GRAND FORKS – Four from Grand Forks and the immediate region have earned mention from Prairie Business as successful women in business.

The magazine, which is published in Grand Forks as a subsidiary of the Grand Forks Herald, annually names its Top 25 Women in Business, recognizing some of the top women business leaders from North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota.

Among those who earned the distinction this year are Paula Anderson, Grand Forks, president and owner, Sterling Carpet One; Meghan Compton, Grand Forks, chief clinic operations officer/executive vice president, Altru Health System; Janette Esala, Thief River Falls, senior director, performance marketing, DigiKey; and Heather Novak, Grand Forks, executive director, United Way.

“It has always been Prairie Business’ goal to recognize the great business leaders from the region,” said Korrie Wenzel, publisher of Prairie Business. “And every year we do it, we are impressed with the nominees that come our way. Considering the quality of the businesses and industries in our region, I don’t think it’s some great coincidence that we consistently receive so many quality nominations.”

The final list is determined by Prairie Business staff, who consider the nominations that are sent in from other business leaders and, in many cases, from staff and co-workers.

The full list of this year’s Top 25 Women in Business can be found at the Prairie Business website. The magazine’s content is not behind a paywall and digital subscriptions are free.

Below are snippets of the full biographies – found in Prairie Business’ complete coverage – of this year’s Grand Forks-area honorees:

Paula Anderson: Anderson is the president and owner of Sterling Carpet One in Grand Forks, which has been in business for 15 years. A Grand Forks native, she stepped in when she discovered Grand Forks Glass and Paint was about to close for good, and turned it into the thriving business it is today that offers much more than flooring. It’s become a homegrown home improvement center with a staff of more than 30 who pride themselves on excellent customer service. She’s also opened a satellite office in Drayton, North Dakota.

Meghan Compton: Compton is the chief clinic operations officer and executive vice president at Altru, a position she’s held since 2020. In this role, she oversees the outpatient operation and administrative functions of the organization. With the company since 2012, Compton was previously Altru’s chief legal officer for four years, and manager of compliance and legal services. She’s also been the patient safety/quality improvement coordinator.

Janette Esala: Esala has been with DigiKey for 25 years. Starting in an entry-level help desk support position, she worked in the IT and learning and development teams for nine years before switching to the marketing team more than 15 years ago. As the senior director for performance marketing, she has supervised DigiKey’s in-house media production, coordinated search engine marketing (SEM) and web content, and began overseeing all performance marketing for SEO, SEM, email marketing, content, translations, web analytics and global marketing analysis more than four years ago.

Heather Novak: Novak has been the executive director of United Way of Grand Forks-East Grand Forks since October 2021. In this position, she provides visionary leadership to the United Way staff and board of directors. She’s responsible for connecting with a constituency of givers, businesses, agencies, education partners, government officials, program participants and community members. Novak develops strategic goals to provide opportunities for community members to thrive.

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