Doug Fredrickson named new president of Alumni & Foundation board of directors

Bemidji State University alumnus Doug Fredrickson has taken the reins of a new role: heading the Alumni & Foundation board of directors.

Fredrickson has assumed the position of board president, effective Feb. 3. He will serve a two-year term.

“Taking this role coincides with many talented individuals who have recently dedicated themselves to making their contributions felt,” Fredrickson said. “Their prior efforts and future dedication will make my term coincide with a great opportunity for our university.”

Fredrickson has been on the Alumni & Foundation’s board since October 2018. He had been its vice president since September 2022.

His professional experience spans more than 40 years working in heavy/civil and power project construction across North America, holding a variety of management roles up until his retirement in 2017. Fredrickson has served on several private and public boards, as well, with a particular interest in bringing new products to market and land/forest management.

“I am thrilled to serve alongside Doug,” said Allyssa Joseph, the Alumni & Foundation’s executive director. “Doug has played an integral role in accelerating our initiatives here at the foundation, and he’s made it clear that being a part of our success is among his top priorities at this stage in his life.”

Fredrickson first enrolled at Bemidji State from 1975-81, completing the vast majority of his education before returning to earn his degree in Industrial Technology and Management in 2010.

“What’s most admirable about our new president is his passion for serving first-generation students – an experience he shares with more than half of our student population,” Joseph said.

Fredrickson succeeds Joe Grabowski, who had served as board president since September 2022.

Now stepping into an elevated role, Fredrickson will aim to continue the work already underway by himself and by the board as a whole.

“My goal as president is to strengthen BSU’s capacity to connect alumni, students and university systems in ways that better serve northern Minnesota,” Fredrickson said. “We all do better when every diverse community and the individuals within them do better.”