Joel Dahlgren Resume

1. JOEL DAHLGREN
dahlgren@blackdogcooplaw.com
714 North Franklin Street, P.O. Box 775, New Ulm, MN 56073
612-819-8677
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCES THE LAST +5 YEARS
 [Feb 2017] Engaged to form new development stage technology cooperative.
 [Dec 2016] Engaged for agronomy joint venture, a merger, a dissolution and review of employee
handbooks.
 [Aug 2016] Resigned at the end of UFC’s fiscal year end to care for my wife. Continuing to practice
law and provide business consultation through Black Dog Co-op Law firm as sole practitioner.
 [Mar 2016] Contributed to successful unification with Brownton Co-op Ag Center by creating
objectives to secure high participation of members in voting process and high proportion of votes
cast in favor of unification.
 [Oct 2015] Developed business plan to leverage 521 tax exempt status to achieve minimum annual
tax savings of $1.0 million. This plan was ultimately rejected because bifurcated ownership of
agricultural and non-agricultural businesses was deemed too complex.
 [Sept. 2015] Support CEO’s billion dollar sales and growth initiative by relying on Co-op Metrics
and Land O’ Lakes financial benchmarks, and encouraging modification of incentive plan to
incorporate objective of achieving financial performance of upper quartile of co-ops.
 [Dec. 2014] Led efforts to secure +$400,000 of tax savings as tax exempt 521 co-op with DPAD and
distributing +$4.125 million of patronage earnings with non-qualified written notices of allocation.
 [Aug 2014] Recommend Co-op Metrics benchmarking membership in Iowa Institute of
Cooperatives, which was adopted by Management.
 [May 2014] Led efforts to secure and distribute added $2.0 million of DPAD deduction to grain
patrons, generating an estimated net tax savings of over $500,000 to grain patrons.
 [Feb. 2013] Contributed to successful unification with Waconia Farm Supply by creating objectives
to secure high participation of members in voting process and high proportion of votes cast in favor
of unification.
 [Nov. 2011] Leveraged 521 status to raise +2.5 million of preferred equity @7% dividend during
construction of +30.0 million grain facility and loop track
 [Oct. 2011] Contributed to managing CoBank relationship when construction of +30 million project
was begun without joint venture partner or term financing for the project.
 [Sept. 2011] Led efforts to take advantage of once in a lifetime opportunity to maximize gain on
transfer of grain assets from parent co-op to joint venture LLC. Helped secure last $4.0 million of
gain between market values of $14.0 million and $18.0 million. Book value was ~$9.0 million.
 [Dec. 2010] Identified opportunity to achieve 521 tax exempt status through merger with Farmers
Cooperative Elevator of Bird Island.

2. 2
 [Jan. 2010] Began employment at UFC and, from the start, assessed what UFC needed to
accomplish to strengthen its financial performance as the first line of managing risk by producing
superior financial performance compared to other co-ops and IOFs.
OBJECTIVES
To leverage my strengths and challenge my weaknesses every day to develop my talents, and to
encourage others to develop their talents as well.
To successfully manage or contribute to the management of a business organization through an
iterative process where first, the board of directors and employees agree on the organization’s potential
economic and financial production, second, a business and financial plan is developed to achieve the
agreed upon economic and financial objectives, third, use objective measurements of evidence to
assess progress toward the plan’s economic and financial objectives, and to hold management and the
board of directors accountable to continue to work toward plan objectives.
EDUCATION
University of Wisconsin - Madison
May 1992 Juris Doctorate
 Achieved Dean’s List
University of Minnesota – Mpls/St. Paul
June 1980 Agricultural Business Administration
 Graduated cum laude
 Phi Betta Kappa Honor Society
EXPERIENCE
Black Dog Co-op Law | 714 N. Franklin St., New Ulm, MN 56073
Attorney and Interim General Manager / CEO September 2016 – Present
 Focus of This Position: Corporate practice focused on cooperatives: mergers, acquisitions,
dissolutions, joint ventures, sales of all assets, work-out financially stressed debtors. Governance:
board of directors and management relationships; Employment law: review handbooks,
applications; negotiate terminations, handle inquiries from EEOC and MHRA directed to employer,
initial litigation negotiations.
United Farmers Cooperative | 705 E. 4th Street, Winthrop, MN 55396
General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer January 2010 – August 2018
 Focus of This Position: Led UFC’s strategic and tactical legal initiatives, provides leadership team
with effective advice on organization strategies and their implementation and manages the legal
function, involved in complex business transactions and negotiating critical contracts, plans,
develops, organizes, directs, and evaluates the HR, TD, and Safety functions. Major areas of
accountability include planning, organizing, coordinating, communicating, directing, leading, and
controlling activities related generally to achievement of company-wide objectives and specifically to
performance of Legal, HR, Safety and Credit Management.

