DWU VP named to Top 25 Women in Business

GRAND FORKS, N.D.—Prairie Business magazine has announced 2024’s Top 25 Women in Business.

Recipients were selected through a nomination process that emphasized professional achievement, community contributions and volunteerism. The 25 women listed come from finance, healthcare, manufacturing and a number of other industries and professions.

Included on the list is DWU Vice President of Admissions and Marketing Fredel Thomas. Thomas has been employed at DWU since 2012 and has served as a vice president since 2018. According to the Prairie Business article, “[Thomas] has spearheaded numerous successful initiatives at DWU through her unwavering focus and determination. Thomas is someone who sets clear goals for herself and her team and takes the necessary steps to achieve them. She is organized, efficient, and she knows how to prioritize her time and resources to maximize her productivity.”

The article continued, “’Fredel truly has a gift for strategizing and creating effective processes. She is also someone who is not afraid of hard work and is willing to put in the extra effort to achieve success,’ one colleague said.”

In addition to her work at DWU, Thomas, a native of Tripp, serves on the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship Advisory Council, as a guest consultant for Credo, a higher education consulting firm, is a board member for the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce and Weekend Snack Pack, a former member of Rotary and is active in her church. She and her husband, Jason, have four children.

Profiles of each recipient are included in the March issue of Prairie Business, including the digital edition.

The annual project was created to draw attention to the many creative and successful businesswomen in North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota, and the impact they have on industry and the economy in the region. Twenty-one of the 25 were from North Dakota and Minnesota. In addition to Thomas, Angie Hillestad, Sue Salter and Sidney Van Schepen, all of Sioux Falls, were included on the list.

“Prairie Business is excited to announce the recipients for 2024’s Top 25 Women in Business,” says Carrie McDermott, editor of Prairie Business. “It is exciting for us to recognize such accomplished women, each of whom demonstrates ambition and professionalism of the highest level. It’s exciting to learn what they have accomplished, and it is exciting to consider what they will yet accomplish. We thank each of them for contributing to the region and congratulate them for being among this year’s Top 25.”

An electronic version of the issue can be viewed here.