The Associated General Contractors of South Dakota Building Chapter Hires Executive Director
Michelle Lounsbery has been hired as executive director of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of South Dakota Building Chapter.

SIOUX FALLS, SD, December 17, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Michelle Lounsbery has been hired as executive director of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of South Dakota Building Chapter. Lounsbery comes to the AGC from the Southeast Technical Institute Foundation in Sioux Falls, where she served as Executive Director / Institutional Advancement Officer, responsible for operating and managing all business aspects of the foundation.

"I am excited to be part of the AGC," said Lounsbery. "I am interested in the business needs of our members and look forward to learning more about those needs. This will allow me to know where AGC can provide added value. By continuing to be a voice for our members in South Dakota and building strong partnerships, I believe we will continue to grow our membership base."

Lounsbery takes on a leadership role in the South Dakota Building Chapter of the AGC 10 months after Kristine Young, the chief executive officer of Des Moines, Iowa-based, Miller the Driller, was sworn in as the first female president of the Associated General Contractors of America.

"When Kristine Young came on board as the national president of the AGC, it was another example showing that the construction industry is becoming more open to the best leaders, regardless of gender," said Lounsbery.

Lounsbery is licensed to practice law in South Dakota and became interested in construction law with her first position out of law school. "In law school, I didn't think I would practice construction law but, I was pleasantly surprised at Harbor Group (Interstates Companies), I ended up doing just that and really enjoyed it, particularly the relationship building and negotiations that went along with contracts," said Lounsbery. "The AGC has phenomenal resources available online, particularly contracts called Consensus Docs. I was involved with the creation of these important resources due to my position at Harbor and those resources were instrumental in identifying and understanding contract risks and risk management in construction. These resources can be very useful for lawyers with clients in the construction industry."

"The overall goal of the South Dakota AGC, is to help our members be successful. If they are successful, that is how we can measure our success! Member success is truly the job and focus of AGC. There are currently 27 general contractor AGC members and 166 associate AGC members. I want to make sure that our members' issues and successes are in front of the public and legislature. AGC will continue to be an active partner and voice in decisions that impact our industry."

"Right now, the biggest challenge facing the members of AGC, is the economy. The Contractor's Excise Tax is the 2nd largest revenue generator for the State of South Dakota, behind Sales and Use Tax. Construction is an important economic driver for South Dakota, getting our members working is good for South Dakota. As the Executive Director of the South Dakota Building Chapter of the AGC , I plan to explore new opportunities for AGC, this may include becoming a more "virtual organization", identifying ways to leverage technology so our members can still participate in programs and reduce travel costs. As well, I'd like to identify different partnering opportunities with other associations / organizations that have the same mission as AGC in order to help our members manage costs and build stronger organizations.

"We're fortunate to have Michelle as our new Executive Director," said James Benning, Chairman of the Board of the South Dakota Building Chapter of the AGC and Vice-President of Ainsworth-Benning Construction in Spearfish, SD. "Her background in construction law, knowledge of public contracts, enthusiasm and focus on education and partnership building will be an asset to the AGC. She understands the needs of contractors, the value of the AGC as a service organization and meeting the needs of the industry. Michelle will be a strong resource as well as a talented leader."

Lounsbery holds a Juris Doctor degree, an MBA and a BS in Criminal Justice with a minor in Business Administration, all from the University of South Dakota.

She is married to Dr. Mark Lounsbery, Internal Medicine Physician at Sanford, has two daughters; Laurentis (2), and Alexis (1) and is active in Sioux Falls West Rotary and the South Dakota Alliance.
Lounsbery's position as executive director of the South Dakota Building Chapter of the AGC , is effective January 2, 2012.

Press Release Contact Information:

Michelle Lounsbery
Associated General Contractors
Executive Director,Building Chap
1108 North West Ave
Sioux Falls, SD
USA 57104
Voice: 605-759-0441
Website: Visit Our Website