Aimalojic Board Members
Carol A Rae – – Ms. Rae is a founder and currently serves as a Director, President and Chairman of the Board of Immutrix. Ms. Rae served as President and CEO of Magnum Diamond Corporation, a Rapid City, South Dakota ophthalmic medical device start-up company. As CEO of Magnum Diamond Corporation, Carol was named the South Dakota Small Business Person of the Year, the Region VIII (eight state region) Small Business Person of the Year, and the Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Person of the Year, 1st Runner-up. After the sale of Magnum Diamond to Chiron Vision Corporation, she served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Chiron Refractive Division, and later as Senior Vice President and Consulting Manager for Governmental Affairs. During her tenure at Chiron Vision, the refractive division completed the acquisition of three additional businesses, internationally, resulting in a combined company later acquired by Bausch and Lomb.
Ms. Rae served as a member of the Board of Directors of the US Chamber of Commerce for six years, as a member of the US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council and chaired numerous committees. She was an elected delegate from South Dakota for the White House Conference on Small Business and had an active leadership role as architect of Small Business legislative initiative recommendations for the White House conference on Small Business. Ms. Rae served on the Board of Directors for Homestake Mining Company for seven years. Her experience at Homestake included serving the Finance and Audit, Environmental, Compensation and Director Affairs Committees. Homestake Mining Company was acquired by Toronto based Barrick Gold Corporation and Ms. Rae served on the merger/acquisition committee for the Board of Directors. She also served on the Board of Directors for VanKoevering Company, Fountain Pharmaceuticals, and CytoLogic, Inc., where she also served as Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Rae received a Bachelor of Science degree, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of South Dakota and has numerous master’s degree credits in secondary and community education with an emphasis in Biology. She also received a certificate of leadership in corporate governance from Stanford University’s Director’s College. In June, 2017 Ms. Rae was South Dakota’s recipient of “Entrepreneur of the Year” presented by SD Governor, Dennis Daugaard.
Stephanie Lien D’Urso, MBA – Stephanie was appointed a Director on April 1, 2020, and elected to the Board of Directors by the shareholders on March 30, 2021. Stephanie was born and raised in Rapid City, SD and is an owner of a generational family company, Pete Lien and Sons. She received a BS in Biology from Creighton University where she completed an internship with a renowned reproductive physiologist at the Henry Doorly Zoo.
After graduating with a Biology degree, Stephanie studied reproductive physiology and genetics for a year in the post graduate progran at Colorado State University and obtained a certificate in equine artificial insemination under Dr. Squires, the head of the CSU Equine Reproductive program. Stephanie then went on to earn an MBA in Finance from Regis University. She began her career working for South Dakota’s Senator Pressler in Washington DC. After that, she managed a private placement investment partnership, of which she was 1/9th owner. In 2006, Stephanie started her own real estate firm, VIP Properties, with the intention of raising the level of ethics and professionalism in her industry. She focused primarily on the luxury real estate market. In 2016, Stephanie sold VIP Properties after successfully growing it to a large and reputable company in Rapid City, SD.
After selling VIP Properties, Stephanie decided to focus her time on being of service to her community, her state and her country. This includes serving as a foster home for the Black Hills Humane Society, serving as an advocate for survivors of sex trafficking, recruiting and helping candidates for local and state elections, serving on the BOD of Protecting South Dakota Kids and serving as the South Dakota Chair of the Trump Victory Finance Committee. In addition to her service to her community, state and country, Stephanie has been focusing on her own equine breeding program. Stephanie is the proud mother of six children and the wife of Dr. Michael D’Urso, an Interventional Cardiologist at Monument Health.
Over the last thirty years, Rich Otto has been involved in various boards and leadership positions in his job, community, church, and alma mater. He serves on the Creighton University Parent and Family Leadership Council, Holy Rosary Finance Committee, and Holy Rosary Parish Council. He has previously served on the Box Butte General Hospital Foundation Board, the St. Agnes Academy School Board, and the Alliance Historic Main Street Board, and he was an Elks Exalted Ruler, among others. He has spent countless hours volunteering because he has been fortunate and feels it is essential to give back
Rich graduated from Creighton University in 1991 and began an internship in 1992 with a company in the financial industry, where he continues to work over thirty years later. His wife, Aimee, is a pharmacist. They grew up in Kearney, Nebraska, attended Creighton, and have lived in Alliance, Nebraska since 1994. They have four children. Maggie, 26, has a Pharmacy Degree from UNMC in Omaha; Josie, 23, has a Master’s in Financial Planning and Financial Psychology from Creighton University; Lillie, 22, is pursuing a Doctor of Occupational Therapy at Creighton’s OT School; and Charlie, 22, is a Marketing major with a minor in Entrepreneurship and is earning a Sales Certificate through the Center for Sales Excellence program at UNL in Lincoln, Nebraska
Rich is a Financial Advisor and leader who is frequently looked to for his knowledge and advice. He strives to lead by example, always doing his best and encouraging others to do the same. While approachable and willing to listen, he is direct and decisive when he needs to be. He is a clear, concise communicator and efficient with his time. He is well respected within his firm and community and is recognized for his ability to drive for results and get the job done. His integrity is foremost in his decision-making, and he can make the tough calls when necessary. In his business, he strives to learn what is most important to his clients and help them discover and reach their goals.
