Title: President

Company: Enterprises By Deb

Location: Dayton, Minn.

Celebrating 18 years of ranch management, Deborah Burkhardt-Cotter continues as president of Enterprises By Deb. There, she breeds quarter and paint horses, western pleasure mares, and black angus cattle in Dayton, Minn. An expert in embryo transfers for quarter horses and paint horses, she helps her breeds become World Champions. The highlight of her career was when one of her mares won a world championship in Texas in 2004. Also, Ms. Burkhardt-Cotter’s is currently working with a youth group for children at risk age’s 9-19 years old and the children named the group after her son Tim.

Ms. Burkhardt-Cotter hosted an exchange student from Germany and is the founder of the Special Needs Fund scholarship, which was inspired by her son, Timothy; the scholarship is offered at Totino-Grace High School and St. Stephen’s Catholic School. Her other son, Patrick, is an officer in the United States Army. He holds an aeronautical science degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In addition, he is a corporate pilot with 115,000 fixed wing multi-engine hours. He is a helicopter school graduate and has done two tours of duty in Iraq. Recently Patrick has been hired by Continental. Ms. Burkhardt-Cotter fostered two children from Hennepin County in 2005.

In 1976, Ms. Burkhardt-Cotter started a community-based nursery school with a $400 state grant; it is still in operation. The previous manager of her son’s hockey team, she now trains Lawrence quarter horses. One of her stallions, a solid bred paint, won third place at Paintworld in 2009. She has five grandchildren and contributes to scholarship funds for special needs children. In five years, Ms. Burkhardt-Cotter hopes to grow professionally and continue working in the agricultural industry.