MSU Alumni Association announces 2026 Golden Awards

MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State University Alumni Association is pleased to announce it has selected four individuals for the 2026 Golden Award and one individual for the 2026 Young Alumni Achievement Award.

The honorees include Brekka (Nybakken) Kramer ’98, Bob Skabo ’60, Jerry Sinn ’67, and Steven Wood ’69. The Young Alumni Achievement Award winner is McKenna (Larson) Gudmunson ’13.

“The Alumni Association is thrilled to celebrate the achievements of our Golden Award and Young Alumni Achievement Award winners,” said Courtenay Brekhus, MSU’s director of alumni engagement. “Their dedication and contributions to Minot State and their respective communities are an inspiration to our current students and alumni.” 

Kramer, a Minot native, is the president | CEO of the Minot Area Chamber EDC. She was named president | CEO in 2022 following a 20-year career with Odney. Kramer is a member of the Minot State University Board of Regents, serving as chair in 2024-26.

Skabo is a retired optometrist who practiced for 46 years before retiring in 2010. He is a member of the Minot State President’s Club and the Old Main Society. Skabo and his wife, Jo Ann, live in Fargo.

Sinn is a decorated Lt. Gen. (retired) in the U.S. Army, who taught at the United States Military Academy, West Point. He served as director of the army budget and worked as the military deputy for budget to the assistant secretary of the army for financial management and Comptroller. Sinn also owned and operated Quadrate, LLC, which provided engineering, project management, and business development services; and was the senior vice president, land warfare strategy and planning, at DRS Technologies, Inc.; and then served as president, DRS Technologies Tactical Systems Group.

Wood retired from the company he started, CenturyPacific, more than 30 years ago, gifting the company back to employees in 2021. Wood also served as judge advocate for the U.S. Marine Corps, fulfilling a four-year commitment; as a trial lawyer for the Internal Revenue Service; and as tax counsel for Burlington Northern Railroad (BNSF) and Glacier Park, a subsidiary managing BNSF’s vast landholding. He and his wife, Mary, live in Seattle.

Gudmunson is a realtor and the owner of 701 Realty, along with 701 Healthcare, in Minot. She is the vice president of outreach for the MSU Alumni Association. Gudmunson is part of Rotary and Power of the Purse and is continuously working to better the community for her family and others.

The Golden Awards are the highest award bestowed by the Minot State University Alumni Association. Selections are based on outstanding service to the University, alumni association, or their community, and distinguished leadership in the recipient’s career or community. The Young Alumni Achievement Award recipient is between the ages of 21 and 39.

The MSU Alumni Association will honor the 2026 class at its annual awards dinner on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m. in the Minot State Student Center Conference Center.

More information on each award winner and dinner tickets will be released later in the fall semester. For more information on the Golden Awards, visit the Alumni Association at MinotStateU.edu/alumni.