ntspring2017

NORTHERN TODAY 10 SPRING 2017 CHAD GUNDERSON didn’t set out to work for a Major League Baseball team. But at Northern State University, he learned the importance of being open to new opportunities—and that lesson led him toward a career as senior counsel for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I think NSU really provided me with the foundation to succeed,” said Gunderson, a native of Mina Lake and 1997 NSU graduate. “Not only did it give me an environment to learn and grow, it helped me see new paths that led me to where I am.” Gunderson is working in a dream career, but he pointed out that “my dream jobs have changed over the course of time.” It all started when he took a chance and enrolled in a theater class at NSU. Fell in love with acting Gunderson had always considered becoming a lawyer and majored in sociology at Northern. But then he ventured out and took a drama course with Dr. Richard Norquist, and he fell in love with acting. That led to more theater and music classes with Drs. Jan Pearson and Allan Jacobson. His professors helped him prepare for auditions, and he was accepted into a Broadway summer music and acting school in 1995. Gunderson was active in theater and choir throughout his years at NSU, and he also started the Northern State Taekwondo club. His best memories of campus are times spent with friends at school functions—attending Halloween costume parties; singing karaoke in the Wolves Den; and watching his wife, Brenda (Trager), play softball. Started with Dodgers in 2010 After graduation, Gunderson moved to L.A. to try his hand at acting. But after a period of time, his goals changed and family became the priority. Gunderson attended UCLA School of Law and has been with the Dodgers since 2010. He and his wife live in Woodland Hills, California, with their children, Maya and Macy. As senior counsel for the Dodgers, Gunderson’s main function is to work with each department in the organization in negotiating and drafting contracts. Every contract the Dodgers enter into—sponsorship agreements, licensing agreements, etc.—goes through his department. The best part of his job is seeing the finished product of something he’s worked on come to life. If he works on a sponsorship agreement, he’ll later get to see that sign on a billboard in left field. Or he’ll watch a movie knowing he worked on a location agreement that allowed it to be filmed in Dodger Stadium. ‘Keep your mind open to new challenges’ Growing up, Gunderson was a huge baseball fan, generally following the Yankees and the Twins. But now that he’s part of the Dodgers, he cheers for them. Being open to change is Gunderson’s advice for current students. “Keep your mind open to new challenges and experiences,” he said. “You never know where they will lead you.” He also encourages students to reach out to fellow students when picking classes and professors. “Get their insight as to what classes and professors they would recommend taking. That was the best advice I received when going through NSU and UCLA.” At Northern, having great professors made all the difference for Gunderson. If his drama classes hadn’t been so impactful, his life might be completely different now. “That’s the wonderful part of trying new things.” Home Run Career Enrolling in a theater course led an NSU alum to a position with the L.A. Dodgers. ALUMNI NEWS Chad Gunderson discovered a passion for theater while he was a student at Northern. He’s pictured here during the performance of NSU Theater’s “Fortinbras.”