Who We Are

Local Support From Local Experts

At HighRoad Partners, we deliver unique HR and Benefits solutions to meet your company’s needs. With a team that is experienced in all areas of our business so that you can go to any one of our staff members, knowing that you will get knowledgeable expertise that you can trust.

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Michelle Kommer

Owner

Michelle has a passion for building great teams, leaving things better than she found them, and helping businesses be successful.  She is a self-described “process geek” and gets satisfaction from helping businesses build efficient and streamlined infrastructure. Michelle previously served as North Dakota’s Labor Commissioner and Commerce Commissioner, which provided a close-up view of the challenges and triumphs of small business owners.  “It’s my goal to create a beautiful harmony by partnering with small businesses to assist with their ‘people systems’ (what we are good at) so the small business can focus on building and growing its core (what they are good at).” 

Prior to her public service, she spent more than 20 years in the private sector, serving in executive Human Resource, Legal and Operational leadership roles in a variety of industries including financial services, manufacturing, heavy construction, energy, and health insurance.  She is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Senior Certified Professional (S-CP) in Human Resources, and is licensed to practice law in North Dakota and Minnesota. Michelle is a passionate advocate for child welfare, as a foster and adoptive parent. She founded the ND Heart Gallery, a non-profit promoting the need for adoptive families for ND children. She and husband Toby are raising three fierce, funny, fantastic daughters, plus dogs (plural), and a cat (singular).

Sheri Bartels

HR Partner

Sheri is an experienced Human Resources professional with a passion for servicing clients and their employees.  Her extensive experience includes onboarding, employee benefits & payroll, and employee relations counseling.  Sheri is a team player who is reliable, highly organized, and a problem solver with great communication skills.  Her zest for relationship management shows in her dedication to small mid-sized employers and she takes pride in being part of their success stories.  

Sheri has worked in the Human Resources field her entire professional career.  She and her husband have two children and stay busy cheering them on in their activities.  Sheri enjoys volunteering for various charities especially when they make a difference in a child’s life. 

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Maria Wingenbach

Agent
Maria is a self-proclaimed benefits enthusiast who enjoys helping people understand their benefit options, ensuring the plan fits their individual needs, and problem-solving to make the end user’s experience as stress-free as possible. Maria’s background in employee benefits transitioned into helping individuals with Medicare as they prepare to retire and beyond! It is her goal to help you leave her office feeling calm and confident in your benefit choices, all while having a little fun along the way. 
 
Maria’s HR career has spanned over 15 years, specializing in employee benefits, compensation, and leave the administration in the higher education, food service, and retail industries. Maria graduated from Concordia College with a B.A. in Business Management. Maria and her husband stay busy with two children and a Mini Schnauzer. In her spare time, she enjoys attending the kids’ activities as well as finding new adventures in the Leech Lake and Fargo areas.

Sarah Dockter

Agent

Sarah is devoted to providing excellent customer service to her clients and is always willing to go the extra mile. Sarah has over six years of experience in human resources and benefits management. In her young, but flourishing career, Sarah has developed strong relationships with her clients by understanding their needs and offering quick and effective solutions to meet those needs. She prides herself in exceeding expectations to ensure that her clients always have a positive experience. In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, Sarah believes that continual learning is important to earning and maintaining her clients’ trust. She regularly dedicates herself to learning new software programs and earning certificates to demonstrate her commitment to her clients.

Sarah is a graduate of Minnesota State University of Moorhead where she earned her B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management and a Human Resources Business Partner minor. She is Society for Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and a member of the Fargo-Moorhead Human Resources Association (FMHRA). She is also licensed to provide accident, health, life, and annuity insurance in the state of North Dakota and Minnesota.

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Kayla Leeds

Agent
Kayla specializes in Medicare and Individual health insurance.  She is committed to carefully explaining and educating clients on their options and helping them choose the plan that is best for them.  Kayla has over ten years of experience in the insurance industry and takes pride in being a resource and guiding clients through the entire process.
 
Kayla is a graduate of the Minnesota School of Business with a degree in Marketing. Kayla and her husband have one daughter and two dogs that keep them busy.  Kayla looks forward to the summer weekends camping and enjoying their family time.

Erin Koeppe

Agent / HR Partner

With more than 15 years of experience in Human Resources, Erin values partnership and connection with clients to support their needs. She is dedicated to anticipating and exceeding customer expectations, creating efficient processes, and executing details to reach effective solutions. Erin looks forward to working with the team to serve clients through human resources tools and benefits, cheering on businesses and the value they provide to our community.

Erin has a background in recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, training, and benefits administration within the financial services, retail, and higher education industries. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from North Dakota State University (Go Bison!), and holds PHR and SHRM-CP certifications.

Erin and her husband have three children. When she isn’t busy enjoying the kids’ activities, you can find her spending time with friends and family and enjoying the outdoors.

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Karla Koenig

Client Experience Manager
Karla is our Client Experience Manager and has a passion for designing and implementing business operations to ensure internal processes and systems are constantly evolving to exceed client and team experiences. She is committed to analyzing and enhancing the client experience to best meet the needs of clients.  Karla has over twenty years of experience assisting executives with all administrative operations.  
 
Karla is a graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead with a B.S. degree in Business Administration. Karla and her husband Tracy have a daughter at NDSU, a son in high school, and a loyal lab named Ruger.

Tina Sailors

Client Support Specialist

Tina Sailors is our Client Support Specialist and is passionate about serving others.  When you call HighRoad Partners, she is the one who is quick to answer your phone call and direct you to the right resource.  Tina provides specialized support to our Medicare, Individual and Group agents and is always looking for ways to improve the experience of her teammates and clients. In her free time, Tina likes to fish, crochet, sew and enjoy her grandchildren.

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