Dr. Dave Akkerman, MD
Board Member
Dr. Dave Akkerman is a retired Family Physician at Essentia Health in Fargo, North Dakota. He obtained his medical degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota.
In addition to serving as a Dakota Medical Foundation Board Member, he serves on the DMF Executive, Governance, and Finance & Investment Committees.
He enjoys oenology, the science dedicated to the study and knowledge of wines.
Dr. Barbra Brookshire, OD
Board Member
Barbra co-owns Eyecare Associates clinics in Fargo and West Fargo, North Dakota. She attended Illinois College of Optometry and is an adjunct clinical professor at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.
Barbra serves on the Dakota Medical Foundation Executive Committee. She has served as the Vice Chair for the Lend A Hand Up Board of Directors. Her favorite sport is basketball, and she enjoys playing it with both her kids.
Jonathan Casper, JD
Board Member
Jonathan is a Partner at Great States and Collective in Fargo, ND, where he leads development, acquisition, and management of multi-family, industrial, retail, and office real estate assets. He also oversees the legal aspects of real estate transactions and partnerships.
Jonathan served District 27 as ND State Senator from 2015 to 2018, sitting on the Judiciary, Transportation, Industry, Business, and Labor committees. He has been on the Board since 2026. Jon resides in Fargo, ND, with his wife, Brianne, and their 3 children.
Vanessa Coulter, ARPN, CNP
Board Member
Vanessa is a nurse practitioner in Family Medicine at Essentia Health and the Medical Director at ShareHouse in Fargo, North Dakota. She obtained both her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees at North Dakota State University.
She enjoys reading as well as watching her nieces and nephews’ sporting events.
Vanessa has been on the Dakota Medical Foundation Board since 2026 and also serves on the DMF Governance Committee.
Jessica R. Kuhn, DNP
Board member
Jessica is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner with ima Healthcare in Fargo, ND, specializing in ADHD/behavioral health, children with special healthcare needs, neonatal care, and bowel/bladder problems.
Jessica serves as Vice Chair of the Lend a Hand Up Board of Directors and on the Dakota Medical Foundation Executive Committee. She resides in Harwood, North Dakota, with her children.
Dr. Rob Lauf, DDS
Board Chair
Rob is a Doctor of Dentistry and owns Goose River Dental Associates, P.C., in Mayville, ND. He serves on the CDCA/WREB/CITA Board of Directors and is a Dental Examiner.
Rob is the President of the North Dakota Dental Foundation and serves on the NDSU Foundation Board of Directors. Rob is DMF’s Board Chair and a proud grandfather to his grandchildren, Ellis, Iris, and Bobby.
Dr. Susan Mathison, MD
Past Chair
Dr. Susan Mathison is the Founder and CEO of Catalyst Medical Center and Clinical Spa in Fargo, North Dakota. She graduated from Stanford University and UT Southwestern Medical Center.
She is a Past Board Chair of the Foundation and serves on the Executive, Governance, and DMF Center for Excellence Committees. Dr. Susan also serves on the Impact Foundation Board of Directors.
Nola McNeally, JD
Vice Chair
Nola is the General Counsel/Advisor at Edgewood REIT. Previously, she worked as an attorney within the firm of Dorsey & Whitney LLP for 10 years and as an Officer at the Fredrikson & Byron P.A. law firm.
Nola serves as Vice Chair of the Board, as Chair of the DMF Center for Excellence Committee, and as a member of the Executive Committee. She loves to travel, and her favorite destination is Paris.
Kim Meyer
Board Member
Kim was the Executive VP and Chief Human Resources Officer at Gate City Bank. She has degrees from Minnesota State University Moorhead, the Graduate School of Banking, HR Management School and Stonier Graduate School of Banking.
Kim serves on the DMF Governance and Finance/Investment Committees and loves spending time with her Bernedoodle dog, Izzy.
Eric Monson
Board Member
Eric is the former Director at Sagency in West Fargo, ND. He previously served as a Sr. Vice President at Banner Health and the Chief Executive Officer for Novus, LLC and the Anne Carlsen Center.
He is the Chair of the DMF Finance & Investment Committee and also serves on the Executive, Governance, and DMF Center for Excellence Committees. He is a Project Consultant for the Impact Foundation.
Jennifer Thompson, JD
Board Member
Jennifer is a Managing Partner of H.A. Thompson & Sons. From 2002 to 2013, she worked as the DMF Director of Development.
Jennifer holds a J.D. from the University of North Dakota and serves on the Lend A Hand Up Application Committee and Board of Directors.
She also serves on the Executive Committee and on the Fargo Youth Hockey Association Board of Directors.
J. Patrick Traynor, JD
EXEC DIR, Ex-Officio
On Civil Service Leave
Pat is the Executive Director of Dakota Medical Foundation and the Impact Foundation. He is an ex-officio member of the DMF Committees and Board (non-voting).
Until 2000, Pat served as the Executive Director and CEO of the ND Workers’ Compensation Bureau. Before that, he worked as an attorney in Fargo, ND.
He and his wife, Jamie, have three grown sons.
Richard Vetter, MD
Board Member
Richard is a Family Medicine Physician with VitellaCare Providers with 30 years of experience delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care to individuals and nearly 1,000 babies.
Outside of medicine, he enjoys traveling and spending summers at the lake with his wife and nine grown daughters.
As a past Chair, Richard, returned to the Board in 2026.
