DAKOTA REIT - Key Persons
Mr. Henderson was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2021. Mr. Henderson qualifies as one of the "Independent Trustees of the Trust." He serves as Treasurer for the Trust and chairs the Audit Committee. Mr. Henderson received his Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of North Dakota and is licensed as a Minnesota Certified Public Accountant. From 2006 to 2020 he was employed in the Minneapolis KPMG US LLP office providing financial statement audit services and advice regarding internal control over financial statements and securities reporting compliance to clients in the technology, retail, and consumer markets industries.
Mr. Fay has served on the Board of Trustees since the formation of the Trust in 1997 and as Secretary for 24 years. Mr. Fay qualifies as one of the "Independent Trustees of the Trust." In 1989, Mr. Fay participated in the formation of Dakota Growers Pasta Company, now a subsidiary of Post Holdings. Mr. Fay is a participant in oil and gas development businesses targeting the Bakken and Three Forks reservoirs in western North Dakota.
Mr. Lloyd joined the Board of Trustees in 2017. He is Chairman of the Lloyd Companies, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a diversified real estate development, marketing and management firm. Mr. Lloyd has coordinated the construction and development of over 6,000 apartment units, over 1.5 million square feet of office and retail space and the development of more than 600 acres of land for mixed use purposes. He is licensed as a real estate broker in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Executive Vice President
- Executive Vice - President of the Trust
Ms. Jung was appointed as Executive Vice-President of the Trust in August 2021. Ms. Jung joined the Advisor in 2019 as its Chief Operating Officer. After earning her degree in Computer Science from North Dakota State University in 2002, Ms. Jung joined Microsoft. During her tenure at Microsoft Ms. Jung contributed to several global integrations, defining business strategy and operations, and earned the Microsoft Platinum Award in 2018 for her leadership in defining new offerings & optimizing operations to contribute significantly to Microsoft's bottom line. Ms. Jung has been granted a profits interest in the Advisor.
Job Titles:
- Founder of the Trust and Consultant
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Treasurer
- Treasurer of the Trust
Mr. Haley was appointed as Treasurer of the Trust in June 2023. Mr. Haley joined the Advisor as its Chief Financial Officer in 2007. After receiving his degree in Accounting from Central Missouri State University in 1992 he worked in public accounting and received his certified public accountant designation in 1993. In 1995, Mr. Haley located in Fargo, North Dakota and participated in real estate development and construction. Mr. Haley became one of the owners of the Advisor in 2012.
Mr. Banks was elected to the Board of Trustees at the annual meeting of shareholders of the Trust held in June 2022. Mr. Banks qualifies as one of the "Independent Trustees" of the Trust. Mr. Banks is the founder of the Jerry Banks Group, based in Omaha, Nebraska which has developed and currently operates apartment, retail, warehouse and office properties in Alabama, Arizona, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska.
From 2003 until August 2021, Mr. Knutson was the Executive Vice President of the Trust and was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2012. Mr. Knutson joined Valley Realty, Inc. in 1973 and was an owner of it until he sold his interest in the corporation in 2018. Valley Realty, Inc. provides property management, finance and construction management services to owners and operators of multi-family and commercial properties. Mr. Knutson is a partner of Dakota REIT Management, LLC (the ‘Advisor") and served as its Executive Vice President from 2003 to 2020.
Mr. Barker was elected to the Board of Trustees at the annual meeting of shareholders of the Trust held in June 2021. Mr. Barker qualifies as one of the "Independent Trustees" of the Trust. Mr. Barker is the owner and President of Elgethun Capital Management, Inc. ("ECM") a Registered Investment Advisor operating from its offices in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. ECM primarily provides fee based investment advisory and management services to individuals and institutions. At the end of 2020, ECM had more than $650 million under its management. Mr. Barker joined ECM in 2011 and acquired ownership of the firm in 2012. Before joining ECM, Mr. Barker was a research analyst at the Royal Bank of Scotland in New York, New York and worked in the corporate finance department for Pitney Bowes. Mr. Barker is a member of the Board of The University of South Dakota Foundation, serving on its Investment Committee, and is actively involved in 38 philanthropic and community initiatives in Sioux Falls targeting children, poverty, and mentorship. Mr. Barker received his degree in Finance from the University of South Dakota and holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Independent Trustee
Mr. Otterstatter joined the Board of Trustees in 2018. He was appointed Chairman in June 2021 and serves on the Trust's Investment Council. Mr. Otterstatter qualifies as one of the "Independent Trustees of the Trust". He co-founded Preventice Technologies, Inc. and led the company as CEO through the acquisition by Boston Scientific in March of 2021. In addition to the Dakota REIT, Mr. Otterstatter serves on the Board of Directors of Protenus, metroConnections, Cyber Advisors and Sibel Health.
