Granite Partners Team

The Granite Partners Team

Rick Bauerly

Founder & CEO

Rick is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Granite Partners, shaping vision and strategy. In prior roles, Rick co-founded Venture Allies, was in general management at Bauerly Companies, and worked for Deloitte & Touche. A graduate of Saint John's University, Rick also holds an MBA and MPA from Harvard University. In the community, Rick helped build the Anderson Center, a nonprofit dedicated to management and leadership development, and serves on its board. He also serves on the Minnesota Chamber Foundation board and is a prior board member for CentraCare Health and Initiative Foundation. He was an incorporator of the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation and is a United Way Leader in Giving. On a personal note, Rick enjoys time with family, nature and travel, and triathlons with friends.

Madelyn Blaha

Office & Innovation Center Administrator

As Office & Innovation Center Administrator, Madelyn manages processes and services, builds efficiencies, and supports the Granite Partners team and stakeholders in the Granite community. She joined the firm in 2021, bringing experience from her role as campus administrator of Little Falls Health Services. She earned a BBA in Health Care Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. Madelyn supports locally owned businesses and nonprofit organizations, and she enjoys traveling and taking walks with her dog.

Riley Blake

Controller

Riley serves as Controller for Granite Partners, converting financial data into timely, relevant, accurate, and user-friendly reports for stakeholders. He joined the firm in 2021, bringing experience from senior roles at Otter Tail Corporation and KPMG. With stellar undergraduate academics, Riley received the 2018 St. Cloud State University Outstanding Accounting Graduate award. Riley participates in Rotaract, a club of young, community-oriented leaders, and enjoys reading and watching sports.

Melissa Blasing

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Melissa is Executive Assistant to the CEO for Granite Partners, serving as representative, advisor, and diplomat to support and empower the CEO. She joined the firm in 2021, bringing experience from her role as Program Manager of the AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AAIC) initiative, part of a U.S. Department of Justice training program. Melissa earned both a BA and an MS in Criminal Justice from St. Cloud State University. Her community interests include the United Way, Anna Marie’s Alliance, and the Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center; she enjoys traveling and exploring the outdoors.

Kari Block

Recruiting Associate

As a Recruiting Associate, Kari engages in the firm's recruiting activities to attract, recruit, and retain top talent at the Granite Companies. She joined the firm in 2021, bringing experience from roles at Korn Ferry and Epicor Software. Kari is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Kari enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and staying active with outdoor activities and fitness classes.

Jolene Blooflat

NetSuite Administrator

As NetSuite Administrator, Jolene is passionate about optimizing systems to create user efficiencies. Serving as the global administrator of Granite’s foundational business system, she enables growth of the Granite Companies by leveraging NetSuite. She joined the firm in 2022 with more than 10 years’ experience optimizing, automating, and scaling NetSuite across various industries. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management. A native Minnesotan, Jolene and her family make their home in Fort Ripley where she enjoys crafting, reading, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Paul Cameron

Operating Partner

Paul represents Granite Partners on the Massman Companies and Vector boards. Paul's prior work with Granite Partners includes serving as Chief Financial Officer for seven years, overseeing Granite Partners' financial processes as well as its tax, regulatory and compliance matters. He joined the firm in 2015 after leadership roles at Atomic Learning, Hennepin Paper Company and Bauerly Companies. He is a Brown University graduate, and he earned his MBA at the Carlson School of Management. Paul is actively involved in his community through the hospital, the zoo, Cub Scouts, the Lions, his church, and more. He hopes to golf in all 50 states and, happily, is "almost finished" with only one state remaining.

Angie Krtnick Complin

Talent Director

As Talent Director, Angie recruits top talent into key leadership positions at the Granite Companies and leads a next-generation talent strategy focused on internship programming for the companies. She joined the firm in 2016, bringing a range of experience from roles at Salo, Best Buy, and Grant Thornton. She is a College of Saint Benedict graduate, she earned her MBA at the Carlson School of Management, and she is an inactive CPA. Angie is an active member of the Saint Ben's Alumnae Board and is involved in Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church ministries. She is personally energized by staying active with her fitness, golfing and traveling the world.

Laura DeSpain

Communications Coordinator

Laura serves as the Communications Coordinator, managing marketing communications and supporting all team and firm operations. She joined Granite Partners in 2016 with experience serving customers and clients at March of Dimes, Glensheen Mansion, and Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, where she wrote communications plans and implemented social media strategies. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth. In her downtime, Laura enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and reading.

Pat Edeburn

Operating Partner & Co-Founder

Pat is a co-founder and now Operating Partner, guiding the firm's ownership and stewardship of Microbiologics and Altimate Medical Holdings. In previous positions, Pat was the Director of Corporate Accounts for Medtronic and a consultant with Deloitte & Touche. A graduate of Carleton College, Pat earned his MBA at Harvard. He is actively involved with First United Methodist Church and the United Way of Central Minnesota. In his free time, Pat enjoys hunting, fishing and biking.

Chris Fredrick

Content Director

As a member of the communications team, Chris helps advance Granite Partners’ mission, vision, values, and 100-year sustainability objective. She writes and edits copy for Granite Partners and advises to support a consistent voice across platforms, materials, and media. Previously a Venture Allies consultant, she brings experience in communications and training roles from Johnson Controls, Alignmark, and IBM. She holds a BA from Concordia College and an MS from the U of M. In her free time, Chris enjoys reading, running, and traveling internationally.

Christine Heinzeller

Director of Tax and Compliance

As the Director of Tax and Compliance, Christine coordinates tax, regulatory, accounting, and compliance matters. She joined the firm in 2012 with broad prior experience gained through her work with Ernst & Young LLP and as a contracted tax professional to clients including CarVal Investors LP, TCF Bank, HB Fuller, Ameriprise Financial and many others. Christine graduated from UW-Madison. She volunteers in her children's school and enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with her family.

Thomas Hodgdon

Strategy & Analytics Director

Thomas guides the integrations of new investments, enables strategy development across the Granite Companies, leads data analytics projects, and fosters key partner relationships. He joined the firm in 2020, bringing experience from roles at McKinsey & Company and Target. He attended the University of Chicago, earning a bachelor's degree and an MBA graduating from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business as a Booth Scholar. Thomas currently serves on the board of the Our Lady of Grace Men's Club; he is an avid reader and an aspiring golfer, and he dreams of being a food critic.

Eric Jungels

Brand Director

As a member of the communications team, Eric helps advance Granite Partners’ mission, vision, values, and 100-year sustainability objective. He focuses on visuals, designing public-facing marketing materials and media. He began supporting the firm in 2011, bringing experience as communications director at Anderson Center and public affairs officer for the U.S. military. He holds a BS and an MBA from St. Cloud State University. An active volunteer for the Erickson Merkel Foundation, Eric enjoys hockey, real estate, and spending time with friends and family.

Shelly Bauerly Kopel

Partner

As a Partner, Shelly leads Granite Partners' governing activities and has been a key operating partner with the firm since its founding. Shelly brings considerable prior experience from her work with Venture Allies, the management consulting firm she co-founded and managed. Before that, she was Program Director for the Bush Leadership Program at the Carlson School of Management. She is a College of Saint Benedict graduate, and she holds advanced degrees from Harvard and the University of Minnesota. Shelly donates time and expertise to non-profits, and she enjoys biking, tennis, taking long walks, and spending time with her family.