COVER STORY
Building on success:
Dave Fleck leads Chamber in coming year
By Amy Smolik
Marketing & Communications Manager
 Sioux Falls Construction President Dave Fleck talks over plans for the University of Sioux Falls Salsbury Science Center remodel with Project Superintendent Roger Klebe, which is currently under construction. Growing up in a small town in Nebraska, Dave Fleck learned the importance of being involved in the community and the important role the business community plays in a town's success.
"I always felt I needed to be involved with my family, my church, my profession and my community," he said. "Growing up in a small town, if the business community didn't support activities or events, they didn't happen."
Fleck will have the opportunity to make an impact on the Sioux Falls area business community as the 2008-09 Chair of the Board of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. He took over the Chamber's top volunteer position Oct. 1 and will share his plans for the coming year at the Chamber's 102nd Annual Meeting Oct. 28 (see story on page 11). He will also recognize retiring board members and the successful year under the leadership of 2007-08 Chair of the Board Dean Buckneberg, Eide Bailly LLP.
After graduating from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln with a civil engineering degree, Fleck started his career building a steel mill in Norfolk, Neb., which was close to his hometown of Stromsburg, Neb., and his wife Mary's hometown of Crofton, Neb. Sioux Falls Construction Co. was one of the contractors working on the steel mill and an offer was made to join the company if Fleck ever wanted to move to South Dakota. Fleck stayed in Norfolk to do maintenance construction after the mill was completed but didn't like it as much as the new construction projects. He contacted Sioux Falls Construction Co. regarding their job offer and has been with the company since 1975.
Fleck's first job with Sioux Falls Construction Co. was building bridges across the state — a railroad overpass by Groton, eight bridges near Rosholt, an interstate bridge near New Effington and some bridge work in Sioux Falls. The Fleck family lived in several places throughout South Dakota while he was
working on various bridge projects. Once their children became school-age, the Flecks settled in central Sioux Falls. Fleck became a Project Manager with Sioux Falls Construction Co. and worked in the office; he was named president of the company in 1998.
| DAVE FLECK |
Volunteer Position
2008-09 Chair of the Board, Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce
Occupation
President, Sioux Falls Construction Co.
Hometown
Stromsburg, Neb.
Education
B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Current Community & Professional Involvement
Associated General Contractors (AGC) Highway Heavy Utilities Chapter of South Dakota (past president); AGC of America Board of Directors; Catholic Family Services Board of Directors; University of Nebraska-Lincoln Alumni Association, South Dakota Chapter; Sioux Empire United Way Construction Division Chair; First National Bank Advisory Board of Directors; St. Mary's Parish (member of Finance Council, Chair of Building Committee); Dakotabilities Board of Directors; Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors; Downtown Rotary; South Dakota Technology Business Center Board of Directors; Forward Sioux Falls V Joint Venture Management Committee
Family
Wife: Mary, AP clerk at Kreisers, Inc.; Children: daughter Brooke White, access engineer for the Department of Transportation in Sioux Falls and husband Ryan, a financial advisor at Security National Bank; daughter Angie Klemme, nurse at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls and lives in Dakota Dunes, and husband Jason, a civil engineer at Howard R. Green; and son Jeff, computer engineer for Ball Aerospace & Technologies in Boulder, Colo., and lives in Denver and fiancé Kelly Mrogensky, a teacher in Denver; five grandchildren: Davis, Sydney, Paige, Alexis and Isaac |
Sioux Falls Construction Co. is a founding member of the Chamber. Seventy years ago, then-Sioux Falls Construction Co. President Leonard Boyce was Chair of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce. The company has been members of both the Chamber and Sioux Falls Development Foundation and has had staff involved on various committees of both organizations. Fleck has been a longtime member of the Chamber's Business Transportation Committee, which deals with one of his passions: infrastructure.
"To me, infrastructure is a more than just streets, roads and sewer. When I think of infrastructure, I think of a city: libraries, parks, churches and schools. Infrastructure is needed to build a community," he said. "That's a community's quality of life. It improves life for everyone living in our city."
When Fleck first started with the company, it was more of a regional contractor and did very few projects within Sioux Falls.
In 1987, Forward Sioux Falls was created and that changed a lot of things, Fleck said. Forward Sioux Falls is the successful joint venture partnership between the Chamber and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. With the success of FSF, economic development and growth shifted, Fleck said.
Sioux Falls Construction Co. has built a wide range of projects throughout the area, including: Cherapa Place downtown, Harrisburg High School, the University of Sioux Falls athletic stadium, the Kirkeby-Over Stadium at Augustana College as well as bridges on the bike trail in west Sioux Falls.
"When they put 'Sioux Falls' in the company name," Fleck said of the company founders, "they were making a commitment to be involved, to help build the community. They took it seriously and wanted to be a part of it and help it grow."
Customer satisfaction was and remains a top priority for Sioux Falls Construction Co. and Fleck hopes to take that philosophy into his leadership role at the Chamber of Commerce in the coming year.
