Rural leadership seminar assembled in New Town
Rural leadership seminar assembled in New Town By MARVIN BAKER Building stronger communities and mentoring better leaders across the state is how Marie Hvidsten describes Rural Leadership North Dakota. Hvidsten is the program director for Rural Leadership North Dakota, a two-year, seminar-based interactive study and travel program dedicated to producing graduates with the vision and commitment to lead themselves, their organizations and communities into the future. The program, according to Hvidsten, emphasizes the development of skills such as working with people, managing projects, using technology, speaking in public and bringing about positive change. Rural Leadership North Dakota is sponsored by North Dakota State University Extension. There are 15 "students" from across North Dakota in this class who are expected to graduate in October 2009. The class includes Candice Hall, a bookkeeper at Lakeside State Bank in New Town, Jim Hennessy, Stanley, Mountrail County Extension agent, Richard Blahut, owner of Tiedman/Blahut Creative in Berthold and Jan Dodge, director of McKenzie County Tourism in Watford City. Other class members are from Fargo, Bismarck, Hoople, Selfridge, Hannaford, Killdeer, Ray and Casselton.
