These Are Your Neighbors Dakota Media Access

Episode 33 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Renae Moch.  Renae is the Public Health Director for Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health, an organization that provides vital services to our community.  Renae has been an advocate to ensure everyone in the community gets the services they need no matter where they are at in their life.

Renae Moch, currently serves as the Public Health Director for Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health. In this role, Renae directs the delivery of comprehensive public health programs and services for the City of Bismarck and Burleigh County. She is actively involved in the development of local community health services and collaborates with local health partners to address health and wellness needs in our community.

Renae is board certified in medical practice management (CMPE) and a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives (FACMPE) which is the highest level of distinction in the medical practice management profession. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a minor in Business Communications and an MBA in Healthcare Administration from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND.

Renae has demonstrated her leadership skills through volunteer board service with several non-profit organizations. She currently serves on the board of directors for the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) representing Region 8 at the national level and currently serves as a board member for Dacotah Foundation whose objective is to sustain a community-based mental health system.In addition, she has served as President for the North Dakota Public Health Association (NDPHA), North Dakota Medical Group Management Association (NDMGMA) and served as a board member for Bridging the Dental Gap, a dental clinic for uninsured, underinsured or low-income members of the community.As Public Health Director for Bismarck and Burleigh County, Renae has taken on leadership roles to address community health issues such as opioid and substance abuse, behavioral health and homelessness, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic.

Episode 32 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Jane Link. Jane is the Director of Engagement and Development for Dakota Children's Advocacy Center. Her work in promoting hope, health and healing make her a changemaker in our community.

Jane Link has been the Director of Engagement and Development for the Dakota Children’s Advocacy Center since April 2021. She was born and raised in Bismarck and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2000 with a B.A. in Communications, specializing in Public Relations. Jane has over 15 years of experience in fundraising, advertising and business management. She enjoys helping the DCAC grow by increasing community awareness and support.Jane was the General Manager of the Dakota Wizards, the President of the Bismarck Bobcats, and the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Dacotah Speedway prior to working for DCAC. Janes boys keep her very busy - she has four of them. Her  husband is a Nurse Anesthetist at Sanford Health. She has an adorable 3-year-old golden doodle who loves to cuddle when she finds time to sit on the couch.

Episode 31 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Julie Jeske. Julie is a board member and volunteer for Rebuilding Together, an organization that provides assistance for people who own their own homes but because of physical limitations or income properly maintaining it can become an impossible task. Julie serves in a number of roles that impact our community. 

Julie has been a volunteer with Rebuilding Together since 2018. Currently, she serves on Rebuilding Together’s grant writing, bowling fundraiser  and public relations committees.Julie has been a resident of Bismarck since 2008 and works at Bravera Bank as a private banking officer. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from University of Jamestown and holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Mary. She was elected to the Bismarck Park and Recreation District board of commissioners in 2010 and will complete her fourteenth year on the board in June.

She’s a member of the Bismarck Optimist Club and the current vice president. For the past five years Julie has been involved with Capital City Christmas and chairs the  Breakfast with Santa event. Julie and her husband have three grown children, one adorable granddaughter and two dogs.

She loves to run and has completed 27 marathons – including two Dopey Challenges and one international marathon along with 16 half marathons. She’s also an avid golfer and enjoys tennis, biking, hiking  and pickle ball.

Episode 30 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Jim Barnhardt. Jim is the founder of The Dream Center which offers a variety of programs to those in need in our community.  By providing services that many take for granted, The Dream Center provides Help for Today. Hope for Tomorrow.

Jim is married to Cindy and has 2 grown daughters and a grandson. Jim is a lifelong resident of the Bismarck/Mandan area. He has worked in retail business his entire adult life. Jim considers himself fortunate to have traveled extensively over the years, and firmly believes Bismarck/Mandan is the best place to live. Jim’s story of creating a Dream Center in the city of Bismarck started in 2016, when he woke with a vision for a meal ministry and services to help those in need firmly planted in his mind. After many meetings with community leaders, Jim and Cindy chose to partner with The Banquet in his quest to serve the people of our community. Jim got involved first as a Banquet Board Member  and then served as Banquet Board Chairman. 

In 2019,  Cindy and Jim made a trip to the Dream Center in Los Angeles to confirm Jim’s Dream Center application sent several months earlier. By May, Dream Center Bismarck was officially sanctioned. Fast forward to today, Dream Center Bismarck is a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to “Find a Need & Fill It”. In 2019, the Dream Center Adopt-a-Block program was started in Bismarck and currently serves up to 1,000  households each week. In May of 2021, Jim and Cindy made the commitment to build the new 24,300 square foot Dream Center Bismarck facility  with construction completed in April of 2022.

Today, The Dream Center Bismarck has gone far beyond Jim’s expectations. Tens of thousands of hours of meaningful volunteer opportunities are provided for the community and community needs are being met on a much larger scale than Jim ever anticipated. Jim believes no one should be food insecure, and the low-income people of our community deserve a chance to improve their life. Jim is semi-retired from his retail business and plans to spend the next several years leading Dream Center Bismarck in filling unmet community needs.

Episode 29 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Mandy B. Anderson. Mandy is a life and leadership coach who inspires women daily.

Mandy B. Anderson, a highly skilled Certified Executive Coach and captivating TEDx Speaker, is the brilliant Co-Founder of RAYMA Team™, a renowned life and leadership coaching company. With her invaluable expertise, she played a pivotal role in the development of their groundbreaking leadership curriculum, RAYMA Foundations™, which revolves around the core values of RAYMA: Resilience, Authenticity, a Yes mindset, Motivation, and Assertiveness. This innovative program seamlessly merges the power of effective life coaching techniques with timeless principles of leadership. Born with a life-threatening disease called Cystic Fibrosis, she has devoted her life to turning disappointments into meaningful experiences and overcoming the obstacles life throws at her. In addition to her remarkable achievements, Anderson has also earned the prestigious title of Best-Selling Author for her critically acclaimed book, Dangerous Hope: Planting Something Meaningful in the Soil of Disappointment. This exceptional literary work garnered a 2022 Illumination Book Award, solidifying Anderson's position as a true literary luminary. When she's not transforming lives and inspiring others, Anderson can be found running, biking, or enjoying a steaming cup of coffee while viewing a beautiful sunrise in Mandan, North Dakota, where she resides with her loving husband, Nate, and their adorable goldendoodle, Indigo.

Episode 28 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Megan Carranza. Megan saw a need in the community and founded Carranza Immigration Law. Carranza Law is a high quality law firm dedicated to United States immigration and nationality law. 

Megan Carranza is an immigration attorney who lives and works in Bismarck. She dedicates her law practice exclusively to United States immigration and nationality law.Megan is a graduate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law and the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University.In undergraduate school, Megan majored in Spanish, minored in Latino/Latin American Studies, and studied in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Spain. In 2005, she began working in immigration law as a paralegal. Later, Megan handled immigration-related congressional inquiries for U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp.Last year, Megan founded Carranza Immigration Law to fulfill her dream of providing high-quality immigration legal services in central North Dakota. Part of Megan’s work includes contracting with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota to provide pro bono legal assistance to asylees, refugees, and immigrants in North Dakota.In her free time, Megan enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and three children.