BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued the following statement regarding the passing of state Rep. Cynthia “Cindy” Schreiber-Beck of Wahpeton.
“Cindy Schreiber-Beck served the citizens of North Dakota with a quiet strength and determination that touched so many facets of life, from agriculture and aviation to education and community development, and it was an honor to call her a friend,” Armstrong said. “She embodied what it means to be a public servant, a volunteer and someone who gives back to their community, their industry and their profession. Her care and compassion for our farmers, students and North Dakotans from every walk of life was evident in everything she did in the legislative chambers and the private sector, and her legacy endures in every classroom and at every airport across North Dakota. Kjersti and I extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends and legislative colleagues.”
Schreiber-Beck was first elected to the state House of Representatives in November 2014, representing District 25, and was re-elected to four-year terms in 2018 and 2022. She served on the House Education and Agriculture committees, advocating for legislation that supported agriculture, education, aviation, research and innovation.
Schreiber-Beck and her husband, Gerry Beck, operated Tri-State Aviation in Wahpeton, which she continued after his death in 2007. She served as executive director of the North Dakota Agricultural Aviation Association for nearly four decades and was inducted into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame on March 4, 2025, becoming its 50th inductee. She also served as a commissioner on the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission from 1997 to 2022 and was a member of the governor’s task force in 2013 that helped establish North Dakota as one of the nation’s first unmanned aerial systems (UAS) test sites, in Grand Forks.
Armstrong has directed all U.S. and North Dakota flags to be flown at half-staff from dawn to dusk on the day of Schreiber-Beck’s interment, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, as a mark of respect. An updated flag advisory will be sent when funeral arrangements are announced.
A statement from state School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler on the passing of State Representative Cynthia Schreiber-Beck, R-Wahpeton, the vice chair of the North Dakota House Education Committee: Like her friends and colleagues, I was stunned to learn of the passing of state Rep. Cynthia Schreiber-Beck. Cindy was a fierce supporter of K-12 education, as well as a wise and trusted legislative adviser, confidant, and my friend, from the beginning of my tenure as state school superintendent a dozen years ago. As vice chair of the North Dakota House Education Committee, Rep. Schreiber-Beck was tireless in her work to produce better education policy, and she had the welfare of students and their families foremost in her mind. She will be sorely missed in the Capitol and in southeastern North Dakota, where she was a longtime community leader.
Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement honoring the life and legacy of North Dakota Representative Cindy Schreiber-Beck: “Cindy Schreiber-Beck was a titan in the field of aviation, an innovator, entrepreneur and a dedicated public servant. From starting a successful business with her husband Gerry to her leadership in the state legislature and at the North Dakota Agricultural Aviation Association, she approached her life and career with passion and determination. Our state will benefit from her hard work and the quality of her character for years to come. Among her many accomplishments, she played an essential role in our working group that established the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, which is foundational to our state’s growing unmanned aviation industry. Mikey and I send our deepest condolences to all of Cindy’s family and friends and join with them in mourning her passing, while honoring the tremendous life she lived.”