"It is with deep gratitude and appreciation that the University of Mary welcomes these outstanding individuals to its board of trustees," says Father James Shea, university president. "Their diverse talents and perspectives, shared commitment to values-based education, and willingness to serve in this critical role will be invaluable in carrying forth the university's distinctive mission of preparing innovative leaders with moral courage."

Julie Liffrig Fedorchak is a true daughter of North Dakota. Born in Williston, she grew up in Fargo, and graduated from high school in Bismarck. After earning a degree in journalism from the University of North Dakota, she embarked on what has been a 20-plus-year career in communications and public policy, beginning as a communications specialist with the UND Foundation. Following a two-year stint in media relations at the University of Maryland, she returned to her home state, where she served as communications director for Gov. Ed Schafer.

Fedorchak went on to establish Liffrig Communications in Bismarck, a consulting firm providing marketing, media, and government relations services. In 2007, she began sharing her insights into political and cultural issues with readers throughout the area as a bi-weekly columnist for the Bismarck Tribune.

After 10 years in consulting, Fedorchak rejoined public service in January 2011 as deputy state director for Sen. John Hoeven's office and was promoted to state director that November. In announcing her appointment, Sen. Hoeven cited her wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors and her quality work. In November of 2012, she was appointed to the ND Public Service Commission.

Fedorchak and her husband Mike, along with their three children, live in Bismarck, where they are active in their church and community organizations. In addition to writing and discussing issues of the day, Julie cites "simple pleasures," such as cooking and eating with friends, being outside, and "growing closer to God by studying the most amazing book on earth-the Bible," as key in her life.

Father Michael Keating is a Catholic priest and academician whose commitment to youth, the advancement of Christian higher education, and the formation of tomorrow's leaders has garnered international recognition. A priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and tenured associate professor at the University of St. Thomas in the Twin Cities, he also serves as St. Thomas' Rome program manager.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Keating earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree in education from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. During this time, as a lay member of an ecumenical, international religious community, he worked in various campus-ministry settings, including at the universities of Michigan and Minnesota, as well as in European and Latin American venues. Keating went on to study at Oxford and was awarded a doctorate in intellectual history from the University of Notre Dame. In the course of his studies for the priesthood, he also earned a Master of Arts in theology at the Angelicum in Rome. His area of overall academic expertise is the development of modern culture, especially as that development has expressed itself in the history of higher education and the structure of educational institutions.

An active member of the St. Thomas Catholic Studies Department faculty, Keating teaches courses ranging from Renaissance art and culture, to modern intellectual and church history, to theological anthropology, to modern Catholic literature. He is also the founder and current director of St. Thomas' Habiger Institute for Catholic Leadership, in which he has found common ground with the University of Mary's Emerging Leaders Academy.

Keating further serves the educational and religious community by sharing his knowledge and insights on themes including Church history, American youth culture, and the vocation of a faith-based university, as a speaker to various groups in the United States and abroad.

Troy M. Nelson is a North Dakotan who, while gaining national recognition for his professional accomplishments, gives generously of his time and talents in his community. From 1994 to 1996, Nelson was a student at the University of Mary and a defensive line player for the Marauders. A graduate of Moorhead State University with a degree in finance and an Accredited Asset Management Specialist, Nelson is a limited partner at Edward Jones. Based in Bismarck, he operates the largest office in the firm, and was named North Dakota's 2012 number one overall financial advisor by Barron's Magazine. He also has been included on the "40 Under 40" list of business leaders in the Bismarck Tribune's Business Watch supplement.

A believer in education and giving back, Nelson has taught investment classes for Bismarck State College and is a board member for the Your Financial Health initiative started by the state treasurer to promote financial literacy in North Dakota. He also serves as a board member of New Song Church and for the local Campus Crusade and ND Fire, and is involved with missionary work in Honduras with Lighthouse Ministries.

A 1994 graduate of Bismarck High School, Nelson has been married to the former Kree Robinson for 14 years. The couple has three daughters: Maddie, Emma and Olivia.