Business Board of Advisers
The business department’s Board of Advisers helps further the mission, vision and goals of the department. The board meets three times each year to assist in developing strategic objectives and vision and provide accountability for the business department. The group also serves as a liaison between the department and the business community.
Catherine Bloom ’97 is the chief marketing and strategy officer at Interstates. A member of Interstates’ executive team, she works to set the strategic direction for the company. She is responsible for developing and stewarding the marketing and branding efforts, as well as internal and shareholder communications. She has 20 years of experience in accounting and marketing. Prior to Interstates, she worked at DuPont Pioneer and Ernst & Young. Bloom previously served on Northwestern’s Board of Trustees and is a member of the board at her church.
Courtney Boone is the digital marketing manager for the Pizza Ranch Restaurant Support Center, which serves more than 200 restaurant locations. She oversees the company’s loyalty program, web-related projects, digital advertising and guest communication channels. Boone earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, sales and advertising from the University of Northern Iowa. She regularly speaks to students about career development and serves on the Orange City Community Chest.
Lisa Burg ’83 works as a marketing and public relations manager for Orange City Area Health System in Orange City. A Northwestern College alum, she earned her bachelor’s degree in political science. Burg currently enjoys an almost-empty nest with her husband. After raising six children, they are still caring for their three dogs and five backyard chickens. Burg loves to audit classes at Northwestern College whenever she can—just one of her many hobbies.
Sarah deVries '19 works for the Central Lyon Community School District as an at-risk and CAPS (Center for Advanced Professional Studies) instructor. As a CAPS instructor, she connects education, community and local industry leaders to give students experiences that will prepare them for their future. Prior to joining Central Lyon’s staff, deVries served as a high school business and computer science teacher in other northwest Iowa school districts. She is a graduate of Northwestern College, where she earned both a bachelor’s degree in business education and a Master of Education degree.
Steve Roesner ’83 works for Vogel Traffic Services in Orange City as the vice president for strategic development. Roesner serves Orange City as an elected member of the city council, as well as a member of the Orange City Economic Development board and Prairie Winds Event Center board. He is also a member of the Iowa Economic Development Authority work group. Roesner earned an MBA from the University of South Dakota.
Eddie Valdes serves as a human resources and transition leader for Diamond Vogel in Orange City. As such, he works with the change management and executive team, strategizing and implementing organizational change. Valdes earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fort Hays State University in Kansas. He also serves as an adjunct professor in Northwestern’s business department.
Tamra Van Kalsbeek '17 is the Digital Banking Officer for American State Bank. She manages a team of individuals that support both the consumer and business digital banking experiences, with a focus on fraud prevention and developing business relationships. Raised in Orange City, Iowa, Van Kalsbeek graduated from Northwestern College with degrees in Accounting and Business Administration. She also participated in NWC’s Accelerate Siouxland program and received Micro-Credentials related to leadership development. Prior to American State Bank, she was a Tax & Audit Accountant at a local CPA firm. Van Kalsbeek enjoys being connected to her community by volunteering at church and visiting the local coffee shops as much as possible.
Tony Vande Brake ’13 is the owner of Crossroads Financial Planning in Orange City. A certified financial planner, he develops financial plans for individuals, businesses and families. Vande Brake is an elected member of the Orange City City Council and serves on the Tulip Festival Steering Committee. He graduated from Northwestern with degrees in accounting and business administration–finance before earning a Financial Services Certified Professional designation from The American College of Financial Services.
Nathan Wedel and his wife Anna live in Orange City with their three children Hadley, Hudson, and Remi. He has worked at Iowa State Bank here in Orange City for the past six and a half years where he serves as a loan officer as well as location manager. As location manager, his focus is on the strategic planning and growth of the Orange City location. He graduated from Northwestern College in 2018 with bachelor’s degrees in Agri-business and Accounting. Nathan was recently inducted into the Red Raider athletics Hall of Fame, Class of 2024.
