Episodes

  • TAYN Ep. 44 - Commisioner John Risch

    TAYN Ep. 44 - Commisioner John Risch
    Nov 19 2024
    John Risch was the highest-ranking union official ever to be elected from the state of North Dakota.
    He served the nation’s railroad workers at the national level full time in Washington DC from August 2009 through September 2019. Risch was elected national legislative director of the SMART Transportation Division (formerly the United Transportation Union) in 2014. He led the union in developing, communicating and executing the legislative, regulatory, safety and political positions. As national director he testified before Congress and at regulatory forums. He was also a presenter at numerous transportation, labor and Wall Street analyst forums.

    Risch is a native of Mandan, N.D. He was the North Dakota State Legislative Director for the United Transportation Union from 1986 to 2009, while also working as a locomotive engineer. He is retired member of Local 1344 at Mandan. Risch began his railroad career on Burlington Northern Railroad, working in the track department for two summers while attending college. In the fall of 1978, he hired out in train service and in 1979, he entered engine service in what is now BNSF Railway. He was a long-time international union officer, serving on the union’s executive board from 1991 until 2009.

    While serving as the UTU North Dakota State Legislative Director, he testified hundreds of times at the state legislature. His focus at the state legislature included railroad, labor, tax, insurance and other issues important to working people. He was appointed by Governor George Sinner to the Education Action Commission and Occupational Therapy Board.

    He was also appointed chairperson of the state’s Minimum Wage Commission twice, once by a Democratic labor commissioner and once by a Republican labor commissioner. In that role, he led efforts to raise the minimum wage and improve conditions of the workplace, including extending minimum wage coverage to farm workers, something the federal law and most states exempt from coverage.

    Risch is a graduate of Bismarck State College and earned a bachelor’s degree in Labor Studies while working full time on the railroad from Antioch University of Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he studied collective bargaining, labor history, labor law, world labor movements and other issues related to labor.

    The North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party honored Risch in 2018 with the Governor Art and Grace Link Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes those who have dedicated a lifetime of service to the people of North Dakota, have represented excellence in the field of public service and have left a laudable legacy benefiting future generations. Risch also wrote a regular newspaper column for The Bismarck Tribune from 1991 until 1993, where he focused on labor, economic and tax issues.
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    30 mins
  • TAYN Ep. 43 - Justin Cancilliere

    TAYN Ep. 43 - Justin Cancilliere
    Nov 5 2024
    Justin Cancilliere loves telling stories. Led by mythical dreams and astounding visions that can only be described through writing, he is in the business of scripting legends. His desire is to bring to life that which swarms in his mind and cascades into words. But it doesn't end there.​Justin created the BisMan Writers Guild in 2019, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting writers in North Dakota. He also co-hosts 2 podcasts: ParaTruth Reborn, which discusses and debates topics of the paranormal from both a Christian and secular lense; and Write in the Pickle Barrel (which can be heard on Radio Access), which is a podcast about the writing process. He currently resides in Bismarck, North Dakota, where he enjoys the finer things in life with his beautiful wife, Shelly.
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    33 mins
  • TAYN Ep. 42 - Amanda Godfread

    TAYN Ep. 42 - Amanda Godfread
    Oct 22 2024
    As a Regional Director for Make-A-Wish Amanda Godfread brings hope to others during challenging times, making her a changemaker in our community.


    Amanda Godfread is Regional Director for Make-A-Wish North Dakota, a role she’s served in since 2018. A “jack-of-all-trades” in this position, she works to elevate the awareness and understanding of Make-A-Wish in the community and with medical professionals, is responsible for fundraising, volunteer recruitment and also does wish granting! Amanda has more than 20 years of experience in communication and marketing, and has worked in the non-profit, for-profit and government sectors. She and her husband, Jon, have three children and live in Bismarck, N.D.
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    34 mins
  • TAYN Ep. 41 - Sydney Helgeson

    TAYN Ep. 41 - Sydney Helgeson
    Sep 24 2024
    Episode 41 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Sydney Helgeson. Sydney is a former Miss North Dakota. She is a changemaker in the community through her advocacy work as the Resource Development Manager at United Way as well as her volunteer work she does in the community.


