(March 16, 2018) — Small business owner Beth Nodland announced her candidacy today for the Bismarck City Commission. Nodland, who owns and operates three Bismarck businesses, released the following statement:

“The story of the last decade has been Bismarck’s remarkable growth. As a Bismarck native, I’ve been pleased with our city’s direction or I would not have built three businesses here.

“The challenges we’re facing today are all related to growth: roads, infrastructure, utilities, schools, housing, and community health issues. For me, as a small business owner and taxpayer, there’s only one question in this election: How do we manage Bismarck’s growth going forward?

“Cities with our challenges are cities on the rise. The cities that stall or lose ground are the ones that fail to properly manage these challenges or fail to make smart choices to keep moving forward. Looking at where Bismarck is today, I believe it is critical we have a business owner serving on the City Commission. As an entrepreneur and employer, I will use my 25 years of business expertise to focus on managing the budget, economic development, creating new jobs, attracting a quality workforce, and finding sensible solutions to the issues facing our community.

“I look forward to visiting with voters and sharing my ideas and solutions with them in the weeks ahead.”

Nodland owns and operates Juniper LLC, North Dakota’s only woman-owned archaeological and environmental consulting firm; Juniper Workantile LLC, downtown Bismarck’s only co-working space; and NodMor LLC, a real estate holding entity that is renovating an historic downtown building that houses four commercial tenants.

Nodland and her husband, John G. Morrison, are the parents of a son who attends Highland Acres Elementary School. They are supporters of and volunteers for numerous charitable organizations in the community, including: Designer Genes of North Dakota, The Buddy Walk, Bismarck Inclusive Sports and Recreation Endowment, the Highland Acres Elementary Parent Advisory Council, the Bismarck Alliance for Neighborhood Schools, and the Bismarck Public Library’s ‘Little Free Libraries’ project.