Kari Reichert | North Dakota Business Watch

Kari Reichert?s vice president duties include managing a seven-person division that attends to the recruiting, promoting, wellness, continuing education, career coaching and salary and benefit plan strategies for more than 920 employees in four campus locations across the country.

Age: 33

Position: Vice President of People Services at National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC)

Family: Son: Harry, 6; parents: Carl and Audrey Cooper; brother and family: Justin, Holly, Andrew and Aaron Cooper.

Hobbies: I enjoy travel, reading, spending time with friends and family, cooking, old movies, playing the piano, board games and pretty much anything and everything that gets me into the great outdoors.

Community involvement: I serve as the NISC Campaign Manager for United Way. In the past, I have been involved with the Big Muddy Bar Association, Bismarck Mandan Young Professionals, and Leadership Bismarck Mandan.

Career path: I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2001 with a bachelor?s degree in economics and political science. In 2004, I earned a juris doctorate degree from Yale Law School. During law school, I spent one summer working for the Hennepin County Public Defender?s Office and another at large law firm in Denver. Following graduation from law school, I returned to North Dakota as an attorney at the Vogel Law Firm, in both the Fargo and Bismarck offices, spending about five years in private practice. In 2009, I joined NISC as Assistant General Counsel and last year, I assumed the role of Vice President of People Services (Human Resources).

Mentors: I have had several mentors from my parents to my professors to attorneys with whom I have worked. One of my most important mentors has been my uncle, Leonardo Castro, an attorney, former public defender, and newly-appointed judge. His passion for and commitment to the law, justice and fundamental rights helped to frame my beliefs about the role of the legal profession in our society and culture. He has been both a counselor and a role model, and helped me understand that you simply must believe in and find meaning in the work you do.

Briefly, tell us about yourself: I was born and raised in western North Dakota by wonderful parents who taught me to be independent, highly resourceful and adventuresome, yet responsible, kind, humble, and firmly grounded in the core values of my faith. And although I loved North Dakota and appreciated my upbringing here, it took some time outside the state for me to really know this was where I wanted to be. After a year in Tucson, a few more in Minneapolis, another three in Connecticut, and a short stint in Denver, it became very clear I needed to be close to my family and I needed open spaces. Although a choice always represents a trade-off, I haven?t looked back. I moved to Bismarck a few years ago and have since established great relationships, a career I couldn?t be happier with, and a home and future for my son.

What motivates you? Sunshine and fresh air. Possibility. Gratitude. In the workplace, it?s service to others and the opportunity to contribute and be part of something bigger than I could accomplish alone. NISC is a cooperative business, created and owned by the members we serve, and I feel very much at home ? and motivated ? working in that environment.

Challenges in your career path: I believe the greatest challenges yield the greatest reward and satisfaction. The transition from private practice, where I had done a wide variety of civil litigation, to house counsel at a technology company, of which I knew relatively little, was an exciting challenge. I had always enjoyed learning about the business of each of my clients, but coming in house, I had the opportunity to serve a single client and to really begin to understand the work of the organization and to identify with its purpose and values as an employee. After I had been with NISC for about a year and a half, I moved into People Services, which has been a significant challenge and responsibility, demanding more of me than has been previously in my career and requiring me to gain a whole new understanding of the company and its people. Fortunately, I work with a very bright and supportive team ? my colleagues and boss are some of the most talented individuals I have met in my career, and it?s a privilege to work with them and for an organization like NISC.

What?s the biggest risk you?ve ever taken? I am generally risk averse, so they are all calculated, but there have been a couple big ones. When I finished law school, the market was good and the opportunities to live and work in any number of places seemed limitless. When I decided to return to North Dakota, I knew I was turning down certain opportunities and experiences that I probably wouldn?t have again, so it felt like a fairly significant risk. However, I quickly learned that the sophistication of the work and the caliber of my colleagues in the legal profession here matched what I might have found elsewhere, and the quality of life in North Dakota could not be matched. Plus, we do have airports. Later, I took another risk when I left a traditional legal career to go in house. I had invested so much into my legal education and training, I enjoyed the work I was doing, and I still had plenty of potential for growth, so a transitioning to an in house position felt like a significant step away from what I had spent years working towards. But the biggest risk probably came with my move into human resources, a role that has imposed very different challenges on me professionally ? requiring a different skill set to meet ? and a significant responsibility to the organization and its employees. At the same time, it has given me the opportunity to grow in new and unexpected ways.

Anything of which you?re particularly proud? I?m proud that I have been able to manage both a career and a family. I read a thought provoking article recently that suggests women can?t have it all ? that is, both a successful career in a position of significant responsibility and a strong family life, or at least it can?t be done without changes to our workplace culture. While the author certainly has insightful comments about the pressures for educated and motivated women, I think it?s up to the individual to set the course and draw the lines. It is a daily struggle to maintain work-life balance, and I can?t say I?ve done it perfectly, but I am firmly committed to maintaining a career while also prioritizing my son and believe I have had some success.

What advice would you offer other young professionals? Seize every opportunity you can to learn something new and experience something different, even when (or especially when) it?s uncomfortable. I would also share something my grandmother once said, and perhaps the simplest and truest advice I have ever received: ?The most important thing is that you?re a nice girl.? Her words evoke a similar sentiment that our CEO often uses to describe our philosophy at NISC: ?Do the right thing ? always.? In other words, you will always be well served by acting with respect and integrity and treating others as you would be treated.

For what are you thankful? I am thankful for each day, plain and simple. Of course, life can be stressful and hectic, and that?s where Harry steps in. He keeps me grounded and focused on being thankful for each and every day. He reminds me to slow down and take a deep breath, to contemplate life and my surroundings with curiosity and humility, and to count those many blessings that might be easily taken for granted, namely, my family and friends, my health, my education and nature.

What do you see yourself doing in 10 years? I couldn?t ask to work for a better company. The mission, people, and culture of NISC provide me with a meaningful career, and the work challenges me each day. If I am working at NISC and continuing to do all I can to make it the best possible place to work for its employees, I will consider myself successful (not to mention lucky). Of course, I will never rule out the possibility of pursuing further education and degrees.

Source: http://www.ndbusinesswatch.com/business-news/kari-reichert/

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