    Bismarck native Sydney Helgeson is a change maker in our community. A 2019 graduate of Bismarck High and 2023 graduate of The University of Alabama, service has always been at the forefront of Sydney’s involvement. She served our state as Miss North Dakota’s Teen 2017, educating her peers on the dangers of distracted driving, and recently finished her reign as Miss North Dakota 2023, where she traveled the state spreading her service initiative, Live United: Building Stronger Communities Together. Sydney is continuing her advocacy for this cause in her new role as the Resource Development Manager at the Missouri Slope Areawide United Way. She hopes to unite people in our community by helping them find their passions and sharing how they can get involved through giving, advocating, or volunteering.
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    32 mins
  • TAYN Ep. 40 - Carl Young

    TAYN Ep. 40 - Carl Young
    Sep 10 2024
    Episode 40 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Carl Young. Carl is a fierce advocate for many in Bismarck. Through his work with the neurodivergent community and a heavy focus on FASD, he is a changemaker in the community.

    Carl Young is a father first, an advocate and lobbyist in North Dakota. Mr. Young has experience speaking with large groups of people across socio-economic and professional lines. In addition to advocating at the state and federal levels, he has presented at several regional conferences about neurodiversity, special education advocacy and adoption. Mr. Young has also been a member of a few boards and organizations both locally and nationally. Currently, he serves on the governing council for the Affiliate Network at FASD United and the City of Bismarck Human Relations Committee. For the last 20 years, Mr. Young has advocated for those with Autism and other special needs. He and his wife of 30 years, Malette, founded a non-profit in 2018 to support those with neurodiversity, most notably Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Autism. As parents of five children, they understand firsthand the struggles that come with getting an appropriate diagnosis and getting the services and support that children and families need.
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    31 mins
  • TAYN Ep. 39 - Dawn Kopp

    TAYN Ep. 39 - Dawn Kopp
    Aug 27 2024
    "These are Your Neighbors" features Dawn Kopp. Dawn is the CEO of the Downtown Business Association of Bismarck. As a small business champion, Dawn makes a local difference in our community.

    Dawn Kopp is the CEO of Downtown Business Association of Bismarck, a position held since May 2007 and a member of the executive board of the Downtown Bismarck Community Foundation. She is a Mandan native and graduated with a B.S. in Apparel & Textiles from NDSU. Dawn is a co-founder & board member of Capitol Shakespeare Society, an appointed member of the City of Bismarck’s Forestry Advisory Board, and a graduate of the inaugural North Dakota cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. Dawn's hobbies include cooking, baking, reading, travel, and creating mosaics and mixed-media art. Dawn is dedicated to building community and connections for all ages, all incomes, and all abilities.
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    36 mins
  • TAYN Ep. 38 - Amy Cleary

    TAYN Ep. 38 - Amy Cleary
    Aug 12 2024
    Episode 38 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Amy Cleary. Amy is a Director of Public Affairs and is the Director of the Bismarck-Mandan Scholarship Pageant. Amy is actively engaged in numerous organizations in our community making her a local changemaker.

    Amy is currently the Director of Public Affairs for GA Group, PC in Bismarck. She specializes in government affairs and developing effective public affairs strategies for her clients. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in campaign management, corporate issue advocacy, and consulting for national political committees. Before joining GA Group, Amy built a successful track record working in over 50 campaigns spanning 42 states.In 2012, Amy managed Governor Jack Dalrymple’s successful campaign in North Dakota. She then served as Deputy Political Director for the Republican Governors Association.

    Amy also founded Plain Stakes, LLC, a boutique public affairs and corporate issue advocacy firm by which she executed grassroots and grasstops persuasion programs and public affairs outreach for clients across the Midwest.

    Amy enjoys volunteering in the community, serving on the board of Bismarck Dollars for Scholars and as the local director for the Miss Bismarck-Mandan Scholarship Competition. She enjoys reading, running and weight-lifting, community events, spending time with family, and cheering for the Wisconsin Badgers. She co-hosts a podcast, Welcome to Our Box, with her good friend, Amanda Godfread. Amy and her husband, Sean, have two young children
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    33 mins
  • TAYN Ep. 37 - Brandi Schmidt

    TAYN Ep. 37 - Brandi Schmidt
    Jul 29 2024
    Episode 37 of "These are Your Neighbors" features Brandi Schmidt. Brandi is a licensed clinical therapist focusing on trauma and addiction. Her passion in helping others overcome obstacles makes her a changemaker in our community.

    Brandi Schmidt works in the Bismarck community in behavioral health as a licensed clinical therapist. She specializes in trauma and addiction. Brandi is also a 500 hr yoga teacher bringing yoga into her therapeutic sessions. She teaches at a local yoga studio. Additionally, Brandi is in the NDNG where she serves in public affairs; she has deployed twice. In her free time, Brandi enjoys traveling, reading, attending concerts, and catching a cat nap with her cats.
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    29 mins