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- The St. Cloud Times has announced the five winners of its annual 5 Under 40 awards.
- The honorees represent a diverse range of industries and community involvement.
- The 5 Under 40 winners will be recognized at an event April 28 at Granite Innovations in St. Cloud.
St. Cloud Times/LocalIQ and Greater St. Cloud has announced this year’s class of 5 Under 40 winners to honor outstanding young professionals and business leaders who are making an impact on the community and will continue supporting the St. Cloud area as community leaders.
For the 20th anniversary, the St. Cloud Times is partnering with Greater St. Cloud to honor this year’s 5 Under 40 recipients.
This year, readers nominated 26 candidates, bringing in 34 nominations. Last year’s 5 Under 40 winners selected this year’s class. Everyone selected must be under 40 by Dec. 31, 2025.
This year’s 5 Under 40 winners are Ashley Green, Anna Gruber, Cody Hauser, Jake Krippner and Megan Pflipsen.
Last year’s winners were Erin Bitzan, Casey Krafnick, Hanna Lord, Guytano Magno and Jenny Paulsrud.
Each of the five winners from last year worked together to choose this year’s five influential leaders in the St. Cloud area.
Ashley Green
Although Ashley Green, the owner of Green Thumb Etc. on St. Germain Street, was born in Duluth, she attended high school in St. Cloud and considers the Granite City home.
Along with starting the Love Story Wedding Expo in 2024, Green was chair of the Downtown Alliance Events committee, which helped launch Bold+Bright Winter Event and the first Bloody Mary Crawl when it launched in 2023 — in addition to running her downtown store.
Tyler Bevier, the community and economic development coordinator for the City of Monticello, said Green is instrumental to making downtown St. Cloud thrive.
“She has grown the show to be a premier wedding show for the state of Minnesota, bringing in visitors, businesses and a renewed interest in greater St. Cloud,” Bevier said. “Ashley has also donated hundreds of hours to bringing new community events to downtown.”
Green continues to help run the Halloween Walk, the Midnight Market: Solstice Celebrations and the Downtown Art Crawl.
“Ashley’s Green Thumb Etc. may only look like one storefront among many, but the direct and leveraged impact of hundreds of hours donated to bring new and exciting events to downtown, a new expo for the convention center, and attraction and recruitment of new prospective storefront owners, Ashley is leading the way for an even greater, greater St. Cloud,” Bevier said.
Green says bringing events to downtown St. Cloud helps everyone. She sees downtown as becoming more vibrant everyday, including the opening of the new children’s museum and B-Side Indie Music Cafe and all the restaurants, saying the only way to revitalize the downtown is to bring in younger generations.
“It’s just supporting the people that are choosing to invest down here, and choosing to support the businesses that are down here and talk, speaking from the rooftops, about all of the great things that are happening,” she said. “It’s kind of that old adage of ‘Be the change you want to see in the world.'”
Green loves to mentor new businesses, explaining that once people get involved in the community a little bit, they see it’s something exciting. She said she loves being that mentor who helps people thrive.
“We already do have a vibrant downtown, but it could be full of people that just are wanting to do the crazy, weird things that set their heart on fire,” she said.
Green loves to brainstorm with others, but she knows many others have great ideas as well. When it comes to running an event, she says she is always open to others’ ideas.
“If somebody has a better idea or knows how to run it, I’m not the be all end all,” Green said. “I don’t have all the information.”
Anna Gruber
Anna Gruber, who holds her undergraduate degree from St. Cloud State University and an MBA from Texas A&M, is the city administrator for the City of Sartell. Gruber was born in Willmar and grew up in the greater-Hutchinson area before moving to St. Cloud and then Sartell.
“Before I graduated from college, we moved to Sartell, and we knew that this was where we wanted to be rooted and raise our family, and so we have lived here ever since 2006,” she said.
Gruber enjoys being a part of the community and raising her three children, a third-, fourth- and ninth-grader, in Sartell.
Patti Gartland, a retired community and economic development executive, said Gruber consistently embraces her job with “the highest level of integrity, optimism, energy and with a focus on outcomes that serve the best interests of the whole.”
