Kim Hennessey, Tammy Sogard and Jon Ellefson have taken their spots on the board, along with President Jerry Zunich, Vice President Duane DeMars, Secretary/Treasurer Pete Furuseth, and members at large Dr. Brett Vibeto, Jerry Gratz, Bruce Stoner, Charlotte Schilke and Dean Aafedt. The new members are taking the places of termed-out board members Ken Heen, Donn Hoffelt and Greg Everson.

Each foundation board member serves a three-year term, and is eligible to fill three consecutive terms, according to Williston State College Foundation Executive Director Terry Olson.

"The members who went off the board did a great deal on the board - nine years is a fairly extensive term, but their dedication to the foundation was very much appreciated," Olson said.

Hennessey, a graduate of Williston High School and an alumnus of UND-Williston (now WSC), played two years of basketball and two years of volleyball at UND-W, then went on to Carroll College in Helena, Mont., where she earned a degree in medical record administration. She has been employed for the past 30 years as a petroleum land man with Diamond Resources. Along with her teammates, she was one of the first inductees into the WSC Hall of Fame.

She and her husband, Patrick, have three children, Amanda, who is a student at the University of Mary and is on the volleyball team; Rachel, who plays club hockey in Grand Rapids, Minn., and attends college part-time; and James, also a WSC alumni and member of the Teton Basketball team. He is currently employed with Diamond Resources.

"I didn't really know what to expect when I was asked to be a board member," Hennessey said. "I will be feeling it out and getting more and more involved, and hopefully we can make a difference."

Ellefson, also a native of Williston and a 1973 graduate of UND-Williston, is employed by Border States Electric, where he has worked for 28 years. He and his wife, Wendy, have a daughter, Melissa.

He's spent his first few board meetings getting caught up on the Board and all it does. "I've mainly been getting educated about the board," he said. "I never realized all the things that they do. I'm looking forward to the time on the board. I think it's going to be very interesting."

Sogard, also a native of Williston, is a graduate of WHS and UND in Grand Forks with a degree in banking and finance. She worked for IDS Financial Services in Minneapolis until 1982, and then moved to Grand Forks until 1997 after her marriage to Pat Sogard. They returned to Williston in 1997 and she was named to the board of directors at American State Bank & Trust, a position she still holds. She and her husband have four children in the Williston school system.

"I'm excited that they asked me to serve on the foundation board," she said. "I think it will be a lot of fun. I've seen the other board members around the community and now I'll get to know them in a whole new way."

"Collectively, we have a very engaged board," Olson said. "Our new board members all have two prominent qualities - they care very much about Williston State and they are willing to support that endeavor and I look forward to working with them."