Introduction Pam Gulleson, Deputy State Director, Office of Senator Byron Dorgan Pam Gulleson is Senator Byron Dorgan's Deputy State Director and represents District 26 in the North Dakota House of Representatives. In the House, she is a member of the standing committee on Appropriations and the interim Budget Section, Budget Committee on Government, and Judicial Process. Ms. Gulleson holds a B.S. degree in Education and Dietetics from North Dakota State University and is currently enrolled in a graduate program in Public Administration at Minnesota State University Moorhead. She is involved in numerous professional and civic organizations, including the National Foundation for Women Legislators, the American Association of University Women, the State Line Development Corporation, the Rutland Community Club, Sargent County 4-H, the Sargent County Food Pantry, Farmers Union, the North Dakota Stockmen's Association, and R-Calf. She has also served as an American Center for Young Political Leaders delegate to Thailand, participated in the Fleming Fellow Leadership Program, received the Farm and Ranch Guides Excellence in Programming Award for Youth from the North Dakota Vocational Education Association, and was honored as Legislator of the Year.
Welcome Gerald Groenewold, Director, Energy & Environmental Research Center Dr. Gerald Groenewold is the Director of the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), the primary research entity at the University of North Dakota. As Director, he leads a multidisciplinary science and engineering research team of 266 people who focus on research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of energy and environmental technologies. Since 1987 when he was named Director, the EERC has undergone a total cultural change from a former federal research and development (R&D) facility to a practical, market-driven organization with national and international clientele, emphasizing joint-venture partnerships between government, industry, and the research community. During the past decade, the EERC has had contracts with over 750 clients from 47 countries and 50 states, including many Fortune 500 companies. Under his direction, the EERC, with its long tradition of fossil fuel-related R&D, has broadened its scope to include wind energy; biomass and other alternative fuels; advanced air pollution control technologies, emphasizing air toxics and fine particulates; water management; nuclear weapons site cleanup; the development of state-of-the-art analytical and cleanup techniques for air, soil, and water; energy efficiency; and flood prevention. Dr. Groenewold holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Geology and an M.S. in Geology from UND and a B.S. in Geology from the University of Illinois. He is involved in various professional, economic development, and historical organizations and activities. Since the late 1980s, he has devoted considerable effort to local and regional economic development initiatives.
Keynote Address
The Honorable Byron Dorgan, U.S. Senator
Senator Dorgan was reelected to the U.S. Senate in November 1998 by an overwhelming majority after serving one term in the U.S. Senate and six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1998, then-Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle named Dorgan the Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, the first North Dakotan to ever hold this position or to serve in the democratic leadership. Throughout his career in both the House and Senate, Senator Dorgan has fought for the interests of rural America. He has worked to create jobs and economic opportunity in North Dakota, to establish strong farm policies for family farmers, and to demand fairer trade policies. He has fought to ensure that rural areas have access to cutting-edge technology. Dorgan has been a leader in the fight for sensible spending reductions and responsible government by cutting government waste and fighting for a balanced budget amendment while protecting our most important priorities.
Admiral Richard Truly, Director, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Admiral Richard Truly is the Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He is also the Executive Vice President of the Midwest Research Institute. NREL is the country's premier facility for the research, development, and deployment of energy from the sun, the wind, and plant life. Prior to joining NREL, Truly was Vice President of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Truly served as NASA's eighth Administrator under President Bush from 1989-1992, and his career in aviation and space programs of the U.S. Navy and NASA spanned 35 years. He retired as a Vice Admiral after a Navy career of more than 30 years. Truly's astronaut career included work in the Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory program and NASA's Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs.
