Bill Patrie of Bismarck and candidate for District 47 Senate, will receive the Governors’ Legacy of Leadership Award. LuAnn Casler of Williston will receive the Hometown Hero Award. Raknerud will receive the Young Democrats Award.

Raknerud has been a leader in the Souris Valley Dem-NPL since 2016 and is the group’s current endorsed candidate for the District 5 House. Through his years working with the SVD, Raknerud has demonstrated considerable resilience and commitment to the principles of the Dem-NPL by showing up for those in his community in a variety of ways.

“It’s an honor to receive this recognition from an amazing group of North Dakotans who seek to work toward a better future for our great state,” Raknerud said.

Casler grew up in rural Stark County and graduated from New England High School in 1977. She married Michael Casler in 1984 and moved to the Buford area in 1989 with her three children. She has worked since 1989 at Opportunity Foundation, which works with developmentally disabled adults. She served on the Eight Mile School Board from 2000-2008. She previously served as the District 2 Dem-NPL chair from 2002-2022. After redistricting in 2022, she became the chair of the District 23 Dem-NPL, which she currently serves.

LuAnn Castner

“LuAnn Casler is the best among us,” DNC Committeeman Jamie Selzler said. “She has devoted decades of her life to advancing the causes that she and her fellow Democrats believe in: access to quality education, healthcare and the ability for every North Dakotan to succeed. I’ve known LuAnn for nearly 20 years, and she’s always been someone who works hard and gives her all. In addition to the work she does, she is personally one of the kindest folks I’ve ever met in politics. She and her late husband Mike have set the standard for North Dakota Democrats, and we couldn’t be more fortunate that she’s given so much to the place she loves.”

Patrie holds a Bachelor’s in political science from Anderson University and a Master’s in public administration from Ball State University, both in Indiana. He worked for 10 years for North Central Planning Council in Devils Lake and also served on the Devils Lake School Board and the Board of Trustees for Lake Region Junior College. He worked for five years for the North Dakota Economic Development Commission during the administration of George Sinner.

He worked for 16 years for the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives as the director of rural development. Patrie spent three years with Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund in Minneapolis as its cooperative strategist and as interim executive director. Patrie and two other Northcountry employees formed Common Enterprise Development Corporation, for which Patrice served as the executive director for seven years, retiring in 2016. Patrie is a recognized expert on new generation cooperatives and a primary catalyst for the phenomenon known as “Co-op Fever,” which was one of the Associated Press’ top stories in 1995.

Utah State Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla will deliver the keynote address at the governor’s dinner. She has more than 20 years of experience in government and has received numerous honors, including being the first Utahn recognized as an “Outstanding American by Choice” by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Zach Raknerud