Sarah Johnson, CPTD, President 
Talent Development Specialist, ELO CPAs & Advisors 

Sarah has worked in the field of Learning & Development for 10 years. She is passionate about helping people learn & grow. In her current role, Sarah works with onboarding new hires, she developed, launched, and oversees the mentor program, and she works with leadership of the firm to streamline processes and procedures. She has also designed and implemented various soft skills training courses.  In her spare time, she keeps busy by teaching yoga classes at her own studio: Be You Yoga, and spending time with her husband and children. In 2021, she earned the credential of CPTD. 

Braden Ashworth, VP of Finance
Support and Training Coordinator - American Federal Bank

Hello there! My name is Braden and I have been in the banking world since 2008. My career started in downtown Minneapolis shortly after college with Wells Fargo. I then transitioned over to US Bank where I spent 7 years as a Branch Manager and Commercial Business Specialist. In December of 2021 I made my way over to American Federal Bank as a Support and Training Coordinator. I spend my days offering internal Associate support along with training development and delivery.

I enjoy what I do very much and look forward to training for many years to come. I live in North Moorhead with my wife Kylie, and our three children Taran, Rowan, and Beckett. We have two delightful dogs Belle, and Sonny.

Additional activities include Playing in an acoustic duo with my wife called “Lonely Pines”, drumming for various local acts, and attempting to play golf. My family and I are also avid campers and love to travel and visit new places.

Jodi Stende, CPTD, VP Communications and Marketing

Organizational Learning Manager - SOLV Energy

With extensive experience in organizational learning strategy and instructional design, Jodi is passionate about driving growth and success for her current organization and others through her involvement with North Dakota ATD. In her current role, she provides strategic and operational support for designing and implementing key training initiatives. Jodi thrives on collaborating with teams across the enterprise to identify training needs, develop effective learning programs, and ensure alignment with organizational goals. She is dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous learning and development, and she consistently provides metrics to demonstrate how training solutions support organizational objectives.

Angela Jallo, VP of Programming Administration
Learning & Development Specialist – Goldmark

Angela brings over 15 years of expertise in Learning and Development, specializing in software and technology training. She excels in optimizing systems, managing enterprise-wide implementations, and administering Learning and Content Management Systems to deliver impactful training programs. Angela supports key initiatives like onboarding, sales development, e-learning, and instructor-led training, driving organizational growth.

Outside of work, she enjoys time with loved ones, exploring documentaries, reading, and striving not to kill her plants.

Katie Larson, VP Programming Recruitment
Organizational Development Manager - TrueNorth Steel

Katie has been employed with TrueNorth Steel since 2015 in various roles and currently serves as their Organizational Development Manager.  Her main role is to continuously improve their internal people processes, along with creating and facilitating leadership development opportunities. With her experience at TrueNorth Steel in the Safety and Quality departments she works closely with those departments in an effort to ensure an accurate database of training records are maintained to meet external Quality and OSHA standards. She holds certifications such as OSHA 10 General Industry, Certified DiSC Practitioner, and ASQ Certified Quality Improvement Associate.

Brent Johnson, VP Special Programs
Director of Advancement Services - Concordia College

Brent has almost a decade of experience working in a higher education setting, specifically at Concordia College. While at Concordia, Brent has worked across multiple functions, including student development, leadership, involvement, campus programming, conferences and events, and most recently, started in his current role as the Director of Advancement Services.

Prior to joining the Advancement team at Concordia, Brent spent 2 years at WEX leading a team of trainers focused on supporting new hire onboarding, upskilling, and cross-training across mostly call center, service, and operations roles. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family, cooking, playing guitar, running, being outdoors, and watching Twins Baseball.

Brandy Rodine, Board Member at Large - Fargo Area 
Training and Development Specialist - Midland Garage Door 

Brandy is passionate about learning and empowering individuals to continue growing and developing. As an instructional designer and facilitator, she is responsible for creating innovative training programs that drive organizational success. With a focus on problem-solving, Brandy works to identify the root causes of challenges and develop strategic solutions that benefit both the organization and its employees. Her expertise includes developing and delivering course content in leadership, company culture, and onboarding processes. Her experience includes learning management systems, virtual and in-person training, facilitation, and instructional design. She also enjoys connecting with employees and learning about their journeys and goals. Brandy finds fulfillment in fostering a positive, supportive learning environment that promotes personal and professional growth. In her personal time, Brandy enjoys spending time with family, being outside, golfing, and reading.

Elizabeth Barton, Board Member at Large - Fargo Area 
Talent Development Consultant - Noridian 

Elizabeth Barton is proud of her 26-year career at Noridian where she has gained experience with customer service, technology, and training. She spearheaded the implementation of their first Learning Management System as well as implementation of their current website Content Management System. Most of her career was focused on public-facing education through webinars, mailings, and the creation of job aids. With her transition in February 2023 to the Talent Development team, she’s enjoying being immersed in an internal training culture where she supports the company onboarding program, eLearning, and Instructor Led Training.  

Sara Madsen, Past President

Instructional Designer - Border States

Sara loves empowering others to grow. She would like nothing more than to visit with others about their talent, skills and career aspirations and then lead them on a path to success. At a company with a nationwide footprint that means partnering with the business to provide professional and essential skill curriculums with online learning as well as virtual and classroom opportunities. She has never really thought of herself as a techy sort of person, but she is! Sara uses technology tools to engage remote audiences in learning. Sara knows that being a board member for ATD ND is a fantastic opportunity to share what she knows and learn from all of you too.