Leadership

Ryan Benson lives on his family farm near Arvilla, N.D. As a sixth-generation farmer, he currently farms with his dad, Dale, growing crops of wheat, corn, soybeans and sunflowers. He has served on his township board for over 10 years and has served a nine-year term on the Honeyford Elevator board – four of those years as president. Along with his wife Kristi and two children, the family has a couple dogs, cats, some chickens and a few pigs on their farm.

Luther Meberg, Park River, has farmed with his brothers since 1976. The University of North Dakota graduate and his wife, Linda, have two sons and four granddaughters. Meberg is a past Park River school board director, a past Cenex Harvest States elevator advisory board member and has also been on an implement dealership board. Today, he is a Walsh County commissioner and serves on several committees and boards, including the North Dakota County Commissioners Association legislative committee and the Dundee Mutual Insurance board.

David Kent was first elected to the board of directors of Nodak in June of 1989. Since that time, he has held various positions on the board. Kent is a graduate of NDSU with a degree in Agricultural Economics. He is a member of the Holmes United Methodist Church, Farm Bureau and Goose River Lodge #19. Kent is also a former state legislator, representing District 20 for eight years and is currently an agent for Nodak Mutual Insurance. David and his wife Marguerite have three daughters and live on a farm near Hatton.

David Hagert has been a member of the board of directors for Nodak since 1991 and has held numerous offices, including chairman. He has completed the required courses to receive the Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate. He currently serves on the Grand Forks County Planning and Zoning Commission and the North Dakota Atmospheric Resource board. He has served on the Emerado school board, the Emerado-Arvilla Lions Club, the Northwood Jaycees, the Grand Forks County Crop Improvement Association, Grand Forks County Farm Bureau and was past treasurer of Pleasant View Township. Hagert and his wife, Karen, and their four daughters live near Emerado where he farmed for 24 years in a family partnership. He currently owns and operates AgriData, Inc., a web-based mapping software company that serves farmers, ranchers and agri-businesses on a national basis.

Les Windjue is a farmer in Morris Township of Ramsey County. He has been married to Karn for 35 years. They have three children and four grandchildren. Windjue graduated from Devils Lake High School and Lake Region State College. He serves on the Greater Ramsey Water District and the Mercy Hospital Foundation boards and is clerk of Morris Township. He is a former member of the Lake Region State College Foundation and served on the Peace Lutheran Church council as treasurer.

David Brag is a lifelong resident of Finley, N.D. He has served in his community over the years as church council board member, a park board member and is currently farming part time. He is a Class B electrician, and a retired crew foreman of Nodak Electric in Finley. He is a graduate of Finley Public High School and obtained his degree from North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, N.D. David and wife, Kathy, have three daughters and he loves spending time with their seven grand-kids.

Steven Smaaladen became a Sheyenne Valley Electric Cooperative board member in 1997 and a Nodak board member during the merger transition between Nodak and Sheyenne Valley in 2001. He was re-elected to the Nodak board in 2002, and has held numerous positions on the board of which he is currently Chairman. He attended Moorhead State University in Moorhead, Minnesota, and Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, North Dakota. Smaaladen farmed with his dad and brother until 1997. He then worked in the construction business from 1997-2004, while also serving as a sub rural mail carrier for the USPS. From 2004 to the present he has served as a full time carrier out of the McVille office, and currently the Northwood office. He serves as Secretary/Treasurer for the Griggs-Steele Unit of the Rural Letter Carrier Association (RLCA). In 2021 he was recognized by receiving the “Outstanding Member Award” for the North Dakota RLCA. He currently serves on the Ora Township Board. As a member of the Finley Assembly of God Church, he serves on the church board. Smaaladen and his wife Marsha, own and operate Country Greenhouse located on their farm 5 miles north of Aneta. This year they celebrate 30 years in business. Their business includes selling bedding plants, perennials, trees and shrubs, and doing a variety of landscaping projects. The Smaaladens have 2 sons; Zachary (24) married to Rachel, and Zane (15), a sophomore in high school.

Pete Naastad is an excavation and utilities contractor from Traill County. He has lived in rural Hatton all of his life. Pete and his brothers started Naastad Brothers, Inc., in 1974. Though Pete’s brothers left the company, he and his wife, Karen, have continued to work at Naastad Brothers. Now their sons have joined them at the company. Pete is a past member of the Hatton School Board and the Bethany Church Council. He was also on the board of the Land Improvement Contractors Association, Community Club Apartment Board, Hatton Prairie Village Loyalty Club and was past president and a current member of the Hatton Men’s Club. Pete and Karen have two sons and a daughter, three goddaughters and eight grandchildren.

Cheryl serves as bookkeeper for her husband’s business, REO Truck Repair and Salvage, LLC. She was recently elected to the board of the Rural Development Finance Corporation. Osowski earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota – Crookston. She spent 17 years working at the University of North Dakota as a personnel officer and the outreach coordinator at the College of Engineering and Mines. She also served as a special projects coordinator for the Red River Regional Council. She served one term as the President of the Northeast North Dakota Human Resource Association. She also served on the board of the Dakota Science Center.

Cheryl and her husband, Robert, live on their farmstead northeast of Voss, North Dakota.