Growing up across the Missouri River in nearby Mandan, Dawn Kopp has a vision for the development of downtown Bismarck, N.D. So much so, the NDSU alumna is flourishing in her role as executive director of the city’s Downtown Business Association.
For her efforts, Kopp, BS ’01, apparel and textiles, landed a spot in Prairie Business magazine’s “40 Under 40,” which each year recognizes outstanding professionals under the age of 40 for their contributions to their organizations and community.
Bismarck has grown rapidly since Kopp joined the group, known as the Downtowners, in 2007. She said approximately 45 retail and restaurant businesses have opened in the last three years. “We’ve witnessed a lot of people come back to the area,” Kopp said. “When they went somewhere, they saw what they liked and have tried to implement that in Bismarck.”
Kopp followed a similar pattern. Through her NDSU major, she took a trip for credit to New York City to tour fabric and fashion businesses. She eventually lived near the city, gaining experience before opening her own event-planning company in Bismarck. It all added up to a good fit promoting the downtown community.
“We advocate for the vitality and vibrancy of downtown,” Kopp said. “We do many different things – member services, event planning, working with potential new businesses. A healthy downtown is vital for any city.”
New businesses and residential units are creating a bustling 24/7 community, Kopp said. Moving forward, she said the Downtowners will focus on developing even more housing and implementing a recently created downtown master plan. “Downtown is growing,” she said. “We’re stretching our boundaries.”
Those boundaries include creating a corridor between downtown, Kirkwood Mall and the Bismarck Civic Center, which is in the midst of a renovation project designed to attract more multi-day conferences to the city.
Bismarck’s downtown has provided a successful model for other communities in the state. Kopp helped organize the annual North Dakota Downtown Conference, which brings together stakeholders from throughout the state who are interested in revitalizing their communities. “We bring people with ideas on city centers together so they can share best practices and ideas to strengthen their town or city,” Kopp said.
Kopp also is a member of the Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals and Bismarck-Mandan Crime Stoppers. She participates in Bis-Man Junior Achievement, where she teaches third-graders about city planning. Kopp also is a founding member of the Capitol Shakespeare Society, which produces a free play each summer and hosts a one-day Children’s Renaissance Faire at the state Capitol.
Her involvement is reflective of Kopp’s time at NDSU. She was a member of Golden Key International Honour Society and the Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity.
“Everything I took away from my experience at NDSU has brought me to where I’m at now,” Kopp said.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.