“Today’s government leaders face a complex, high-velocity environment dominated by the need to modernize aging infrastructure, meet high citizen expectations for a broad range of municipal services, and maintain operational agility and frugality,” said Gartland, former president of the Greater St. Cloud Development Corp. and former city administrator for Sartell. “She’s approachable, humble and highly respected by her various constituencies.”
Since Gruber became the city administrator in 2020, Sartell has grown. Through her tenure, she has negotiated the acquisition and redevelopment planning for the former Verso Paper Mill property, recruited Niron Magnetics, attracted state and federal support for the Central MN Healthcare Hub and navigated the sale of the city-owned golf course.
“Learning from others that have gone before her has never been something Anna shy’s away from,” Gartland said. “Anna Gruber is a gifted, proven leader whose work is clearly strengthening our greater St. Cloud region and whose impact will continue to shape the region’s future.”
Gruber, who previously served as a city administrator in Pierz, Minnesota, said her leadership style is both empowering and humble. Having started out in a leadership role quite early in her career, she has had to learn from mentors, like Gartland. “I try to remind myself that I want to be a leader that’s worth following,” Gruber said. “And so I think when you keep that in mind, it allows you to have the highest level of influence with those that you’re working with and for and partnering with, and they respect you, and they see that energy, and they feel compelled to work alongside you.”
Gruber says that as the city administrator, she is like a CEO of the city. She has to lead not only her staff but the city’s partners and the community. She said one of her greatest partnerships outside the city is with Greater St. Cloud.
“What Sartell does as a community does impact our other neighboring communities, whether that be workforce or housing or bringing in new businesses and recruitments. Leveraging that regional aspect with Greater St Cloud is so important,” Gruber said. “I truly think we couldn’t do the work that we do without that partnership.”
Cody Hauser
Cody Hauser grew up in Sartell and graduated from St. Cloud State University. After landing jobs in other cities in Minnesota and South Dakota, he headed back to Sartell as the plant manager at DeZurik.
He is excited to have moved back to his hometown in 2017, where he is raising his four children with his wife, Jenna, who teaches sixth grade language arts. Hauser loves being in Sartell, volunteering when he can and being a part of the community.
“It’s just nice to be a part of something bigger than yourself and to give back to the community,” he said. “Being able to volunteer and give back and help out and see those things be successful for my kids as they grow up and we raise them in this community.”Tim Nebosis, executive vice president at DeZurik, said Hauser combines operational excellence with human-centered leadership while overseeing 250 employees. In addition to dealing with union rules, safety and productivity, Hauser demonstrates a human touch.
“His trajectory from shop-floor leadership roles to senior operational executive demonstrates not only technical excellence but a rare combination of strategic thinking, disciplined execution and people-centered leadership,” Nebosis said. “What distinguishes him most is his ability to operate effectively at both the systems level and the human level.”
Hauser is active with Sartell Lions and is a Granite Partners Mentor. Earlier in his career, he served as a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota and held leadership roles in student business organizations at St. Cloud State University.
“I build relationships,” Hauser said. “(I utilize) servant-style leadership.”
Jake Krippner
Jake Krippner was born and raised in St. Cloud and still resides in Stearns County, making St. Augusta his home. A graduate of St. Cloud State University, Krippner is associate vice president and senior financial associate with the Wheelock Investment Group at RBC Wealth Management.
For the past six and one half years, Krippner has volunteered as a Big Brother for three teenagers. He said mentoring these young men has been fulfilling. He loves playing basketball and just hanging out with them.
Krippner says it is important to be that person for someone else and be able to hopefully be a lifelong friend. You can help them get their first job, apply to college or help with advice about friends.
“I think it’s so important to give back,” Krippner said. “I think some people are very fortunate, like myself, to have wonderful parents that have taught me all sorts of different things. But some people don’t have that one-on-one mentorship.”
In addition to being a Big, Krippner serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota and helps recruit volunteers.
“Jake’s role as a mentor is both meaningful and impactful. He has given fully to each of his friendships, showing patience, thoughtfulness and dedication. He approaches every mentoring relationship with positivity, respect, and openness, creating an environment where his Littles feel valued and understood,” said Jackie Johnson, the executive director of BBBSCM. “His positivity and warmth create a welcoming space in which his Little can thrive.”
