Minot Area Chamber EDC (MACEDC) spotlighted an incredibly successful 2024 and looked to the year ahead during the 2025 Annual Meeting on Monday evening.
North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong delivered the keynote address to over 250 attendees at the Regency Event Center in downtown Minot. In his presentation, Governor Armstrong praised the work MACEDC is doing to build and strengthen the local economy.
“I appreciate the fact that your board and staff dedicate so much time and resources not just to growing the business community, but to making sure us as elected leaders, whether it’s in DC, whether it’s in Bismarck, whether it’s at the local level, are always prepared and always know where you’re at, what you’re standing for, what the policy implications are of anything we’re working on,” stated Governor Armstrong. “Your advocacy, quite frankly, is what it’s supposed to look like for a community like Minot and there are a lot of places all over the country that could learn from you guys.”?
Governor Armstrong added, “Thank you for always showing up. Thank you for caring enough about your community to make sure it’s growing and looks great and you’re attracting new business. You make my job easy, so thank you all very much.”
Outgoing 2024 MACEDC Board Chair, Cassidy Hjelmstad, expressed her gratitude for the previous year while sharing key moments that continue to move the organization, as well as the community, forward. She discussed achievements and awards that were presented to the MACEDC in 2024 and stated, “While awards come and go, I remind you of all of these accolades because I want to highlight the level of excellence that the Chamber EDC staff is not only operating at, but doing so across the five main pillars that we support: Economic Development, Community Development, Workforce Development, Military Support, and Member Investor.”?
Before handing over the gavel, Hjelmstad shared her inspiration for supporting MACEDC and said, “My ‘why’ continues to be to support our communities, to raise my kids in the best state in the nation, to ensure the next newest employee we hire can retire from our company if they ever choose to, and to support the great work that each and every member investor does to enhance our region and our economy.”??
2025 Board Chair Ryan Ackerman took the stage to continue highlighting the five pillars that guide MACEDC’s mission, touching on each as he looked ahead to the future. He expressed the importance of member investors and encouraged them to engage with MACEDC board and staff to consistently grow and learn, and is excited to continue celebrating economic development, workforce, and community successes throughout the year. In addition, he emphasized the importance of Task Force 21 and support for our military friends and neighbors as the Minot area prepares for the Sentinel project.?
“We have nearly 700 member investors and to each one of them: you matter,” Ackerman assured. “Your investment in our organization matters. It’s really a privilege to serve in this role. I thank you all for your engagement and your commitment to Minot: an exceptional place to invest, to live, and to work.”?
MACEDC President | CEO Brekka Kramer reflected on the success of 2024 under Cassidy Hjelmstad’s leadership and thanked her for her steadfast leadership to push forward on all five key pillars and make a difference. Kramer is optimistic for the work that is already underway to support MACEDC’s mission under Ryan Ackerman’s leadership as this year’s chair. “We don’t do what we do for the community without our member investors and key strategic partners,” shared Kramer. “MACEDC is excited to build upon the success of the past year and look forward to doing everything we can to serve our community and support our member investors at the highest level.”