Mr. Christianson first became a member of the Board of Trustees in 1999 and has served as a member of the Trust's Investment Council since 1999 and was appointed Vice-Chairman in June of 2022. Mr. Christianson has served as President and CEO of Christianson Companies, based in Fargo, North Dakota. Christianson Companies is a development and construction company who also houses a full-service brokerage and property management company known as property Resources Group (PRG), and a full-service in-house design and architecture department known as Design Resources Group (DRG).
Job Titles:
- Investor Relations Manager
Ms. Bontje joined the Advisor as Investor Relations Manager for the Trust in 2019. As Investment Relations Manager, she facilitates communication with shareholders of the Trust and limited partners of the UPREIT, oversees the making of quarterly distributions to such shareholders and limited partners, maintains the shareholder and limited partner records of ownership and plans investor events. Prior to joining the Advisor, Ms. Bontje, managed grant programs for qualified childcare programs. Ms. Bontje has more than 15 years of experience in ensuring compliance with local, state and federal regulations.
Ms. Wheeler Wold was elected to the Board of Trustees at the annual meeting of shareholders of the Trust held in June 2022. Ms. Wheeler Wold qualifies as one of the "Independent Trustees" of the Trust. Ms. Wheeler Wold has extensive experience in completion of real estate transactions having served as President of The Title Company of Fargo North Dakota from 1990 to 2015. In 1982, Ms. Wheeler Wold obtained her juris doctorate from the University of North Dakota and was been licensed to practice law in the state of North Dakota from 1983 to 2015.
Mr. Richman joined the Advisor in 2011 and is its Director of Business Development. After graduating from North Dakota State University in 1976, Mr. Richman began his career in commercial real estate. He holds designations as a Certified Commercial Investment Member from the CCIM Institute and a Certified Property Manager from the Institute of Real Estate Management.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- President
- Trustee
Mr. Pedersen was elected to the Board of Trustees and has served on the Trust's Investment Council since 2015. He was appointed as President of the Trust in 2021. Mr. Pedersen became a Certified Public Accountant in 1996 and was employed by Arthur Andersen's Washington, D.C. office from 1996 to 1998 where he focused on private equity, real estate and securities offerings. In 1998, Mr. Pedersen joined Great Plains Software/Microsoft. In January 2015, he acquired ownership of Ludvigson Braun & Co. (see information under biographical disclosure for Ray Braun). Matt is a partner and managing member of Dakota REIT Management, LLC (the "Advisor").
Peter Tanis - Chief Investment Officer
Mr. Tanis, Chief Investment Officer at the Advisor since 2024, brings over two decades of real estate expertise. Formerly Senior Managing Director at NEWMARK, INC., he oversaw transactions exceeding $1B in consideration, including notable portfolio sales for individuals and corporate clients such as Seagate, Ecolab, and The Minnesota Vikings. With prior roles at JLL and The C. Chase Company, he navigated market challenges and growing businesses. Peter holds a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Studies and Finance from The University of St. Thomas (2002-2006) and earned the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation in 2019.
Mr. Braun was one of the initial members of the Board of Trustees in 1997 and served as the Trust's Treasurer for 24 years. In 2006, Mr. Braun retired from the Ludvigson Braun & Company, an accounting firm located in Valley City North Dakota. Mr. Braun became a Licensed Public Accountant in 1975.
Job Titles:
- Independent Trustee
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Mr. Sheppard has served as a member of the Board of Trustees since 1998. Mr. Shepard qualifies as one of the "Independent Trustees" of the Trust. He is the managing partner of CSi Computers, a computer and networking sales and service firm located in Jamestown, North Dakota. He also is an owner and President of Cable Services, Inc., a cable television and internet provider also based in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Ms. Smith was appointed to the Board of Trustees in June 2023 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of George Gaukler as a Trustee of the Trust. Ms. Smith has worked for Best Buy Co., Inc., a publicly held retailer of consumer goods headquartered in Minnesota for many years and in 2023 was as as Vice President of Tax for the company. Ms. Smith is a daughter of George Gaukler, a founder of the Trust and a member of its Board of Trustees from 1997 until his resignation in June 2023. Ms. Smith obtained a degree in accounting from the University of North Dakota and her juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota.