エピソード

  • TAYN Ep. 79 - Molly McLain

    TAYN Ep. 79 - Molly McLain
    2026/04/21
    Molly McLain is an artist, educator, and advocate originally from Valley City, ND.She has worked in the arts, public policy,national and statewide political campaigns, and with non-profits. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts and a Minor inPiano Pedagogy from Valley City State University with an emphasis in psychology fromthe University of Montana at Missoula.
    For a time, she served as the Executive Director for Dakota West Arts Council (DWAC).

    Molly worked with farmers and ranchers in the Western and Central part of the state forseveral years where she advocated for family farm agriculture and vibrant rural andurban North Dakota communities. She has championed campaigns for healthcareaccess, access to local foods, and solid farm policy that benefit family farm agricultureas a statewide field director and organizational coordinator. She spent part of a decadecreatively activating volunteers for campaigns and engaging disenchanted anddisengaged voters.

    Molly studied under public artists, mosaicists, and muralists for several years whileliving in Twin Cities neighborhoods creating public art and community gardens. Shepractices public art making in North Dakota through the community polytab muralmethod and mosaics and is diligently learning the Norwegian folk art of Rosemaling. She has been a recipient of the North Dakota Council on the Arts Traditional Folk Arts Apprenticeship on three occasions and spent a month in Sweden studying Swedish folk flowers through a grant from theAmerican Scandinavian Foundation.

    Currently she runs an arts and consulting business called PlainsCraft and works withagencies specializing in creative community engagement, and public arts curation. She co-manages a farm and ranch business with her siblings, and recently became aCertified Farm Succession Coordinator.Molly has been a practicing, teaching, exhibiting, and public artist and advocate for the last 20 years. She is passionate about creative placemaking through performing and public art as well as pollinator habitats, local food systems, and sound farm policy. She serves on various boards and commits to volunteer for a number of local causes. Molly finds purpose in creative collaboration that furthers sense of community withingenuity and vision. She has a love for her family, kind people, the prairie, folk art andculture, the prairie ecosystem, Midwestern “Salads”, hotdish, and cuisine, and a goodjoke.
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    32 分
  • TAYN Ep. 78 - Thomas Lawler

    TAYN Ep. 78 - Thomas Lawler
    2026/03/24
    Thomas Lawler is the Director of the Lottery Division with more than 23 years of service in the North Dakota Army National Guard, including 21 years on active duty. Throughout his career, he’s held a variety of leadership roles in readiness, aviation operations, human resources, training, and logistics, most recently as a Readiness NCO and Senior Aviation Operations Specialist with Detachment 42.

    In addition to his military service, Thomas taught human resource management and business research and writing as an adjunct instructor at the University of Mary from 2020 to 2024. He earned both his MBA and bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Mary.Raised on a farm near Linton, North Dakota, Lawler values hard work and time outdoors.

    When he’s not working, he enjoys hunting, especially bow hunting, for the patience, focus, and chance to slow down. He and his wife, Jaime, live in North Dakota.
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    33 分
  • TAYN Ep. 77 - Julie Horntvedt

    TAYN Ep. 77 - Julie Horntvedt
    2026/03/10
    Julie Horntvedt has served as the Executive Director of the North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities for the past nine years. In this leadership role, she is responsible for the overall strategic direction, administration, and daily operations of the Council, a 23-member body appointed by the Governor to advocate for system change and promote inclusion and independence for individuals with developmental disabilities across the state.

    Julie provides executive oversight for the Council's federally mandated initiatives, including the development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive five-year State Plan. She is responsible for authoring the Council's annual federal performance report and work plan, ensuring alignment with both state and federal priorities under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. As a key liaison between the Council, state and federal policymakers, Julie works collaboratively with public agencies, advocacy organizations, and community stakeholders to advance policies and practices that improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities. She has a strong focus on capacity building, interagency collaboration, and community engagement.

    Julie also serves in several appointed and elected capacities that support cross-system advocacy and coordination. She is a member of the North Dakota Olmstead Commission, the Comm unit of Practice for Secondary Transition, Bismarck-Mandan Transit, and the North Dakota Cross Disability Advisory Council. She currently chairs the North Dakota Disability Advocacy Consortium and serves on the board of Uspire ND, contributing to statewide initiatives focused on accessibility, equity, and inclusive education and employment outcomes.
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    31 分
  • TAYN Ep. 76 - Morgan Turner

    TAYN Ep. 76 - Morgan Turner
    2026/02/24
    Morgan Turner is an LCAC (Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor) and Clinical Supervisor practicing in Bismarck, ND. She is currently in her 11th year of counseling. She earned her Bachelors degree through Minot State University. She completed her 1400 training hours through the Missouri Valley Training Consortium and started her career at the Bismarck Transition Center (and for 6 years to follow) then to the Heartview Foundation from 2020 to mid 2025.