Luncheon Speakers The Honorable John Hoeven, Governor, State of North Dakota John Hoeven was sworn in as North Dakota's 31st Governor on December 15, 2000. He is working to build North Dakota's future focusing on six pillars: excellence in education, economic development, agriculture, energy, technology, and quality of life. Since his election, Governor Hoeven has pushed for increased investments in education including increases in teacher salaries, funding for training, technology, and a partnership with the North Dakota University System to create Centers of Excellence, which will advance research and development at universities and link students to higher-paying jobs. In the 2003 Legislative Session, Governor Hoeven worked closely with the Legislature to pass his Smart Growth initiatives, improve North Dakota's business climate, promote tourism, continue growth in technology, and provide an additional $36 million for K-12 education funding. Making good on his campaign pledge, he has advanced his agenda without a general tax increase and with a number of tax credit programs to stimulate economic growth. Governor Hoeven serves as Chair of the National Governors' Association Health and Human Services Committee and the Midwestern Governors' Conference. He previously served as Chair of the National Governors' Association Natural Resources Committee, the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and the Governors' Ethanol Coalition. Governor Hoeven earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and a master's degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University. He served as Executive Vice President of First Western Bank in Minot from 1986 to 1993. From 1993 to 2000, he served as President and CEO of the Bank of North Dakota, which grew from $900 million to $1.6 billion.
The Honorable Earl Pomeroy, U.S. House of Representatives Earl Pomeroy was first elected in 1992 as North Dakota's only Member of the House of Representatives, and in the 10 years since then, he has emerged in Congress as a substantive leader with common-sense solutions for everyday problems. Congressman Pomeroy's leadership and hard work won him a spot on the powerful Ways and Means Committee in the 107th Congress. His bipartisan and objective analysis of issues has been valuable to this Committee, which is charged with key policy decisions on tax, trade, Social Security, and Medicare issues. In 2002, he was named the Ranking Member, the most senior Democrat, of the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee. At the beginning of the 108th Congress, he was elected Cochair of the bipartisan Rural Health Care Coalition, where he will be working for a more equitable system for Medicare reimbursements. This year, Congressman Pomeroy became the only Democrat on Ways and Means to be awarded with a second committee slot. He will serve on the House Agriculture Committee, where he served during his first four terms. A focus on rural and agricultural concerns makes Congressman Pomeroy one of the most respected advocates for family farmers and ranchers in the House. He has been an effective leader for the improvement of the federal crop insurance program and for providing a safety net to protect farmers when prices collapse. This Congress, he will continue to focus on opening new markets for our surplus commodities and reducing the tax burden on family farmers. Another of Congressman Pomeroy's primary legislative priorities for families is helping more middle-income Americans save for retirement. His expertise on Social Security and related issues is an important asset on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security and the House Democratic Social Security Task Force, where he serves as Cochair. Congressman Pomeroy earned his B.A. in Political Science and his law degree from the University of North Dakota.
Pam Gulleson is Senator Byron Dorgan's Deputy State Director and represents District 26 in the North Dakota House of Representatives. In the House, she is a member of the standing committee on Appropriations and the interim Budget Section, Budget Committee on Government, and Judicial Process. Ms. Gulleson holds a B.S. degree in Education and Dietetics from North Dakota State University and is currently enrolled in a graduate program in Public Administration at Minnesota State University Moorhead. She is involved in numerous professional and civic organizations, including the National Foundation for Women Legislators, the American Association of University Women, the State Line Development Corporation, the Rutland Community Club, Sargent County 4-H, the Sargent County Food Pantry, Farmers Union, the North Dakota Stockmen's Association, and R-Calf. She has also served as an American Center for Young Political Leaders delegate to Thailand, participated in the Fleming Fellow Leadership Program, received the Farm and Ranch Guides Excellence in Programming Award for Youth from the North Dakota Vocational Education Association, and was honored as Legislator of the Year.
