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UMVRDC Staff

Administrative Staff
	Dawn Hegland – Executive DirectorI have a Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude degree in Biology, Environmental Science, and Secondary Education from Concordia College in Moorhead. I have been with the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission since 1994 and have worked with several program areas including community development, economic development, natural resources, transportation and tourism development.Appointed as Executive Director in 2008, I continue to work on new initiatives throughout the region as requested by the RDC’s governing board. Some of the recent projects include renewable energy, local food development, bike trails, parks, telecommunication, entrepreneurship, and community revitalization. I live along the Minnesota River in beautiful Lac qui Parle County on the family farm with my husband Ed and three children: Grace (9), Evan (7), and Elias (4). We love to travel, hike, garden, cook, golf, play music and camp.

Planning Staff
	Jacki Anderson – Community Development Senior Planner I was born and raised in Willmar and went to college in St. Cloud where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development and a Master of Science in Mass Communications.I began working for the UMVRDC in April 2007. After commuting for nearly two years my husband and I purchased our first home in Appleton.In my role as a Senior Community & Economic Development Planner at the UMVRDC, I am the primary staff person for all matters related to the UMVRDC’s contract with the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) for planning and revolving loan fund administration. Along with EDA activities I actively work with communities on planning and technical assistance such as strategic planning, grant writing and the development and writing of comprehensive plans.
	Kristi Fernholz - Community Development Senior Planner I first started at the UMVRDC in 2000. I currently work in our office part-time as a tourism planner and coordinate several programs including Western Minnesota Prairie Waters Regional Tourism, the Minnesota River Valley National Scenic Byway and the Meander Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl. Through my years at the UMVRDC, I have worked on a variety of projects including grant management, hazard mitigation planning, and comprehensive planning.Originally from Milan, I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. I live on a small farm near Appleton with my husband Brad (originally from Madison) and two children. I value growing up in our area and enjoy incorporating my creative skills and photographic expertise with my projects.
	Jenifer Fadness – Communications/Planner Hello! My name is Jenifer Fadness. I have been working at the UMVRDC since January 2009 as communications/planner assistant, and I work on things like the RDC newsletter, website, and annual report. I also assist Kristi Fernholz in our tourism programs. I was born and raised in Southwest Minnesota, have a Bachelor of Science degree in graphic design, and spent over ten years living and working in the Twin Cities as a graphic designer, primarily in corporate communications and freelance. I decided to return to rural Minnesota and recently bought a home in Appleton. Thanks for taking a look at our website. If you have any feedback about the website, click on my name (above) and send me an email!
Financial Staff
	Arlene Tilbury - Financial DirectorI have served as the financial officer for the UMVRDC since April of 1993. I was born, raised and continue to live in rural Marietta. In addition to managing the fiscal needs of the organization, I have also assisted several communities by providing fiscal agent assistance as well assisting in grants administration services. Over the past several years UMVRDC staff has administered in excess of 25 million dollars for the local units of government within our region. We work closely with State and Federal agencies (DNR, DEED, HUD, RDA, etc.) to assure compliance with all rules, regulations and reporting requirements.
	Barb Jordahl – Financial PlannerI grew up on a farm east of Dawson and graduated from Dawson High School. My husband, a retired science teacher in Montevideo, grew up in Dawson and also graduated from Dawson High School. We have now lived on our farm northwest of Montevideo since 1979 when we moved back to this area so our children could be near their grandparents. Our son, Chad, graduated from Milan High School and now lives and works in Benson; and our daughter, Amy, graduated from Montevideo High School and now lives in Montevideo and works in Morris. I started working at the UMVRDC in January 1999 as a financial assistant and grant administrator. As a grant administrator, I assist with the special conditions and requirements of grants awarded to cities in our region from the Department of Employment and Economic Development for housing and commercial rehabilitation or infrastructure projects. I also assist other agencies such as The Department of Natural Resources and Housing and Urban Development when additional state or federal funding is provided to cities for these projects.