    Throughout her career, she has worked in many areas of addiction, to include evaluations, group therapy, individuals, grief therapy, trauma informed care, client centered therapy and now focusing on women specific treatment.

    Morgan’s drive to help women in addiction and focus on women with children only grew stronger when she had children of her own. Her priority became working to reunite the family unit, starting with mothers. Her opportunity came in June 2025 to use her passion and expertise to help exactly this group of women and children will at the New Freedom Family Center. This opened just a few short months ago in September 2025.

    The New Freedom Family Center focuses on parenting moms, mothers working within the foster care/CPS and pregnant mothers that are residential appropriate. There is a daycare provider on site for children 5 and under if children are currently with mom, allowing them to receive treatment during the day and work back into structure, regimen and routine in the evening. For those children within the CPS system, NFFC works to encourage unique visitation outside just a room in a center as well as when appropriate, overnight trials with those children, as a transition back into their parenting.

    For the pregnant mothers, NFFC works to establish them with proper prenatal care, with a team onsite every other week to complete these visits as well as prescribe medications as needed for common medical needs. Further, are partnered with a behavioral health doctor, Geri Wolf, who is on site weekly and visits with most all women individually to aid mental health components, as they are willing.
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    33 分
  • TAYN Ep. 75 - Chad Oban

    TAYN Ep. 75 - Chad Oban
    2026/02/12
    34 分
  • TAYN Ep. - 74 Amanda Peterson

    TAYN Ep. - 74 Amanda Peterson
    2026/01/27
    Amanda Peterson serves as the Director of Educational Improvement and Support at the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI), where she leads and supports a wide range of statewide initiatives. With expertise in strategic planning, data analysis, resource allocation, and individualized instruction, Amanda helps districts navigate the evolving needs of diverse learners.

    She serves as the Federal Liaison, oversees the state’s accountability process, and directs improvement efforts for underperforming schools. Amanda also manages several federal programs, including Title I, Title IV, and Homeless Education, and partners with agencies statewide to promote continuous and system-wide improvement. Prior to joining the NDDPI team, Amanda completed her master’s degree in school administration at the University of Mary and has served as an English teacher, instructional coach, and dean of students. She is also serving as a school board member for Bismarck Public Schools.
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    31 分
  • TAYN Ep. 73 - Mike Chaussee

    TAYN Ep. 73 - Mike Chaussee
    2026/01/13
    Mike Chaussee. Mike’s top values are Freedom, Thoughtful Action, and Play. Not necessarily in that order. He tries to work those values into everything he does, including at his current job, which is as Executive Director for a non-profit called North Dakota Assistive. He’s been there about six years and loves the fact he gets to help people across the state discover freedom and play by finding solutions to some of the challenges they face. He helped define the organization’s current vision, to “Put Assistive Technology in Reach of Every North Dakotan.”

    He believes everyone needs to know about assistive technology’s benefits because even if they don’t need or want it now, if they’re lucky enough to live a long life, they will at some point benefit from assistive devices.

    His present and future were shaped by a North Dakota upbringing, a master’s level education,stints in broadcast journalism and higher education professorhood, and a family he can’t bemore proud of.
    He likes to ask and answer questions. That likely comes from being a journalist and teacher.
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    33 分
  • TAYN Ep. 72 - Kalen Ost

    TAYN Ep. 72 - Kalen Ost
    2025/12/30
    Kalen Ost is a seasoned communicator with a passion for crafting compelling narratives that drive engagement, build trust, and support organizational goals. With a strong foundation in content development and stakeholder engagement while delving more into strategic communications, Kalen brings a thoughtful and creative approach to projects. Throughout a career spanning journalism, marketing and now government communications sectors, he helps teams translate complex ideas into accessible communications. Known for his collaborative spirit and attention to detail, Kalen excels at aligning messaging with mission—whether through internal communications, public relations, or digital content strategy.

    In his current role, Kalen partners closely with leadership and cross-functional teams to develop communication plans that support significant initiatives, enhance employee experience, and strengthen organizational identity. His work often includes writing executive messaging, managing multi-channel campaigns, and advising on tone, voice, and brand consistency.

    A graduate of MPCG, Kalen received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Writing from Dickinson State University, before working for The Dickinson Press, the Jamestown Sun, the Anne Carlsen Center, Dakota Staffing, the Farm and Ranch Guide, Bis-Man Transit, and the City of Bismarck in a variety of capacities. Outside of work, Kalen enjoys getting lost in the storytelling of others, whether that be in a movie, video game, Reddit rabbit hole, or book.
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    34 分