Dickinson businesswoman Kristin Hedger has been appointed to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition North Dakota Advisory Committee.
Hedger, 32, is a vice president at Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, which supplies equipment for military and civilian aircraft.
"Folks who are involved are involved in a number of ways," coalition Communications Director Richard Parker said from Washington, D.C. on Monday, adding they are business and policy leaders.The appointment shows Hedger is a thoughtful leader when it comes to North Dakota's future in exports and security.
"I am honored and humbled to have been asked to take this position, and I look forward to being a part of this organization at this exciting time," Hedger said. "As developing countries advance, it is so beneficial for our businesses, in North Dakota and America, to be able to help them."
The coalition is a network of national security and foreign policy experts and business, religious and community leaders. Members include former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright.
ADVERTISEMENT
The coalition promotes diplomacy and the development of small businesses and markets worldwide as ways to fight terrorism, promote stability and alleviate poverty, according to a press release.
"Our world is growing smaller by the day, and America's influence is just as important as it has ever been," Hedger said. "North Dakota has so much to offer organizations that are focused on advancing America's role in promoting Democracy and open markets."
She recently returned from a fellowship abroad, where she and leaders from other states met with members of parliaments in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Albania and Germany.
The business advisory council that Hedger will be joining is chaired by Chris Policinski, president and chief executive officer of Land O' Lakes Inc., a St. Paul, Minn.-based farmers' cooperative that markets dairy products and agricultural supplies nationwide.
In other news, the National Association of Professional Women recently named Hedger its North Dakota Woman of the Year for 2012-13.
The association, which is based in Garden City, N.Y., is a networking organization that promotes the development and advancement of businesswomen. Its members include executives at Facebook, CNN Worldwide and Saks Inc.
