BioND Board Members
Chairman
Bruce Gjovig CEO Emeritus UND Center for Innovation Foundation, Grand Forks Bruce Gjovig is Entrepreneur Coach and founding director of the Center for Innovation at the University of North Dakota, a program focused on innovation, entrepreneurship and private investment. Launched in 1984, the Center has been actively involved in over 520 entrepreneurial ventures and product introductions, raised over $130 million in entrepreneur capital, and their entrepreneur clients have created more than 5,000 jobs across North Dakota. |
Vice Chairman
Ken Hellevang PhD, NDSU Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering Department, Fargo Ken has a Ph.D. degree in engineering, is a registered professional engineer, and has obtained the academic rank of tenured Professor at North Dakota State University. As an Extension (outreach) Engineer of Agricultural Biosystems Engineering at North Dakota State University, he has provided education and technical assistance in grain drying and storage, structures with a focus on energy efficiency, indoor environmental engineering primarily related to moisture and mold, and flood preparation and recovery to farmers, agribusiness, and professionals across the United States and internationally since 1980. |
Secretary
Nancy Johnson Executive Director of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association Johnson brings a wide range of experience in agriculture to the Bioscience Association. She has worked with seed, fertilizer and agricultural chemical companies, and also worked in the Ag media. Her experience has helped bring the Bioscience Association to the next level. |
Treasurer
Randy Schneider CPA & Senior Manager at Hauck & Associates, CPA's Schneider specializes in construction, manufacturing, real estate, energy and agricultural industries. He provides tax planning and business consulting within these industries. He has 32 years of experience in the public accounting and private industries. Schneider is serving as North Dakota Governor Appointee to the North Dakota Energy Policy Commission and North Dakota Renewable Energy Council since 2007 and has served on the Business and Labor Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, the Board of North Dakota State University Center for Community Vitality and is the President and Treasurer of the North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association. Schneider was a founding member and Treasurer of Gold Energy LLC, a start-up ethanol plant in Hankinson, ND and was a board member of US BioEnergy - Hankinson from 2006-2007. Mr Schneider graduated from the University of North Dakota Grand Forks in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Accounting. He is a member of the North Dakota Society of CPA's |
BioND Directors
John Ballantyne
Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Aldevron Ballantyne is the co-founded the company Aldevron with Michael Chambers on the NDSU campus in 1999. Aldevron is a biological manufacturing and research organization headquartered in South Fargo with divisions in Madison, WI and Freiburg, Germany. While servicing all sectors of the bio-pharmaceutical companies, Aldevron is also heavily involved in collaborative research with the Department of Defense groups in development of innovative vaccines for emerging threat diseases and therapeutics for post-exposure treatment. John is an ardent believer that the Red River Valley is on the verge of becoming the next biotechnology hot spot and that maintaining and recruiting talent to the region is the final challenge to overcome. |
Dr. Jonathan Geiger
B.A., M.S., Ph.D. Geiger is a Professor at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor, specializing in Biomedical Sciences. |
Kristi Jean
PhD, ComDel Innovation, Wahpeton Kristi is a Quality Engineer at ComDel Innovation, Wahpeton, North Dakota. ComDel provides a variety of services that can complement a business’s manufacturing needs. Whether it's fulfillment of customer orders on the business’s behalf or process and testing support, ComDel can help. Prior to that, she was a Faculty Member in the North Dakota State School of Science. |
Sen. Terry Wanzek
ND State Senator, TMT Farms, Jamestown Wanzek and his family, partner with his father and brother and their families to run TMT Farms, a 11,000 acre farm near Jamestown, North Dakota. They raise spring wheat, dry beans, corn, soybeans and barley all the while operating a seed cleaning plant and bulk processing facility for beans. In addition they own and operate a Purina bulk feed processing plant serving livestock customers. Terry is a ND State Senator and has chaired & vice chaired the Senate Agriculture and the Senate Industry, Business & Labor Committees and is a member of the ND Senate Appropriations Committee. Terry Currently serves on the Interim ND Legislative Budget Section, Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review, and the Transportation Committees. Terry has served as chairman of the North Dakota Grain Growers Association and served on the NAWG (National Association of Wheat Growers) Board and their Domestic Policy and the Budget Committees. Terry is currently a Board member for NoDak Mutual Insurance Co. and also a recipient of the ND Chamber Community Leadership Award and the Kernel Award from the ND Grain Growers for outstanding support of the wheat industry. Terry is also a member of TATT (Truth about Trade & Technology) and a founding member of Growers for Biotechnology. Terry graduated from Jamestown College with a bachelors in Business Administration and Accounting. Terry is also a graduate of the Texas A&M TEPAP (The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers) program. Terry is married and has three children. |
Pete Snyder
President & CEO of National Agricultural Genotyping Center Snyder is a senior business executive with a wealth of growth-oriented business management experience. He started with the NAGC as a consultant, became its executive director in April 2015, and its fulltime president in July 2016. Prior to that, Snyder headed up Snyder Consulting, providing direct client service following 18 years at Shandwick (at the time, the world’s largest independent PR firm) and its predecessor agencies. In March 1996, Snyder became president of Miller/Shandwick Technologies, leading that agency through record growth, including expansion in the U.S., Europe and into Asia. In June 1997, he added the responsibilities of president, Shandwick, U.S.A. Snyder is a graduate of Cornell University, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. His community interests are diverse; he has served on the boards of over two dozen civic, charitable and church organizations. Snyder lives with his wife in St. Louis. Their two sons are grown with children of their own, which he spoils as often as he can. |
Benjamin Forred
Biologist Forred has worked in the field of biomedical research since he earned his B.S. in Biology in 2009. After spending over six years at the bench, He earned an MBA from the University of South Dakota and has focused on using his skills and education to support biomedical research in a completely different way. He plays a role in building and strengthening business relationships between the research scientists and physicians at Sanford Health and external groups in industry and academia. Additionally, he helps facilitate new research relationships between non-profit advocacy organizations, researchers, pharma, and Sanford’s rare disease registry team. Mr. Forred is the latest addition to the Bio Board of Directors taking Richard Glynn’s place with Mr. Glynn moving to an Ex Officio position. |
Ex Officio Board Members
Joel Gilbertson
JD, Gilbertson and Andrist, PA, Bismarck Gilbertson concentrates his practice in the area of government relations. He has more than 25 years of experience in lobbying and regulatory representation. He is listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" publication in the areas of government relations, administrative/regulatory law, and insurance law. In addition to Joel's broad and diverse lobbying practice, he also has extensive background in state and national association management in the banking industry and organized bar activities. Joel is a member of the board of directors of State Law Resources, an international network of law firms with special expertise in government relations and administrative law. He is a past president of the State Bar Association of North Dakota and has served on the Board of Regents of Concordia College and the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. Joel also is an accomplished recording artist and pianist, having recorded and released five CD's. In addition, he is President of the Jeremiah Wine Company, which makes and distributes wine from the Napa Valley. Joel and his wife, Jan, have two grown children. Joel practices law in Bismarck, North Dakota, with the GA Group PC which specializes in legislative lobbying, Regulatory Representation and Government Affairs Counseling. |
Richard Glynn
Ex Officio Member and Executive Director: Richard Glynn, Grand Forks Glynn is the Executive Director of the Association as well as an Ex Officio Member of the Board of Directors. Richard has a Juris Doctors Degree and formerly was employed as the Chief Operating Officer of a start up Biotech company engaged in the research and development of antibodies in the treatment of Viral Diseases. Prior to that, he was engaged in the private practice of law where he worked extensively in the areas of government relations, finance, corporate, and business law. |
