Welcome to the Dragon Community: Mike Vandenberg

Mike Vandenberg is MSUM Foundation’s new Director of Development. In this role, Mike meets potential new donors and cultivates relationships with existing ones.

Q: What drew you to Minnesota State Moorhead?
A: I've worked in higher education since I graduated with my undergraduate degree, so I've been in the field for about 24 years. In 2016, my family and I moved up here to a house close to campus, and I enrolled in graduate school to get my master's degree at MSUM. Walking on campus regularly, there was the thought of pursuing a professional opportunity at MSUM and eventually it happened.

Q: What surprised you about Minnesota State Moorhead?
A: It has been fun to see how much MSUM offers in terms of its education and how the faculty approach their role as a teacher versus how much research they’re doing. During the first four years of college, students have smaller classes with the professors there to teach them.

Q: What's something interesting that you're working on right now?
A: I have a very quirky hobby of railroad photography. My 9-year-old son and I frequently go out on the weekends with our cameras to see what trains they're running by and take pictures. We're hoping that it'll be sunny soon, so we can go out and do more of that.

Q: What's your favorite place to eat in the Fargo-Moorhead area?
A: For a fancier meal I would say Mezzaluna but I really like Rustica.

Q: What would we most likely find you doing on the weekend?
A: If the weather is nice and the sun is out, my son and I will probably be out with our cameras somewhere. My wife and I also like to go to Junkyard Brewing in the summer.

Q: Do you consider yourself a dog person or a cat person, or neither?
A: I adore other people's dogs, but they require a lot of oversight. So, we have a cat at home; he’s very elusive and great. And if we want to go away for the weekend, he has an automatic feeder and water fountain.

Q: What's the best advice you were ever given?
A: Leadership isn't necessarily the title on the business card, or what's in your email signature. Leadership is if you turn around and see people choosing to follow you.

Welcome to the Dragon Community, Mike!