Dr. Gerald Groenewold is the Director of the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), the primary research entity at the University of North Dakota. As Director, he leads a multidisciplinary science and engineering research team of 266 people who focus on research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of energy and environmental technologies. Since 1987 when he was named Director, the EERC has undergone a total cultural change from a former federal research and development (R&D) facility to a practical, market-driven organization with national and international clientele, emphasizing joint-venture partnerships between government, industry, and the research community. During the past decade, the EERC has had contracts with over 750 clients from 47 countries and 50 states, including many Fortune 500 companies. Under his direction, the EERC, with its long tradition of fossil fuel-related R&D, has broadened its scope to include wind energy; biomass and other alternative fuels; advanced air pollution control technologies, emphasizing air toxics and fine particulates; water management; nuclear weapons site cleanup; the development of state-of-the-art analytical and cleanup techniques for air, soil, and water; energy efficiency; and flood prevention. Dr. Groenewold holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Geology and an M.S. in Geology from UND and a B.S. in Geology from the University of Illinois. He is involved in various professional, economic development, and historical organizations and activities. Since the late 1980s, he has devoted considerable effort to local and regional economic development initiatives.
Admiral Richard Truly is the Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He is also the Executive Vice President of the Midwest Research Institute. NREL is the country's premier facility for the research, development, and deployment of energy from the sun, the wind, and plant life. Prior to joining NREL, Truly was Vice President of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Truly served as NASA's eighth Administrator under President Bush from 1989-1992, and his career in aviation and space programs of the U.S. Navy and NASA spanned 35 years. He retired as a Vice Admiral after a Navy career of more than 30 years. Truly's astronaut career included work in the Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory program and NASA's Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs.
John Hoeven was sworn in as North Dakota's 31st Governor on December 15, 2000. He is working to build North Dakota's future focusing on six pillars: excellence in education, economic development, agriculture, energy, technology, and quality of life. Since his election, Governor Hoeven has pushed for increased investments in education including increases in teacher salaries, funding for training, technology, and a partnership with the North Dakota University System to create Centers of Excellence, which will advance research and development at universities and link students to higher-paying jobs. In the 2003 Legislative Session, Governor Hoeven worked closely with the Legislature to pass his Smart Growth initiatives, improve North Dakota's business climate, promote tourism, continue growth in technology, and provide an additional $36 million for K-12 education funding. Making good on his campaign pledge, he has advanced his agenda without a general tax increase and with a number of tax credit programs to stimulate economic growth. Governor Hoeven serves as Chair of the National Governors' Association Health and Human Services Committee and the Midwestern Governors' Conference. He previously served as Chair of the National Governors' Association Natural Resources Committee, the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, and the Governors' Ethanol Coalition. Governor Hoeven earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and a master's degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University. He served as Executive Vice President of First Western Bank in Minot from 1986 to 1993. From 1993 to 2000, he served as President and CEO of the Bank of North Dakota, which grew from $900 million to $1.6 billion.
Earl Pomeroy was first elected in 1992 as North Dakota's only Member of the House of Representatives, and in the 10 years since then, he has emerged in Congress as a substantive leader with common-sense solutions for everyday problems. Congressman Pomeroy's leadership and hard work won him a spot on the powerful Ways and Means Committee in the 107th Congress. His bipartisan and objective analysis of issues has been valuable to this Committee, which is charged with key policy decisions on tax, trade, Social Security, and Medicare issues. In 2002, he was named the Ranking Member, the most senior Democrat, of the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee. At the beginning of the 108th Congress, he was elected Cochair of the bipartisan Rural Health Care Coalition, where he will be working for a more equitable system for Medicare reimbursements. This year, Congressman Pomeroy became the only Democrat on Ways and Means to be awarded with a second committee slot. He will serve on the House Agriculture Committee, where he served during his first four terms. A focus on rural and agricultural concerns makes Congressman Pomeroy one of the most respected advocates for family farmers and ranchers in the House. He has been an effective leader for the improvement of the federal crop insurance program and for providing a safety net to protect farmers when prices collapse. This Congress, he will continue to focus on opening new markets for our surplus commodities and reducing the tax burden on family farmers. Another of Congressman Pomeroy's primary legislative priorities for families is helping more middle-income Americans save for retirement. His expertise on Social Security and related issues is an important asset on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security and the House Democratic Social Security Task Force, where he serves as Cochair. Congressman Pomeroy earned his B.A. in Political Science and his law degree from the University of North Dakota.