Besides being a Financial Advisor, Rich is a former Regional Leader and Principal of his financial firm. He was chosen to be a Regional Leader because he is a highly successful, well-respected veteran Financial Advisor committed to advancing his region’s overall health and growth. After eight years in the role, he recently decided to step down to have more time to spend with his family and serving clients. He remains highly involved in educating, guiding, and Spporting new and veteran Financial Advisors. Through this mentorship, he continues to help identify and develop future leaders for his region’s overall success and climate. Rich is grateful for the opportunity to serve his company and peers and finds it immensely rewarding.
As a board member, Rich is driven to make the company successful. He will listen to the concerns of the shareholders, administration, and employees and continually educate himself on all aspects of the company. He is committed to the success and reaching the full potential of ImmutriX and its subsidiaries
Brad Hennrich – CEO Healthy Food Ingredients/Owner Hesco Inc./Owner/ Operator JBH Farms
As part of the senior management team of Hesco Inc., in my role as VP of sales, I helped to transition Hesco Inc. from a local feed and petfood supplier with one plant in Watertown SD, into a national player in the food and petfood space supplying healthy ingredients to major US and international CPG companies such as Kellogg’s, Procter and Gamble, Tuffy’s Pet Food, and others.
In 2007 I became owner and President through a management buyout and grew the business from approximately $15 MM in annual revenue to $40MM annual revenue by 2014. During that time Hesco became one of the premier ingredient suppliers to all the major food and pet food companies in the US including new additions such as Mars Food and Mars Pet, Hills Pet Nutrition, Nestle SA, Cliff Bar, Bob’s Red Mill, General Mills, Post, Blue Buffalo, Simple Mills, Red Collar, Nabisco, Organic Valley, Danone, ADM, and ConAgra in addition to many others. We also expanded our footprint by adding a second production facility in Hasting Nebraska.
In 2015 Hesco rebranded as Healthy Food Ingredients (HFI) and I became its CEO (and significant shareholder). With new investment capital HFI soon acquired additional likeminded and similar positioned companies, SK Foods with a facility in Moorhead Mn, Suntava Purple Corn out of Minneapolis MN, and Heartland Flax with a facility in Valley City ND. Each company brought a unique addition to the capabilities and product portfolio allowing us to become one of the largest specialty ingredient companies in the US suppling healthy grains and seeds in various minimally processed forms to our customer base.
In my many roles in senior management, shareholder, and owner I oversaw all aspects of the business including sales, marketing, customer service, quality, legal, procurement, sustainability, operations, human resources, IT, finance, and all forms of relationships with suppliers, banking, certifiers and most importantly, customers. My biggest achievements where to seek out, acquire and develop an impeccable senior leadership team to drive our company forward with the one mission, to be the very best at supplying healthy sustainable ingredients to the food and pet food industries.
With the transition to HFI, as CEO I was solely responsible for board presentation and communication as it related to performance, return on equity, debt management (both lead lender, sub debt and equipment leasing arrangements), cap ex investment, and budget creation. I also communicated our performance related to budget as well as the strategic vision and how it would be implemented to ensure our current and future success. I met quarterly with our full board (6 standing members with additional personnel joining based on situational needs) giving a complete update on growth strategy, current financial and operational performance, strategic direction, and special projects.
My wife Jami and I also own and operate JBH Farms. We grow row crops (corn and soy) on approximately 600 acres in Eastern SD. Oddly enough my other business HFI, does not sell any of the products that JBH produces. This allows us to strategically separate the businesses to ensure diversification and operational independence.
Strengths: Strategy creation and implementation, revenue enhancement, individual and team development, operational efficiency, customer relationship management, acquisition research and onboarding, culture creation and refinement.
Education: South Dakota State University, commercial economics major and ag business minor and member of SDSU’s wresting team for 4 years.
Personal: Jami and I have been married for 30 years and live in near Arlington, SD. We have three daughters (all graduates of SDSU) and four grandchildren. Both my wife and I love outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, and 4×4 trail riding as well as sharing in our children’s and grandchildren activities.
Dr. Ronald L. Shape was born in Watertown, SD. He received the Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Accounting in 1990 from Dakota Wesleyan University, an MBA in 1996 from the University of South Dakota, and a Doctor of Education degree in Adult and Higher Education Administration in 2001 from the University of South Dakota.
In 1991, Dr. Shape began his career in higher education at National American University’s Ellsworth Air Force Base campus in western South Dakota. Over his 30 plus year career, Dr. Shape held numerous roles, including: System Assistant Director of Financial Aid, System Controller, Executive Vice President, Regional President, Chief Fiscal Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and President/Chief Executive Officer.
In these roles, Dr. Shape managed the oversight for the policies and procedures to ensure compliance with multiple regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Defense, and multiple other state and regulatory agencies. In addition, Dr. Shape managed the fiscal operations of a multi-state, multi-location system with a domestic and international presence. He coordinated the development and execution of the policies, procedures, and processes to ensure fiscal responsibility, clean audits with no findings or deficiencies, growing revenue streams, launching new business verticals, strategic and operational planning; and leading the organization in a capital raise through a reverse merger with a SPAC to become a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ.
Dr. Shape has spent over 12 years working in the public capital markets, providing quarterly and annual shareholder meetings, presenting at numerous conferences, managing public relations, and working with several large investment firms and analysts to build the demand for the company’s stock. He is well versed in financial planning, including budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow needs; strategic planning, with a focus on building shareholder value, revenue growth, operating efficiencies, and the process of taking a company public.
