Top 5 Under 40

By Tara Bitzan, Executive Director, Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce

Each year, the Alexandria Chamber and the Echo Press partner to honor young professionals in the community through the Top 5 Under 40 awards program. These individuals are recognized for their professional achievements, community involvement and overall depth of qualities.
We’re excited to introduce you to this year’s honorees!
Christina Bleeker is a Supply Chain Analyst with 3M. She graduated from Rutgers University in New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science degree in Supply Chain Management and Marketing. She moved to Alexandria two years ago with 3M company. She has worked on numerous cost-saving projects in support of key initiatives for the Abrasive Systems Division. Within the 3M company she has served as the 3M Gives Community Chair, led the United Way campaign, served on the Relay for Life committee and the 3M Club committee. She believes to be an impactful leader you must genuinely care about your peers as well as your community.
Daylon Faber is the owner of Farmers Union Insurance Agency – Faber Insurance. Daylon started his career as a teacher – a foundation that proved helpful as he later transitioned into the insurance business. He was drawn to the idea of helping and educating people and eventually opened his own insurance agency in his hometown of Alexandria. He has since been recognized as the Farmers Union Top Producer of New Brokerage in Minnesota and achieved the Farmers Union Summit Award for being one of the top agents in the state.  He is involved with Rotary, the Boy Scouts, Honor Flight, Oletober Fest, the Pitch Your Plan Challenge, Leadership Alexandria, serves as a FAN Coach at Alexandria Area High School, and coaches his children’s activities.
Tyler Golberg is the co-founder of CYBERsprout. He got his start by taking online website development classes. He honed his skills by working on HomeSpotHQ.com, an online web app for managing house maintenance. When he moved back to his hometown of Alexandria in 2013, he was asked to help with a friend’s website. This led to another project, and another, until a few months later CYBERsprout was born. The company has since grown to 7 team members working in 12 states. In 2016, Tyler was named one of Minnesota Business Magazine’s 35 Under 35 Young Entrepreneurs. He has been involved with Rotary, the Alexandria Technical and Community College Foundation and Communication Arts Advisory Board, the Splash Pad Vision Group, and the BCE Academy Advisory Board at Alexandria Area High School.
Brittney Thoreson is the Vice President of Housing for Knute Nelson. She graduated from the Healthcare Management Program at Concordia College in Moorhead in 2009. She was hired by Knute Nelson in 2011 as the Housing Advisor and later transitioned to a Therapy Supervisor position in Knute Nelson’s Home Care Division. She was later promoted to Director of Hospice and then to Vice President of Hospice. Today, she serves as Vice President of Housing and oversees four residential senior living communities for the company. She is a board member of The Written Gift, is an Advance Directive facilitator and serves on the Task Force on Opioid and Abuse Reduction. She is a graduate of Knute Nelson’s Leadership Academy, the Chamber’s Leadership Alexandria program and is a current Fellow in the Leadership Academy through Leading Age Minnesota.
Andrew Wiener is an attorney with McCarten Law Firm. He majored in Political Science at St. Cloud State University and attended the Willamette University College of Law in Oregon. He was accepted to the Minnesota Bar in 2011 and was hired as an associate attorney at Tillitt McCarten Johnson & Haseman in Alexandria. In 2013, the firm restructured as McCarten Law Firm and in 2015 Wiener was promoted to partner. He served as vice president and later president of the Douglas County Bar Association. He works in Family Law, Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation and Estate Planning. He also represents low-income clients on behalf of Legal Services of NW Minnesota and volunteers with a Law Clinic hosted by West Central Minnesota Communities Action. He also volunteers with the Father’s Resource Program, Alexandria Area High School Mock Trial program, Douglas County Library Friends and Foundation, Matt Kjelland Memorial Foundation and youth basketball programs.
The honorees will be honored at the Chamber’s Annual Celebration on Monday, January 28 at Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center in Alexandria and will be featured in the Chamber’s Year in Review publication, published by and inserted into the Echo Press on January 30.