Community Service Awards continued ...
the State of North Dakota , and his dedicated volunteerism has saved countless lives .
CHRISTINA WENKO Southwest Judicial District
Christina Wenko serves as the city attorney for the cities of Dickinson , Gladstone , and Dunn Center . She also serves as the State ’ s Attorney for Golden Valley County . In September 2013 , Wenko was selected to serve as a member of Inquiry Committee West and has served as the chair of Inquiry Committee West since June 2014 . She has also served as the southwest representative on the Board of Governors and as the Southwest Bar Association President . She is an active member in her community , serving as an adjunct professor at Dickinson State University , teaching classes relating to business law and the judicial system . She also serves on the board of the Dickinson Public Schools Foundation . Wenko began practicing law in 2012 with the Mackoff Kellogg Law Firm in Dickinson and became the managing partner in March 2020 . She practices in various areas of law including real estate , trusts and estates , oil and gas matters , and municipal law .
JEFF NEHRING Northwest Judicial District
Jeff Nehring is an attorney in Williston and very involved in his community . He is the chair of the Disciplinary Board for the State of North Dakota and has served on many judicial nominating committees . He has been a board member of the Northwest Community Service Foundation since the early 2000s , and is on the Pretrial Detention Reform Committee . Nehring is a past member of the Williston Basin Hockey Club Board , having served many roles in the hockey community , and is also the secretary / treasurer of the Paradise Point Association . He has dedicated many hours to speaking events for numerous groups of students , both high school and college , and has participated in many Law Day events . He has also been involved in a large number of school , church , and community events . Nehring has been a licensed attorney since 1996 and has been the past president of the Upper Missouri Bar Association and is a past member of the Board of Governors .
LEGISLATIVE SERVICE AWARD
The Legislative Service Award recognizes the legislative involvement of individuals who have served at the state or federal level for several years , have a commitment to serving their constituents by actively participating in the legislative process , and have balanced the principles of justice and jurisprudence while serving the needs of the public .
Majority Leader Chet Pollert is the recipient of this year ’ s Legislative Service Award . He was first elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1998 . Pollert was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee in the 2005 Legislative Session , serving in the Human Resources Section of the House Appropriations Committee . He became chairman of the Human Resources Section in the 2007 Legislative Session and served in that capacity until he was elected House Majority Leader in 2019 .
Majority Leader Pollert obtained his bachelor of arts degree in business administration with minors in economics and political science from Valley City State University . He was in the agriculture retail business for 43 years , having recently retired after selling his business , G & R Grain and Feed of New Rockford . He and his wife , Jo , live in Carrington and have three grown children . In his free time , he and his wife enjoy traveling and spending time with their grandchildren .
LIBERTY BELL AWARD
The Liberty Bell Award recognizes individuals or organizations who promote understanding of our form of government , encourage greater respect for law and the courts , and stimulate a deeper sense of responsibility on the part of citizens regarding their duties as well as their rights .
Dave Thompson has been the news director , chief Capitol reporter , and “ Morning Edition ” anchor since he started at Prairie Public in 1981 . Thompson and his staff have won more than 150 reporting awards . Thompson , a Bismarck native , graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1978 , and worked at commercial radio stations in
Majority Leader Chet Pollert , pictured second from left , was the 2021 recipient of the Legislative Service Award .
The Liberty Bell Award was presented to Dave Thompson , second from left .
Bismarck and Grand Forks before joining the fledgling staff of Prairie Public Radio . He started at Prairie Public Radio two months before the station went on the air and was the first “ live ” voice heard on the station .
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