Lori Capouch, DA Secretary/Treasurer, is the director of the Rural Electric and Telecommunications Development Center, a cooperative development center supported by North Dakota’s electric and telecommunications cooperatives. The cooperative development center leads rural people through the grassroots development process, empowering them to create the businesses they desire in their communities. Her work includes providing technical assistance for emerging and expanding rural businesses across the state of North Dakota, with a focus on serving low-income areas and reservations within the state. In addition, Capouch is executive director to the Rural Development Finance Corporation, a nonprofit development corporation, and provides administrative services to the North Dakota Rural Electric Foundation where the focus is currently charitable rural development including food access, childcare and home care. Capouch serves on the board of directors for the North Dakota Consensus Council. She holds a BS in business management from the University of Mary, Bismarck, North Dakota. She is a certified economic development finance professional by the National Development Council. Capouch was a 2018 Fellow for the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies or BALLE, now known as Common Future.