Joe Ibach (’75), founder of Dakota Appraisal & Consulting, is a real estate appraiser based in Bismarck, North Dakota. With nearly 50 years of experience in the profession, he achieved the nationally recognized MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute in 1988. He served as the president of the North Dakota Appraisers Association, chaired the North Dakota Appraiser Board for 20 years, and was a two-term national president of the Association of Appraiser Regulatory Officials (AARO). Additionally, Ibach was actively involved in shaping appraisal practice legislation in North Dakota and served as a state and national appraisal instructor. He has volunteered in several community organizations and remains actively involved in his parish church.
Athletic Success at Dickinson State
Joe Ibach was recruited out of Linton High School by the then assistant football coach Bob Lasater. He spent only one game on the bench – the first game of his freshman season. In the second game, he broke out as a starting defensive tackle, a position he would hold for every game the rest of his college career. He eventually achieved all-conference and all-district awards. Ibach was a dual-sport athlete who was also the college’s heavyweight wrestler. Wrestling as a heavyweight during a time when there were no upper weight limits, Ibach frequently faced off against competitors tipping the scales at over 300 pounds. Though he was never injured on the football field, he broke both his nose and collarbone on the wrestling mat.
“Athletic scholarships allowed me to attend college,” Ibach said. “My parents didn’t have the finances to pay for my college education, but they gave me $300, a car, and wished me good luck!”
Ibach’s proudest college sports moments came when he was named the 1974-75 H.J. Wienbergen Athlete of the Year and his induction into the Dickinson State University Hall of Fame in 1985.
A Career Sparked by Opportunity
After college, Ibach interviewed for a loan officer position at Gate City Bank. During the interview, he was told that the bank was also seeking an appraiser. Fortuitously, one of his DSU professors, Bill Goetz, had given a lecture on the appraisal process that sparked an interest in Ibach. A week after the loan officer interview, Gate City called with an offer for the appraiser position. That phone call marked the start of Ibach’s 49-year career in real estate appraisal.
Lifelong Bonds and Reflections
When asked what should never change about Dickinson State, Ibach had a quick answer, “Personal contact with instructors and developing personal long-term friendships – that’s what should never change.”
Ibach remains in touch with his former football teammates. “There are 15-20 of us that stay in close contact. We make a point to get together every other year,” he shared. The enduring half-century camaraderie is nothing less than remarkable and speaks to the profound influence of a small university and the lifelong bonds forged through athletics.
A self-described "no regrets guy," Ibach reflects on his marriage to Kathy – his wife of 52 years – and his career in real estate appraisal. “Looking back, if God had given me the option to relive my life, I’d still have married Kathy and would still have become an appraiser.”
Ibach enjoys traveling, jogging, skiing, family time on the river, and Sunday family dinners. Joe and Kathy have two married daughters, Katie (Corey) Kost, Meghan (Van) Bardell, and four grandchildren, Marcella and Maxwell Kost, Dane and Summitt Bardell.
When pressed, Ibach did admit that he harbors one regret from his tenure at DSU: His Dickinson State football team never managed to beat its fierce rival, the Minot State Beavers.
By: Debora Dragseth, Baker Boy Professor of Leadership | School of Business and Entrepreneurship Dickinson State University
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