3. 3
56282
RS Fiber Cooperative | P.O. Box 326, Gaylord, MN 55334
General Counsel October 2012 – Present (this project is ongoing)
 Focus of This Position: Formed 308B Minnesota cooperative association for start-up cooperative to
initiate a business to install fiber optic cable in ten Minnesota cities and towns, including Lafayette,
Brownton, Buffalo Lake, Fairfax, Gaylord, Winthrop, Green Isle, Gibbon, Stewart, New Auburn, all
located in Renville, Sibley and McLeod counties These ten cities are members of a joint powers
board (JPB) that borrowed some $8.0 million to provide underlying risk capital to enable RS Fiber to
borrow capital from a syndication of local banks. Eventually, the JPB is expected to include
seventeen rural townships in Renville and Sibley county where fiber optic will be installed.
Minnesota Valley Alfalfa Producers | 7410 Highway 23, Raymond, MN
Interim General Manager, June 2012 to December 2012
 Focus of This Position: Interim leadership to manage potential hostile takeover by rump group of
stockholders who appeared to want to purchase MnVAP at steep discount, while also assisting
MnVAP board of directors with litigation initiated by employee under Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of
2009. Attend annual and special meetings of stockholders and present plan for moving forward
with business plan. Assist with settlement of Ledbetter litigation, recommending that the employee
be promoted to general manager of MnVAP. Recommended and obtained approval from board of
directors to pay employees a $50,000 bonus for achieving over $1.0 million of local earnings for the
year ending May 31, 2012.
Private Law Practice | various New Ulm or Minneapolis addresses
Attorney August 1992 – January 2013
 Black Dog Co-op Law, New Ulm, MN January 2010 to April 2013
 Stoel Rives, PLLP – Minneapolis, MN June 2007 to January 2010
 Lindquist & Vennum, PLLP, Minneapolis, MN November 2000 to June 2007
 Rider Bennett Egan & Arundal, LLP – Minneapolis, MN March 2000 to November 2000
 Berens, Rodenberg & O’Connor, Chtd. – New Ulm, MN August 1992 to March 2000
 Focus of Practice: Corporate practice focused on cooperatives: mergers, acquisitions,
dissolutions, joint ventures, sales of all assets, work-out financially stressed debtors, prepare Hart-
Scott-Rodino Premerger Notifications to DOJ and FTC, collection of accounts, debtor / creditor
representation of lenders, irrevocable letters of credit; Governance: board of directors and
management relationships; Employment law: review handbooks, applications; negotiate
terminations, handle inquiries from EEOC and MHRA directed to employer, initial litigation
negotiations;
Cenex / Land O’Lakes Joint Venture | Arden Hills, MN
Business Service Manager July 1987 – July 1989
 Focus of This Position: Facilitated mergers and acquisitions of agribusinesses and cooperatives, advised
business restructurings to jettison non-performing assets, developed business, strategic and financial
plans, consulted general managers on business operations, consulted Boards of Directors on fiduciary
obligations, performed management reviews with Boards of Directors, recruitment of managers and
participate in interviews of prospects with board of directors.

4. 4
St. Paul Bank for Cooperatives | St. Paul, MN
Senior Credit Manager, Co-op Credit Office January 1981 – June 1987
 Focus of This Position: Managed $60 million loan portfolio and office with three employees in office,
negotiated loan packages and resolved conflicts, led discussions of Boards of Directors to discuss and
persuade these Boards to make decisions to restructure businesses for greater profitability, and make
recommendations about management changes, developed and maintained business relationships with
agribusinesses, and cooperatives, chaired Grand Forks' delegated loan committee.