The leadership for the Fargo Park District Foundation Foundation Board of Directors is made up of community leaders and concerned citizens serving in a volunteer capacity. Their roles include financial overview and support, overseeing risk and compliance (fiduciary), creating accountability, transparency and strategic fundraising direction and monitoring and evaluating governance.
Meet the Fargo Park District Foundation Board Members
Melissa Brandt is a Fargo native and graduate of North Dakota State University with over 25 years of experience in people management, budget management, brand building and community development. With a passion and understanding of the history of Downtown Fargo, she was the President and CEO of the Downtown Community Partnership, advocating for businesses, residents, and community partners focused on economic growth, vibrancy, and advocacy.
Melissa Brandt is passionate about her family, friends and giving back to the community and boards that she serves on. She has worked in complex business environments and has a strong understanding of teams and what motivates them. She is a proud mother to her son Caden and her 2 fur babies (Lindy & Bentley). She also loves to golf, explore the world, fashion and laketime.
Darren Dunlop is the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce, which serves members in and around its Metro area of just under 250,000 residents.
Dunlop had more than 30 years of sales and management experience prior to joining the Chamber in 2012. He has lived in Fargo Moorhead for over 40 years, since attending college at MSUM.
He is responsible for securing sponsorships from member firms for programs and events as well as building relationships with and enhancing the experience of a core segment of the Chamber’s membership.
Chad Marsden grew up in Fargo graduating from Fargo North in 1994. He graduated from Concordia College in 1999 with a BA degree in Business Administration as well as earing his Masters of Finance from the University of Colorado in 2005.
Chad started his professional career in business banking spending 16 years after college graduations working as a commercial lender. During the past eight years, he has worked in Real Estate Investment and Development.
Chad and his wife, Jenny, live in Moorhead and they have three children Owen, Gavin and Kate. They spend much of their free time with their kid’s activities, either as spectators or coaching.
Stacey was elected to the Fargo Park District Board in 2018 and currently serves as the Fargo Park District Foundation Board President. As part of her role as Park Board President, she serves as district's representative to the Fargo Park District Foundation Board. She has lived in Fargo for over 30 years and currently resides in south Fargo with her husband Wes. They raised their boys (Ben & Peter) in south Fargo and their family has been avid park users for decades. Stacey works part-time for The Apartment Movers, Inc., and has been involved in many local organizations. She looks forward to working to make Fargo an excellent place for families to live and grow.
Rock Messerschmidt grew up in Dilworth, MN and graduated high school in 1975. He received his BA in Business Administration/Accounting from Concordia College in 1979. Rock is married to his wife Brenda and they have five children. His professional career began in Banking in 1979 with Bremer Banks. Today, Rock is currently the Senior Vice President-Regional Sales Director at Bell Bank. He is actively involved in many non-profits, including United Way of Cass-Clay, YMCA of Cass and Clay and CHARISM.
Bob Bartelt grew up in the Detroit Lakes area graduating from Frazee-Vergas High School in 2001. After high school, he moved to Moorhead to attend college. Bob holds a BAS degree in Business Management from the University of Mary. He served two terms on the Moorhead Youth Hockey board, including four years as President. In 2016, Bob graduated from the FMWF Chamber Leadership Program, and in 2019, he was named one of Prairie Business Magazine’s 40 under 40.
Bob works for Midco as the Senior Director of Customer Experience Operations. In this role, he leads multiple operations teams and is responsible for developing and executing strategies to deliver a best-in-class customer experience, foster loyalty, and enhance retention rates.
Bob resides in Moorhead with his wife, Kristi, and their two kids, Sadie and Brady. They spend much of their time running kids to practices and attending their events. The family also enjoys participating in community events and stays active golfing, fishing, and spending time at the lake.
Brian Shawn is a Senior Business Development Partner at Sanford Health, working with Orthopedics & Sports Medicine partners and Sanford Sports Academies based in the Fargo Parks Sports Center at the Sanford Sports Complex.
He is a 2002 graduate of the University of North Dakota and spent nearly two decades as a television sportscaster in the region, broadcasting North Dakota State football/basketball from 2011-2021 and University of North Dakota football/basketball from 2022-2024.
He has been a member of the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee since 2011 and served as committee chair from 2015-2023. He also holds the position of Honorary Brigade Commander of the 141 Maneuver Enhancement Bridge of the North Dakota National Guard advocating for its mission and soldiers on the local, regional and national levels.
He also serves on the Board of Directors for Homeward Animal Shelter, the Fargo Vocational Training Center, the FM Ballet and the Fargo Lions Club.
He lives in Fargo with his wife, Jessica, and daughter, Amelia.
Rich has been in the Fargo Moorhead area for approximately 20 years and has served in leadership roles with a few local firms. He has dedicated significant time to giving back to the community in a variety of roles and membership with a variety of organizations such as Fargo Planning Commission, Metropolitan Council of Governments, Fargo Rotary, Oak Grove Athletic Club, etc.
Rich and his wife Heather have two adult children and with their families, now have 2 grandchildren with 2 more on the way.
They enjoy spending summers at the lake.
Vicki Dawson was reelected for her second term in 2022, originally joining the Board in 2018. Vicki is a Senior Risk Consultant for Federated Insurance. As a Certified Safety Professional, Vicki works with businesses to improve their safety practices. Volunteering on youth centered boards and for youth organizations has been a focus for Vicki. Vicki and her husband Steve live in Fargo with their sons Ben and Nick. Vicki's three adult stepsons, Charlie, Matt and Joe along with their families (which include seven grandchildren) also live in our community. Fargo Parks is an important part of her family's life. They enjoy everything from the baseball fields to the tennis courts to the hockey rinks to the pools and the parks.
