Team ND members recognized with Governor's Awards for Excellence in Public Service

Gov. Doug Burgum and Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford on Thursday presented the 2019 Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Public Service, recognizing team members for their outstanding work in state government and making a positive difference in the lives of North Dakotans.

“Team North Dakota goes above and beyond to serve our citizens and deliver on our shared purpose – to Empower People, Improve Lives and Inspire Success,” Burgum said. “The record number of nominations we received this year highlights the exceptional work of our team members, and we are incredibly grateful to these individuals and their teams for their commitment to our state and its citizens.”

Team members across North Dakota submitted a record 534 nominations this year. The awards were presented during a luncheon at the Capitol during State Team Member Recognition Month.

The awards and recipients are:

Heritage Award for Citizen Focus: Janelle Middlestead, Consumer Assistance Division director for the North Dakota Insurance Department.

Telegraph Award for Excellence in Technology: Ryan Kramer, enterprise architect with North Dakota Information Technology.

Pioneer Award for Excellence in Innovation: Troy Gilbertson, Fargo District maintenance coordinator with the North Dakota Department of Transportation.

Zezula Award – “One Who Helps”: Jamie Krous, senior program analyst with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

Landmark Award for Excellence in People Management: Ryan Gardner, regional park manager with North Dakota Parks and Recreation.

Frontier Award for Excellence in Continuous Learning: Laural Sehn, budget specialist with the Department of Human Services.

Harvest Award for Excellence in Quality: Pamela Helbling-Schafer, director of the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.

Sodbuster Award for Excellence in Growth Mindset: Penny Hetletved, director of education, staff development and training, and core correctional practices with the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Roaming Bison Award (Team): K-20W Initiative team, consisting of more than 40 agency and private partners. (Background photo; some members not pictured. All photos by Poppy Mills/NDDOT)

For more about the award recipients, click the link below.

Sanford helps dedicate Glen Ullin Energy Center wind project

Lt. Gov. Sanford on Tuesday joined community members and officials from ALLETE Clean Energy to dedicate the newly completed Glen Ullin Energy Center

“Today marks another milestone in North Dakota’s evolution into an energy powerhouse,” Sanford said. “We’re fortunate to have companies like ALLETE Clean Energy that continue to develop North Dakota’s abundant wind resource, strengthen our state’s position as a net energy exporter and expand our economic base.”

The 106-megawatt Glen Ullin Energy Center is scheduled to be online in October. Its General Electric wind turbines will produce enough electricity to power approximately 56,000 houses while employing about 10 people, generating property tax revenue and providing other benefits to area communities. The facility will supply electricity to Xcel Energy subsidiary Northern States Power.

During the dedication event in Glen Ullin, ALLETE Clean Energy and project partners announced $34,000 in grants to eight local organizations.

U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, to attend Main Street ND Summit

Gov. Doug Burgum announced the U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, as a guest of honor for the 2019 Main Street Initiative Summit set for Oct. 29-31 at the Bismarck Event Center.

As the opening keynote speaker for the summit’s second day, Dr. Adams will discuss the intersection of community health and economic prosperity. The day will also feature an entire health care track agenda with sessions on behavioral health, blue zones, rural health care challenges, food access and health in all policies.

“We’re thrilled and grateful to have Dr. Adams join us as a guest of honor at this year’s summit. His expertise and insight will be a great addition as we discuss what it takes to create healthy, vibrant communities – one of the three pillars of the Main Street Initiative,” Burgum said. “The summit’s health care track also will address the boundless opportunities available to improve the health and quality of life for all North Dakotans.”

The three-day interactive summit will serve as a forum for information on the community planning principles behind the three pillars of the governor’s Main Street Initiative: a skilled workforce; smart, efficient infrastructure; and healthy, vibrant communities. The goal is to help North Dakota compete in a 21st-century economy in which rapid technological advancement is changing every job, industry and organization.

Registration for the 2019 Main Street Summit is now open. Sponsorship opportunities and marketplace booth space are available. Please visit https://www.nd.gov/living-nd/main-street-nd or contact Emily Brown at (701) 328-5312 for more information.

First Lady speaks to ND Nurses Association about addiction and recovery

First Lady Kathryn Burgum delivered the keynote address for the annual North Dakota Nurses Association “Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation” conference on Friday.

The first lady challenged the more than 75 nurses in attendance to use their voices to end the shame and stigma of addiction, while encouraging them to establish a culture in health care that embraces and supports individuals in their recovery.

She shared her personal story of addiction and recovery and emphasized the importance of health care professionals and first responders carrying and administering naloxone in cases where an opioid overdose occurs.

Burgum applauds nearly $10M from U.S. Department of Energy for Project Tundra engineering study

Gov. Doug Burgum applauded the U.S. Department of Energy this week for awarding $9.8 million to help fund a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study for Project Tundra, a carbon-dioxide capture system for an existing lignite-based power plant in North Dakota.

Project Tundra’s vision is to retrofit Unit 2 of Minnkota Power Cooperative’s Milton R. Young Station near Center, N.D., with technology that could capture up to 95 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions. The carbon dioxide would be pipelined to western North Dakota for use in enhanced oil recovery projects or stored regionally in underground formations.

Last November, the North Dakota Industrial Commission awarded $15 million from the state’s Lignite Research Fund to help pay for the FEED study. The three-member Industrial Commission consists of Burgum as chair, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. The Lignite Research Fund is supported by coal severance and oil tax revenues.

“Project Tundra gives North Dakota the opportunity to reduce emissions and boost energy production for the benefit of consumers, the environment and the coal and oil industries that provide thousands of good-paying jobs and economic development resulting in billions in tax revenue to our state and local governments,” Burgum said. “We appreciate the Department of Energy, Secretary Perry and our state's congressional delegation for supporting this promising technology and look forward to further collaboration as the project advances with backing from the Industrial Commission and industry.”

(Background photo: Forum News Service)