Smoke Signals

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) will welcome Mike Laverdure to the Board of Directors at the National Conference in November in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Mike is a Principal and Architect at DSGW and President of a Native American owned planning firm, the First American Design Studio. He is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, located in Belcourt, North Dakota and has been a member of AISES since high school. He has served on the leadership council for the Regional Chapter, North Star AISES Alliance and Professional Chamber (NSAAP), since its inception in 2010 and is a Sequoyah member. He is also a past award winner of the AISES Executive of the Year – 40 under 40.

“I am honored to be elected to the national board. The mission of AISES and my passion to promote architecture and engineering as a valid and vital STEM career for our Tribal Youth go hand in hand,” stated Laverdure. “AISES has had a huge impact in my life and career. My mother, Betty Laverdure, instilled in me that giving back to our Tribal Nations should be at the core of what I do on a daily basis. I have found that planning and designing buildings for Native communities is a great way to accomplish that goal.”