143. Getting Beyond the STP (Same Ten People) in Your Small Town

This is our first-ever LIVE podcast recording! This episode was recorded on the main stage of the 2024 Main Street Summit in Watford City, ND and features guests Pat Bertagnolli of Job Service North Dakota and Mike Knutson of Dakota Resources.

 

When we got asked to host this live show during the summit, we took to the socials—as we do—to ask what our people needed the most help with. Overwhelmingly, the idea of how to get more people involved in making our communities great emerged as the topic, so that’s what this episode is about and we’re so excited for you to hear from these two amazing guests!

 

About Pat:  

A native of Montana, and a North Dakota resident since 2011, Bertagnolli earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Carroll College in Helena in 1990 and has held his certification as a Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources since 2015. Prior to his appointment, Bertagnolli served in a variety of leadership roles in both human resources and operations, and most recently was the Community Enhancement Director in Watford City, ND.

 

Bertagnolli was first appointed to the Workforce Development Council in 2014 by then-Governor Jack Dalrymple. He continues to serve on this council, as well as the State Board for Career and Technical Education, Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Administrative Committee for Veterans Affairs, State Information Technology and Advisory Board, Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems committee, and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.

 

In February of 2022, Governor Doug Burgum appointed Patrick Bertagnolli to serve as the Executive Director of Job Service North Dakota. Job Service North Dakota has a statewide footprint and impacts North Dakota’s workforce through many workforce programs to connect employers and job seekers, through the unemployment insurance program to provide benefits to eligible workers, and through the labor market information department which provides education and insights for informed decision making.

 

About Mike:

Mike facilitates and orchestrates the Dakota Resources Community Learning Network. He also serves as a community coach for rural communities. He has spent 15 plus years working in rural community development. His commitment to rural communities began when he recognized that his own behaviors (i.e. – the lack of community involvement and buying locally) were contributing the decline of his community. Since 2008, Mike has operated his own business, MAK(e) Strategies, working primarily as a facilitator and coach in rural settings. Among his volunteer activities, Mike has served as the chairman of the board for Glacial Lakes Tourism, Dakota Wesleyan University Alumni Association, Rural Schools Collaborative, and Southeast SD Tourism. Mike grew up outside of Hartford, SD, and graduated summa cum laude from Dakota Wesleyan University.

 

In this episode, we cover: 

• Why the “Same Ten People” can be frustrating for people on both sides
• The idea of civic apathy and how it develops
• How to combat civic apathy
• What to do about Gen-Z (hint: they’re not really that different from generations prior)
• How recruiting volunteers goes hand-in-hand with recruiting new community members

Links and Resources Mentioned:

Ben Winchester’s episode: https://www.growingsmalltowns.org/post/episode75

Jeff Sigler’s episode about combating apathy in small towns: https://www.growingsmalltowns.org/post/episode99

Jeff Sigler’s episode about growing communities for humans: https://www.growingsmalltowns.org/post/episode120

Job Service North Dakota: https://www.jobsnd.com/

Dakota Resources: https://dakotaresources.org/