnesota. Email address: cmcdermott@prairiebusinessmagazine.com.