In addition to volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Krippner volunteers for the Rotary Club of St. Cloud. “I think getting involved is one of the best ways for people to meet people, but also just to feel connected to the city and to to the community,” he said. “So for me, that’s been a big part of why I like to give back. I’ve achieved some professional success, and I think it’s my duty to give back, both in time, but also financially, to the community.”
Krippner also serves on the Investment Committee of the newly formed St. Cloud State University Community Advisory Board, where community and business leaders collaborate to support projects that strengthen the university’s future and its connection to the region.
“His selection reflects both his professional experience and the respect he has earned through his involvement in the community, bringing a thoughtful perspective to conversations that help shape the long-term relationship between the university and the broader region,” GSC Business Development Director Leslie Dingmann said. “I have seen how naturally Jake steps into responsibility and supports the work behind the scenes that allows initiatives to succeed.”
Krippner’s motto is service above self.
“My leadership style is to lead by example,” he said. “There is nothing I’d ask someone to do that I wouldn’t be willing to do myself.”
Megan Pflipsen
Megan Pflipsen, a St. Cloud native and graduate of Minnesota State University at Moorhead, serves as assistant vice president and retail manager at Gate City Bank. Pflipsen also volunteers for several organizations in the St. Cloud area, including The Quarry Connection Networking, Anna Marie’s Alliance and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota.
In addition, Pflipsen currently serves as secretary and treasurer of The Quarry Connection networking group and as treasurer on the board of directors for The Good Samaritan Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation. She is also actively involved with the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and is past chair on the Sauk Rapids Executive Committee.
“I think volunteering is important because it really ties us into our community and allows us to support other community members, as well as grow ourselves,” Pflipsen said. “For example at (Central Minnesota) Habitat for Humanity, I can show up to help build houses (which is definitely not my day job), and leave fulfilled that I’ve helped another community member as well as learned a new skill for myself.”
Pflipsen said she couldn’t build a house alone, it would be like a house of cards, but working with others who know what they are doing helps. At Habitat for Humanity, all the volunteers, no matter their skill level, can succeed and help build a home together.
“We may not all have the availability to financially support nonprofits, but we certainly all have time and talent that we can give,” she said.
Finding the right niche is key.
“All our organizations bring people together and try to drive positive change in the community,” she said. “We have a lot of resources in our town.”
Ryan Coye, senior vice president at Central Minnesota Gate City Bank, says Pflipsen is a people-first leader.
“Professionally, Megan is widely recognized for her ability to build high-performing teams while delivering exceptional customer experiences,” he said.
Under her influence and her leadership, he said, her teams have embraced innovative engagement strategies, themed community events, and personalized service models that distinguish Gate City Bank in a competitive market.
“Beyond operational excellence, Megan’s impact is most visible in her unwavering commitment to community service,” Coye said. “She leads by example, integrating volunteerism into both her professional and personal life.”
Pflipsen’s actions suggest a deep belief that business success and community go hand in hand.
“Megan’s influence is felt not only through her titles and accomplishments but through the way she inspires others to lead with authenticity, generosity and purpose,” Coye said. “Her ability to rally teams around shared values, elevate community partnerships and model servant leadership positions her as one of Central Minnesota’s most promising young professionals.”
Falcon National Bank & Granite Partners gives back to the community
Falcon National Bank and Granite Partners are the sponsors of the 5 Under 40 program and event.
A contribution in each winner’s honor will be donated by this year’s sponsors to a nonprofit of each winner’s choosing. Each area nonprofit will be presented with a check during the event.
Green will present a check to Open Hearts Home, Gruber will give one to the Sartell Lions Club, Hauser will honor GREAT Theatre, Krippner will present to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota and Pflipsen will honor Good Samaritan Fund.
How to get tickets for 5 under 40
The 5 Under 40 award winners will be recognized from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28 at Granite Innovations in St. Cloud. The program is free and open to the public, but each person must have a reservation made in advance. To register for the event, go to www.eventbrite.com/e/5-under-40-celebration-tickets-1979221434590?aff=oddtdtcreator. For further information, email mbirkland@localiq.com.
