Prairie Business released its annual 40 Under 40 recognition in its December magazine, which included two graduates of both Crookston High School and the University of Minnesota Crookston. The list recognizes some of the region’s best, brightest, and up-and-coming young professionals.
The two Crookston natives on the list we’re Nikki Massmann (Krueger) and Meleah LaPlante.
Massmann said it was an honor to be named to the list. “I’m honored to be considered for the list and grateful to colleagues and friends who took the time to nominate me,” said Massmann. “I know they received over 100 nominations making the selection process pretty tough, I’m sure. They’ve been doing this list for quite a while, and it profiles young professionals in the region in North Dakota, South Dakota, and I believe the western part of Minnesota.”
Massmann, who lives in East Grand Forks with her husband Brent and their three children, leads a communications team at the University of North Dakota. “I’m the Director of Communications at the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota,” said Massmann. “In my role, I lead a small team of communicators and graphic designers. We mostly work on website development, news releases, and community outreach about the research we’re doing to get information into the hands of people that need to know about what it is we’re doing in their backyard. And the type of research that we’re doing and how it affects their everyday lives.”
Massmann is also the daughter of KROX Radio’s Steve Krueger and his wife, Judy.
LaPlante owns Dance Studio Elite in Fargo, which she explained she purchased as a student while attending UMC. “I went to Crookston High, graduated in 2000,” said LaPlante. “Then, I went to UMC and graduated from there in 2003 for business and marketing. When I was there, right before my sophomore year, I had a chance to purchase a small studio in Fargo. I purchased the dance studio, and that was 19 years ago. Since then, it’s grown into many more students. We just built our new forever home; basically, it’s 5,000 square feet, three nice big studios, and will be ours. That’s our exciting news right now.”
LaPlante said owning a dance studio is a lifestyle, and it’s nice to be recognized as a thriving business. “It’s an awesome recognition to get because a lot of times dance studios get put into the cute, fun, hobby category,” said LaPlante. “A lot of times, people ask me what I do during the day or what’s my real job. So, it’s nice to be recognized as a business that can be thriving, and it’s just as much a testament to the families I have and their support of our mission, teachers, and what we’re all about. Feels great to be able to share this with the people that I’ve had growing up throughout the years. I have dancers that are teaching for me that I used to teach. I have kids that I’m teaching now that are children of dancers that I used to teach. It’s been a fun, life-long journey. That’s what I consider it to be, not just a hobby; it’s a lifestyle. And it’s something that I’m very dedicated to and passionate about. To be recognized for that is an extreme honor.”
LaPlante, who recently got engaged, is the daughter of Marc and Kelly LaPlante.
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