Dragon Stories

Blackhurst has served as president of Minnesota State University Moorhead since 2014, when she was named its 11^th president. She is now passing the torch onto the new president as she steps into retirement.

Meet Brad Shamla, one of the newest MSUM Foundation Board members. He learned valuable life lessons as co-captain of the Dragon Football team, which helped him throughout his successful career. He looks forward to supporting future generations of MSUM students and playing a role in their success.

This week, construction has started on the upcoming MSUM Foundation’s Alumni Center. Having been decades in the making, the Alumni Center will be complete by late summer in 2024.

The MSUM Foundation is proud to welcome four members to the MSUM Foundation Board. Their terms began July 1, 2022.

Corey Walther, 1993 finance graduate, joined the MSUM Foundation Board in July of 2022. As president of Allianz Financial Services, LLC, he reflects back on his MSUM experience, especially his time as an athlete on the Dragon Track & Field team.

Peter Geib’s family history at MSUM spans generations, and his impact on the university is also a great accomplishment. He has significantly impacted thousands of students as a management professor at MSUM. He hopes to support continuous learning and further his contributions to MSUM as a member of the Foundation Board.

Tara Baltes had a great experience as a student as MSUM, and is excited to give back as a member of the Foundation Board. She’s taken many of the things she’s learned as a Dragon, including the core values of grit, humility, and heart, and used them in her career as talent acquisition specialist at Bell Bank.

Ellen Case worked multiple jobs while taking classes full-time at MSUM. Remembering that struggle, she is passionate about giving back so that students can focus on their educational experience.

When Kevin Hanson walked into Gate City Bank one morning in 1983, he didn’t know if they were hiring. He had graduated with a bachelor’s in finance from MSUM two days prior and opened a phone book just hours before to look for job openings. 

Dragon Pride runs deep for Tim and Kathy Peil. Beyond their legacy in the classroom, the Peils impact students by creating a scholarship and making a planned gift through their estate.

Ashley and Christopher Johnson, Ph.D., MSW, established the Gayel Marie Saude Scholarship Fund in 2022. The scholarship provides up to $2,500 annually to support social work students.

During his 42-year career with The Associated Press, Jeff Baenen covered everything from famous musicians to scandals and politics. He credits much of his success to the education he received at Minnesota State University Moorhead, and is now helping the next generation of journalists by starting a scholarship of his own.