Honors and officers (Jan. 23, 2016)

RBC names Amundson to director's council

RBC Wealth Management, Fargo, has named Michael Amundson first vice president/financial adviser to the director's council.

The director's council award annually recognizes employees for outstanding professional growth and demonstrating leadership in client service.

Larson named president of grocer's group

Roger Larson has been named president of the North Dakota Grocer's Association.

Larson has a long history of retail grocery experience, most recently as operations manager at Miller's Fresh Foods. Previously, he owned Edgeley (N.D.) Food Center and Larson's Super Valu, West Fargo. He earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Larson succeeds Tom Woodmansee, who is retiring after 31 years of service.

ND receives Innovation Champion Award

North Dakota has been named an Innovation Champion by the Consumer Technology Association. The CTA named North Dakota in its annual Innovation Scorecard, an innovation performance index based on 10 criteria.

The scorecard assesses the progress of state policies intended to advance innovation and improve business climates, while also tracking states' responsiveness to disruptive innovation.

Using established economic, educational and legislative data, the report issues grades across 10 categories, including right-to-work laws, policies that support new business models, tax friendliness, Internet speed and size of the tech workforce.

North Dakota supports innovation and entrepreneurship through a number of programs including:

•  North Dakota Unmanned Aerial Systems Industry: North Dakota has invested over $34 million to advance UAS research and development, and establish the state as a national hub for the emerging UAS industry.
•  Research North Dakota: Matches dollars to state universities to assist private partners/companies in performing research, development and commercialization of specific projects.
•  Centers of Research Excellence: Hubs of research and development on the campuses of North Dakota's colleges and universities, partnering with private companies to generate new business opportunities.
•  Innovate ND: Provides online entrepreneur education, coaching and mentoring from proven business owners to help entrepreneurs successfully launch new businesses.

 
Houston Engineering receives excellence award

The American Council of Engineering Companies of North Dakota has recognized Houston Engineering, Fargo, with the 2016 Engineering Excellence Award for the Cass County Lake Shure Bridge Replacement Project in the structural systems category.

The annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement and value.

Keller Williams honors team members

Bria Dimke was named Rookie of the Year 2015 and Flom Property Group was named Top Team for Listing Volume for January 2016 at Keller Williams Roers Realty, Fargo.

Kobrinsky earns Children's Miracle Network award

Dr. Nathan Kobrinsky of Sanford Children's Hospital in Fargo has been recognized for his work in pediatric oncology/hematology with the Children's Miracle Network Achievement Award.

The national award honors a caregiver, team or unit that has significantly elevated the care of children and has specifically been affected by funds raised through Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Kobrinsky has worked with Sanford Children's Hospital and Roger Maris Cancer Center for 25 years. He has served as the director of pediatric hematology and oncology at Sanford Children's Hospital and Roger Maris Cancer Center since 1991. He will be honored in February at the national Children's Miracle Network Hospitals conference at Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla.

Marvin Windows gets Greener ND Award

Marvin Windows and Doors, Grafton, N.D., has earned the Greener North Dakota Award from the North Dakota Solid Waste and Recycling Association.

The Greener North Dakota Award recognizes businesses, organizations, communities and individuals for their positive environmental efforts through solid waste management, renewable energy processes/programs, creating jobs by using recyclable products to make end products, pollution reduction and more.

Agents earn associate broker licenses

Ron Dittus and Thomas Beadle of Keller Williams Roers Realty, Fargo, have obtained their associate broker licenses by completing 60 hours of additional education.

Dittus has been a real estate agent since 2005.

Beadle is a commercial agent with Keller Williams Roers and he has been an agent since 2009.

Stenehjem named to bank's board of directors

First International Bank and Trust in Fargo has named Erik Stenehjem to its board of directors.

Stenehjem began his career in 2004 as a credit analyst. He has worked his way through various roles in the bank, where he is now a commercial loan officer at the Fargo Southwest office. He is also a certified public accountant.

Manly named president of Vogel Law Firm

Rob Manly has been elected president of Vogel Law Firm. He succeeds Steve Johnson, who was president of the firm for nine years. The law firm has offices in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Moorhead and Minneapolis.

Manly has been with the law firm since 2001 and served as chairman of the firm's recruiting committee from 2007 to 2014. He is a litigation attorney with an active trial practice handling a variety of disputes throughout North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. His areas of concentration include personal injury claims, trust and estate litigation, and commercial litigation.

He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of North Dakota School of Law, Grand Forks.