I first met Tim Bernhardt through his mom, Donna Bernhardt while working for North Dakota State University Extension. She is a very caring "let-me-take-you-under-my-wing" type of person, and not too surprisingly her son is the same way.
There have been just a few times that I've made it through a conversation without laughcries (those times when you cry from laughing so hard) thanks to Tim's sense of humor.
Tim, a member of the Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals, is what we call a "boomeranger."
His parents are from Bemidji and Chicago and met at UND.
"From what I have heard, my dad graduated but spent the majority of his time either playing basketball or shooting pool downstairs at the (Memorial) Union," he said.
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Tim was born and raised in Grand Forks and graduated from UND with a degree in business entrepreneurship. Shortly after graduation, he moved to Denver for two years. While Denver was a great experience, he decided that family was much more important than scenery, so he found himself back in the Grand Cities.
"I have great family and friends and love the Midwest character that we epitomize," he said.
He currently works for Prudential Crary Real Estate in Grand Forks, where he's been for the better part of four years. He understands that buying or selling a home can be a stressful experience, so he finds it rewarding to help reduce people's stress levels and help them reach their goals.
It's no secret that Grand Forks has a very unique housing market, and Tim said that he feels lucky to work with great people and have a job he enjoys.
Tim is not someone who sits still very well, and has a number of different activities that occupy his spare time. Hunting and fishing are high on the priority list.
"It's great spending time outdoors in North Dakota." Tim said. The Devils Lake area is his stomping grounds for most of those types of activities, he said.
When he is able, he also likes to channel his inner "Tim the Tool Man Taylor" to remodel his home using trial and error, YouTube, and friends for help.
Tim enjoys staying active at the new Choice Health & Fitness or playing basketball and golf when time allows.
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It's clear that Tim enjoys the simple things in life: "Grand Forks is great because you don't need to be afraid to make eye contact with strangers and you can get anywhere within 10 minutes."
Heggen is executive director of Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals. Reach her at Stacey@ggfyp.com or at (218) 779-9369. Go to the group's website at GGFYP.com.
