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Meet Us

Cathy Lindquist

Cathy Lindquist, executive director of NW & WC MN SBDC, consults in the areas of strategic planning, project management, and marketing of small businesses. She holds an MBA with a concentration in Business Management from University of St. Thomas and has been working as a consultant for small businesses since 2009. Before that, she spent much of her time as an Innovation Strategic Development & Planning Manager and Product Category Director for Schwan Food Company. Cathy is detail minded and has a positive and energetic attitude. She always looks for proactive solutions, even when working with restricted budgets.

Jaimee Meyer

Amanda Nygaard

Amanda Nygaard, program coordinator, consults on business plan development and start-up assistance, and also has strong technology skills. In addition, Amanda ensures each client is ‘matched’ to the consultant that can best assist in the client’s success.  After graduating from Concordia College with a degree in Business and Organizational Communications, she spent time as a personal banker, accounting assistant, and then became Customer Healthcare Account Manager for SEI/Microsoft in Fargo.

Forest "Skip" Carpenter

Matt Magness

Matt Magness, a professional business consultant, offers expert advice for financial plans and projections, as well as exporting. Before coming to the SBDC, he spent several years at Microsoft/Great Plains, many of those as the Director of Microsoft Business Solutions Global Learning. Matt has received a number of awards including the Landmark Award for Management Excellence. Matt holds a degree from Concordia College in Business Administration. Outside of work, he serves on the Board of Directors for Lura Enterprises, Carillon Condo Association, and Fargo Flyers Youth Hockey Association

Cheryl Berg

Cheryl Berg, a business consultant, specializes in business plan development. She is an accomplished Senior Corporate Compliance and Community Affairs Leader. In the past she directed 85 branch banks in five states while evaluating management strategies to achieve goals. Cheryl founded the only chapter of the “National Association of Women Business Owners” in the upper Midwest with U.S. Bank as a corporate sponsor and collaborated with community partners in 2009 to organize the first women-owned business conference in Fargo-Moorhead. Cheryl has a degree in Business and Public Administration from University of North Dakota.

Dana Schnortz

Dana Schnortz, a business consultant, specializes in business plan development for the SBDC. He received his MBA from the University of Phoenix and since 2009 has advised and mentored students in the Small Business Administration Program at Oak Hills Christian College. Classes facilitated include Intro to Business, Personal Finance, Marketing, and Business Law and Ethics.  Outside of work, Dana volunteers for Bemidji’s Evangelical Covenant Church and Servants of Shelter.

Deborah McGregor

Deb McGregor received her undergraduate degree from Concordia College with a B.A. in Organizational Communications and French.  Her Master’s degree is from North Dakota State University with a M.A. in Speech Communications and an emphasis in Organizational Culture and Structure. Her thesis project was on life coaching.  Deb is also a Certified Professional Co-active Coach (CPCC) through the Coaches Training Institute.  She is a member of the Minnesota Coaches Association and International Coach Federation (ICF) where she holds the ACC Credential. Deb has many years of experience working in the areas of marketing and development with several non-profit organizations as well as for-profit entities, especially entrepreneurs.

Deb’s personal mission is to assist individuals in the development of their fullest potential through innovative training, consulting and coaching.  She values trust, integrity, faith, nature, loyalty and relationships.  Her passion for every project in which she is involved is inspiring and motivating.  Deb leads by example and sets high standards for herself and others.

When you work with Deb, expect to come away refreshed, energized, motivated and committed to making yourself, your community and the world even better than they are now.

Grant Oppegaard

Grant Oppegaard, a business consultant, offers start-up assistance, financial analysis, strategic management and employee relations for clients. He also has a passion for turning around stressed businesses. He received his MPA from University of New Hampshire and has over 35 years experience in retail, direct marketing, and manufacturing companies. For 10 years, he was CEO of Genmar Holdings and took their stock value from $2 per share to $13.29 per share. Grant enjoys working with people and is a master at dealing with growth, adversity, and change.

James Ferregut

James Ferregut, a marketing strategist, has over 25 years experience in strategic marketing and sales management. He works with media experts, public relations firms, and web developers to create communication materials that help businesses accomplish sales growth and meet profitability goals and objectives. James is disciplined, intelligent, highly motivated, goal-oriented, and solution-driven. He currently serves on the board of directors for Hospice of the Red River Valley and The Arts Partnership and has been a featured columnist the Fargo Forum since 1999. James holds a degree from Arizona State University.

Jim Soncrant

Jim Soncrant, a business consultant, provides QuickBooks support, financial analysis, and start-up assistance to clients. He has been a consultant for over 15 years and has trained over 1,500 SBDC clients while consistently receiving excellent customer service ratings. Jim received his MBA from Houston Baptist University and holds certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional

Steve Eickman

Each day, for more than 30 years, Steve Eickman lives a simple business core purpose:
To contribute to his clients’ success.
He succeeds by providing innovative ideas, assembled in a planned strategy and implemented using creative tactics. 

A career that began in outside sales working on straight commission, Steve earned a degree from “Street Smart” University. His focus, to always do what is in the clients’ best interest, proved to be a successful sales strategy. In 1997, Steve wrote a business plan and opened Anchor Marketing with a single office in the Technology Incubator at the University of North Dakota. Like many small business entrepreneurs, Steve was a technician, and began working in his business. Over time in addition to working “in the business,” he learned how to work “on the business.” Steve likes to think that his 15 years working in and on the business have earned him an advanced degree; Master’s Degree from the College of Hard Knocks. Today, Steve is working on his PHD in Exit Strategies, however, he is a slow learner.

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