Michael Laverdure

Mike is a registered architect and a Sequoyah member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Mike attended North Dakota State University’s College of Architecture, graduating in 1996. He is currently a partner at DSGW Architects and President of a Native American owned planning firm, the First American Design Studio. He has been a member of AISES since his junior year at Turtle Mountain Community High School and has served on the leadership council for the Region 5 professional chapter, NSAAP since its inception in 2010. Mike also serves on the board for the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce and is the President-elect for the American Indian Council of Architects and Engineers. Mike is a past award winner of the AISES Executive of the Year and has made it a mission in his life to promote Architecture and Engineering as valid and vital STEM careers for our Tribal Youth. His mother, Betty Laverdure, instilled in him that giving back to our Tribal Nations should be at the core of what we do on a daily basis, and Mike has found that designing great places is a great way to accomplish that goal.