Governing Board

President

Chuck Stroup is a native of Hazen, graduate of NDSU and attended grad school there as well. He was a U.S. Army officer from 1971 to 1973. After that, he went to work for the Union State Bank of Hazen and has never left. Chuck served on the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (two years as president) and as the Director of the North Dakota Department of Economic and Finance for Governor Ed Schafer. Chuck is an original board member of Hazen Dollars for Scholars and is currently serving as financial secretary. Chuck also is a founding board member of ND Dollars for Scholars, and is currently serving as president of the board. He and his wife, Shari, have two sons, Seth and Noah.

Vice President

Deb Gebeke works with the NDSU Extension Service. Her responsibilities include Program Leader for Nutrition and Family Consumer Sciences, Professional Development and Program Evaluation. Deb has experience as a school teacher, school counselor, college instructor, extension specialist, past Executive Director for ND Dollars for Scholars, and education consultant prior to coming to NDSU in May 2006 as Assistant Director.

Deb earned her BS, MS and MEd degrees from North Dakota State University in Education, Child Development Family Science and Guidance and Counseling. She completed her PhD in 1996 from the University of North Dakota in Secondary-Higher Education. Deb is married to Greg who farms in partnership with his two brothers in Arthur, ND. They have three grown children, Alissa, Sarah and Jenna.

Secretary

Bob Neas grew up in New Salem, ND. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Dickinson State University, and a Master of Science degree from UND. Bob taught high school business courses for seven years at Egeland and Mayville High Schools. He spent seven years teaching in the Business Department at Mayville State University and then became the Director of Student Financial Aid. Following that, Bob accepted a position as Assoicate Director of Financial Aid at NDSU and later became the Director. He retired from that position in 2003. Bob’s hobbies include gardening, traveling, & antique shopping. He and his wife, Bonnie, reside in Fargo. They have three grown children and two grandchildren.

Treasurer

LaDawn Torgerson has a Bachelor of Science degree in administrative office services from Mayville State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Minot State University. She has worked in public accounting for the last four years and is currently the accounting supervisor in the finance office for Minot Public Schools. LaDawn and her husband, Lynn, live in Minot along with their two daughters, Hannah and Emma. Lynn farms in Divide County near Crosby.

James Barnhardt has worked at Bank of North Dakota (BND) for more than five years, the past two as Director of Communications and Marketing. James grew up in Mandan and received his Bachelor of Science Degree from North Dakota State University. He then worked in Texas for 10 years as a reporter, associate editor, public information officer and communications consultant before moving back to Bismarck in 2003. James currently oversees a range of programs from general public relations and internal communications, to College Information Service and College SAVE. He is married to Lee Ann and has two children, his son Austin, 10 and his daughter Erin, 8.

Dennis Bense graduated from Moorhead State University. He began his Scheels career in Moorhead, MN as a part-time salesperson. After graduating from college, he worked in a retail computer business for seven months and decided to go back to Scheels full-time. He began as a salesman in Bismarck at the Arrowhead location. He transferred to Sioux Falls as an assistant manager. After training in Sioux Falls for two years, he moved to Minot to be store manager. After 13 years in Minot, Dennis moved to Bismarck to be the manager of the Kirkwood Mall store. The highlight of his career was opening the new Kirkwood location. Currently Dennis is Chairman of the Board of the North Dakota Retailers Association. His hobbies include hunting, fishing and softball.

Susan Heitkamp is an original board member of the Hankinson/Mantador Dollars for Scholars for eight years and strongly supports its mission. She is Director of Nursing for LTC, Home Health, and Hospice at the St. Francis Healthcare Campus. Susan is married to Joel Heitkamp and they have two children, Ashley and Brooke. Susan is a solid supporter of North Dakota and education.