How an Uplifting Executive Assistant Helps Keep Everyone—& Everything—Afloat
It isn’t yet 6 a.m. in Underwood, ND, and most of the world is still asleep. But not Raulie Berthold. Her headlights cut through the morning darkness as she backs out of the driveway, mentally rehearsing the morning’s order: a blend of coffee preferences and various breakfast snacks.
Every item was kindly requested the evening before, with payments trickling into her Venmo account overnight—a small tradition that’s emerged ahead of the Executive Leadership team’s quarterly offsite strategy sessions. By the time everyone arrives at the rendezvous point and settles in for a long day of brainstorming, the coffee is hot, the room is set up, and nobody gives a second thought to how it all came together.
That’s simply how Berthold rolls.
A few hours later, she’s weaving between conference rooms with a laptop tucked under one arm and a baby in the other—not to mention a mental checklist a mile long. The day’s agenda is looking pretty full, but she’s got this: leading an Employee Recognition Committee meeting, tracking down a few signatures, and coordinating with onsite contractors, for starters. And if something urgent comes up, she knows she can lovingly hand baby off to one of the office’s self-appointed “aunties,” Della or Darla, and be off solving the next problem before most people even realize it exists.
It’s a lot for one person to carry. But if you ask anyone who works alongside Berthold, they’ll tell you she carries it with an easy smile, a calm head, and an uncanny ability to make the hardest logistical puzzles look effortless.
Raulie Berthold isn’t intimidated by big responsibilities—whether she’s coordinating complex projects at NDIT or keeping up with her family’s larger-than-life Great Dane.
Made for the Mix
As Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator, Berthold jokingly describes her role as a “catch-all.”
Between travel arrangements, records retention, meeting minutes—and everything in between—if there’s a logistical thread running through NDIT, chances are it crosses her desk.
And she loves every second of it.
I’m not locked into one silo or task,” she says. “I get to interact with all of the divisions, and I get to welcome people when they come into the building. I really like that variety.
That luster for logistics began long before NDIT.
Growing up, Berthold served as team manager for her older brother’s football, hockey, and baseball teams. While the athletes took the field, she made sure uniforms, equipment, and the countless little details behind the scenes were ready to go.
I think it’s just always been something I’ve enjoyed doing,” she says. “I like reaching goals. But if I’m being honest, I like helping other people reach goals even more, because seeing the results when it’s a team effort is a lot more fun.
That passion led her to North Dakota State University, where she earned a degree in hospitality and tourism management before spending 12 years with Texas Roadhouse, eventually becoming a Senior Service Manager.
Berthold loved the fast-paced environment of restaurant life, but the nights, weekends, and 55-hour workweeks became harder to balance with the family she and her husband wanted to build. She decided to look for something better, and after hearing positive things about state employment from a friend, she applied for a position at NDIT.
The connection was immediate.
We just hit it off!
Berthold says of her interview with fellow team members Shelly Miller, Tabitha Teel, and Darla Van Vleet, adding that she accepted the offer in June 2022 and hasn’t looked back.
Berthold is no stranger to juggling moving parts—whether it’s coordinating schedules at NDIT or keeping up with the daily adventures of three children at home.
Keeping Her Cool While Crafting the Culture
Spend any time around Berthold and one thing becomes obvious: she doesn’t rattle easily.
Coworkers still remember a previous all-team-member meeting when the catered lunch failed to arrive on time. While anxiety spread throughout some of her colleagues, Berthold stayed calm and focused on finding solutions.
It legitimately was a real-life nightmare,” she laughs. “But I set that stress aside and looked for a solution.
She compares it to the emotions featured in the movie Inside Out—stress and anxiety may be bouncing around internally, but showing panic only makes everyone else panic too. Ultimately, the lunch arrived, the event was a success, and most attendees never knew how close things came to going sideways.
That same steady presence carries into one of her favorite responsibilities: serving as a Culture Rise trainer for NDIT.
I want people to be happy when they come to work,
she says. If you can bring positivity to what you do, even on the harder days, it makes all the difference in terms of building a strong culture.
That optimism extends beyond the office.
When life throws curveballs—whether it’s a neighborhood pool unexpectedly closing during a summer heat wave or family schedules changing at the last minute—Berthold simply adapts.
Do the thing, then do the thing for the thing,
she says with a laugh. Then have a backup plan.
A Family That’s Part of the Family
Berthold and her husband met at North Dakota State University nearly 20 years ago. Together they’re raising three beautiful children and a happy-go-lucky Great Dane in Underwood, roughly an hour north of Bismarck. They enjoy being surrounded by family, friends, and a community they’ve always loved.
Family is at the heart of everything Berthold does, providing the support and inspiration behind her positive outlook.
The kicker: their kids have become somewhat famous in NDIT circles. Barrett, Berthold’s oldest “little tornado,” can regularly be found challenging Enterprise Desktop Admin Josh Kubarii to a game of chess during lunch breaks. Middle son Phelan, meanwhile, recently developed a full-blown case of hero worship for Technology Business Partner Lyle Nieuwsma, refusing to leave his side (or let anyone else sit next to him).
And then there’s baby girl KoDee, who has quickly earned a reputation as the agency’s unofficial mascot. Whether she’s making the rounds at the annual All-Hands meeting or lighting up during an AI discussion at one of NDIT’s monthly Fireside Chats, KoDee has become another reminder that NDIT’s culture is about so much more than the work—it’s about the team behind the tech and the relationships that make NDIT a place where everyone belongs.
That sense of belonging is something Berthold treasures. “I’ve never had supervisors and coworkers who care so deeply about their people as the ones I’ve found at NDIT,” she says.
Baby KoDee listens intently as Team NDIT shares insights about AI during the monthly Fireside Chat—proof that curiosity (and a little excitement) starts early.
Spreading the Word
Over the years, Berthold has encouraged friends and former coworkers to consider careers with the agency, including a former Texas Roadhouse colleague who now works at EduTech, an NDIT subsidiary.
"I can’t think of a negative when it comes to working for NDIT,” she says. “Positive atmosphere, competitive growth—I would tell anybody to pursue a career here."
Her enthusiasm reflects the kind of workplace NDIT strives to be. It’s one reason the agency has been recognized by the Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals Network as a Top 10 Workplace for two consecutive years.
For Berthold, though, the awards aren’t what matter most. What’s really important is being part of an organization where people genuinely care about one another—where leaders encourage team members to put family first when life demands it, celebrate one another’s successes, and step in to help without hesitation.
You definitely have your own little work family here,” she says. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Everybody Loves Raulie
Ask around NDIT, and you’ll hear the same sentiment again and again: everybody loves Raulie.
Not because she seeks recognition, but because she’s the kind of person who quietly makes everyone else’s jobs a little easier—and days a little brighter.
She’s the boss of the backup plan, the champion of cheering on others, someone everyone can count on when it matters most—qualities that have shaped the optimism behind her favorite mantra.
Just keep swimming.