ABOUT US

Thomasine Heitkamp is a licensed clinical social worker in North Dakota and Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor at the University of North Dakota.  She has an MSW from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and has been employed as an academic at the University of North Dakota for the past forty years. Her background includes administering a regional multi-state addiction (ATTC) and mental health (MHTTC) training and technical assistance unit.  She has published on evidence-based practices in addiction and mental health in peer-reviewed journals. She has authored toolkits on professional well-being and is an advocate for rural treatment providers. She has many years of administrative and grant experience including serving as an Associate Provost at the University of North Dakota.

Julie Ann Blehm received a bachelor’s degree in biology at Concordia College and attended the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (UNDSMHS). She completed her years of residency at the UNDSMHS IM residency program at St. Luke’s Hospital and at the University of Iowa Affiliated internal medicine residency program at Iowa Methodist Medical Center.

She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians. Julie is currently employed as Senior Medical Director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. Her previous positions include Department Chair of Clinic Internal Medicine at Sanford Health for nine years, Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Continuity Clinic, and Associate Dean of the SE campus of UNDSMHS. She recently finished a four-year term as governor of the North Dakota chapter of the American College of Physicians and still serves on the national Medical Practice and Quality Committee and the Volunteerism Committee.

Her community activities include serving as Chair of the ND Museum of Art Board of Directors, part of the executive committee of the Cass-Clay YMCA, Chairman of the current capital campaign at the YMCA, member of the F-M Symphony Board, member of the ND American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicide Board, and member of the Concordia College National Alumni Board. She serves as Vice-Chair of the ND Special Olympics Board of Directors and was a member of the medical team for Team USA in the Special Olympics World Games of 2013. This year she is also part of the medical team for Team USA for the summer World Games.

Randy Perkins graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colo., a nursing degree from Jamestown College, and a master’s degree from the University of North Dakota.

Randy is a Family Nurse Practitioner at Jamestown Regional Medical Center’s Wound Clinic and Physician Assistant in general medicine at James River Correctional Center. He was previously a Physician Assistant and Family Nurse Practitioner for the North Dakota State Hospital and a Physician Assistant for Jamestown Dakota (Essentia) Clinic.

Randy formerly served as a board member for the North Dakota Academy of Physician Assistants (NDAPA) and was committee chair for the NDAPA Impairment Committee.

Maureen “Moe” Bentz received an associate degree in nursing from North Dakota State University (NDSU), a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Western Governor’s University (WGU) and a Master of Science Degree in Nursing Leadership and Management from WGU.  She is a certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML).

She has worked in various roles in nursing over her 38-year career.  She was employed at Medcenter One/Sanford in Bismarck, ND for almost 30 years, where she was the Maternal Child Director for inpatient services for the past decade of her career there.

She is currently employed at the North Dakota Board of Nursing as the Director of Administrative Services and Licensing.  As the Alternative to Discipline Coordinator for the new ND Nurse Assistance Program (ND-NAP) recently developed by the Board, she has collaborated with experts to develop the program.  She has served as the case manager for encumbered nurses; many of whom have successfully completed their encumbrances while continuing their nursing career.

Moe is a member of the North Dakota Nurses Association (NDNA), represents the NDBON on the North Dakota Center for Nursing (NDCFN) Board of Directors and serves on the American Organization for Nursing Leadership CNML Advisory Committee.

Vaune Johnson worked in the banking industry for over 20 years, most recently as Market President for Cornerstone Bank.  Prior to entering the banking field, she worked for a local accounting firm.  She has taught accounting, management, and leadership classes at Dickinson State University.  Vaune recently completed two terms on the North Dakota Board of Medicine.  She served as Treasurer of the Stark County Job Development Authority, President of North Dakota Banker’s Association, Treasurer of the Greater North Dakota Chamber, and numerous other local, state, and national boards.  Vaune currently serves on the board of the Heartview Foundation, The North Dakota Professional Health Program, volunteers St. Alexius in Dickinson and for the Dickinson State University Heritage Foundation.  Vaune is married to Dennis Johnson, has two children and two grandsons.

William “Bill” Knutson obtained an Associate of Arts degree from Assumption College in Richardton, North Dakota and a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

He has lived nearly his entire life in North Dakota, where he has been a resident of Mandan and Bismarck since 1975. During his entire time in Bismarck-Mandan and until retirement in 2019 he operated a real estate appraisal business specializing in commercial properties and assignments that involved testimony in courts of law. His community involvement has included being a founding board member of The Suzuki School of Music as well as Habitat of Humanity in Bismarck and Mandan, other boards included Capital City Soccer Club, Beginning Experience of Western North Dakota, and the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce (Executive Board as well as Board of Directors). He was a volunteer with Huff Hills Ski Patrol for fourteen years. He is currently treasurer for Badlands Conservation Alliance.

Bill knows mental health and addiction based on this personal experience having been in active in recovery since 1990.

Bill has two children and seven grandchildren. His children and their spouses are involved in practicing, or have taught medicine, as a career.

Stephanie Sievert is the Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller for MDU Resources Group, Inc. (MDU).  She earned a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the University of North Dakota. Stephanie is a CPA and worked in public accounting briefly before joining the MDU family of companies where she has held various positions of increasing responsibility over the past 27 years.  In her free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, spending time on the pontoon on the Missouri River, and being active outdoors.