Lisa Benz, NDSU telecommunications analyst, and Ruth Buffalo, a graduate assistant in NDSU's American Indian Public Health Resource Center, have been selected to participate in the first class of the Women's Leadership Program to Eastern North Dakota. They are among 20 women chosen by the Center for Technology and Business' Women's Business Center.

The six-month program, which begins in July, is dedicated to building a culture of women empowering women in North Dakota by developing personal, professional, community and health leadership skills. A Bush Foundation Leadership Network Grant recently allowed the program to expand to the greater Fargo area.

"I am delighted and honored to have been selected," said Benz, an NDSU graduate who works in the Telecommunications and Emergency Support Technologies Department. "This program sponsors the opportunity for distinctive leadership development and statewide networking opportunities. I truly feel that this opportunity will bring challenge to my current comfort zone as a leader within my community and professional career."

Buffalo said she hopes to gain a strong support network and lasting friendships with inspiring women. "This program is important as it will continue to nurture and enhance the leadership skills for women," she said. "It's important that women have a strong support system and that we lift one another up to achieve our fullest potential."

The North Dakota Women’s Business Center is partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, with the North Dakota Department of Commerce providing state matching funds.

For more information on the Women's Leadership Program, click here.

As a student-focused, land-grant, research university, we serve our citizens.