"Members ask, 'how are you helping me?' We can't lose sight of that. Our members support us and it's our job to be an advocate for them. We have to be their voice. The business community is what makes the community grow," he said.
Embracing change is what will help Sioux Falls continue to grow, Fleck said. Some people may find it difficult, but he hopes to change that mindset. Change is what has allowed Sioux Falls to prosper and build infrastructure to improve the quality of life, he said.
"I try to see all perspectives and try to collaborate and get consensus on things," he said. "If I'm not building bridges physically in the field, I'm building them in relationships with people. I've learned you get further when you collaborate rather than trying to do it all by yourself. And it's a lot more fun."
Related Stories
Tickets available for Chamber's 102nd Annual Meeting
Community leaders join Chamber Board
Tickets available for Chamber's 102nd Annual Meeting
By Amy Smolik
Marketing & Communications Manager
The Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its 102nd Annual Meeting Tuesday, Oct. 28 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center with a keynote address from South Dakota native Tom Brokaw, NBC News Correspondent and Interim Moderator of Meet the Press.
The annual meeting recognizes the efforts of the outgoing Chair of the Board and launches the one-year term of the incoming chair. Dave Fleck, Sioux Falls Construction Co., took over the top volunteer position for the 2008-09 year Oct. 1, following the success of Dean Buckneberg, EideBailly, LLP.
Working with HenkinSchultz Communication Arts, the Chamber will look ahead to the future under the theme "Sioux Falls: A Modern Marvel." Those attending will get a first look at the Chamber's annual priorities for the coming year, as well as a copy of the 2007-08 Annual Report detailing the Chamber's activities of the past year. The contributions of retiring directors will be also acknowledged.
Mark McClung, Active Data Systems, and Rod Carlson, Sanford Health are serving as ticket sales co-chairs. The meeting is being chaired by Michael Bender, Bender Commercial Real Estate. Members can register and pay online at www.siouxfallschamber.com under the Members Only link, or contact Sara Weber at (605) 373-2006 or via e-mail. Tickets are $75 per person for Chamber members with reserved tables of 10.
For more information, contact the Chamber's Public Affairs & Communications Department at (605) 336-1620.
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Community leaders join Chamber Board
As directed by the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce bylaws, each year five individuals are nominated to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors. The following community leaders have been elected and began their terms of office Oct. 1, 2008:
Ken Baptist is the Vice President and General Manager of John Morrell's Sioux Falls meatpacking plant. Baptist started in the company's Springdale plant. Prior to joining John Morrell & Co., he worked as a Director of Operations and General Manager at various ConAgra Foods locations for five years, spent two years as Vice President of Operations for Freshway Foods, and worked 14 years at Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation in various capacities. Baptist has participated in a number of community organizations throughout his career and is presently serving on the board of directors of Junior Achievement and the Sioux Falls Business Leadership Council. Baptist is a native of Davenport, Iowa.
 Tom Bosch is the general manager of the Holiday Inn City Centre and is an active member and supporter of the Chamber, participating in numerous ribbon cuttings, membership mixers, Operation Thank You and is a past member of the Chamber's Sioux Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau Advisory Council. In addition, Bosch serves on the Sioux Falls Christian School Board, Sioux Empire United Way Corporate Gifts Division, South Dakota Better Business Bureau Advisory Board, Bethany Christian Services Board and Community Reformed Church Consistory. He is a past member of the Orpheum Theatre Revitalization Task Force and Downtown Sioux Falls Board of Directors. The Holiday Inn City Centre has been a Chamber member for 37 years.
 Bruce Eide is the owner of Vern Eide Motorcars, an active long-standing member of the Chamber for more than 40 years. He is a committed community leader as evidenced by his involvement with the Sioux Falls Film Society/Sioux Falls State Theatre Company (current chair), Junior Achievement for more than 10 years, Rotary West for 17 years, and is a current member of the Southeast Technical Institute Advisory Board. Eide and his company are also the founder and sponsor of the Dr. John Harris Sioux Falls Teacher of the Year Program, started 20 years ago.
 Karen Noonan is the human resource director for CarrierNet Group Financial, Inc. Noonan's involvement in the Chamber in the past 30 years is extensive. She is a member of the Diplomat Committee, having recently served as chair, an associate Ambassador, a member of the Issues Management Council and Budget & Finance Committee, Annual Meeting volunteer, Operation Thank You past chair as well as a volunteer with the Sioux Empire Farm Show Mayor's Round-Up & Sale of Champions. Noonan's leadership in community activities include St. Joseph Cathedral Advisory Committee, Minnehaha County Republican Women, South Dakota State Republican Women, Old Towne Dinner Theatre, Good Shepherd Center, Sioux Empire United Way, Women Unite, YWCA Celebrating Women and YWCA Spring Fling. She also served on the City of Sioux Falls Sesquicentennial Committee.
 Steve Statz is senior vice president of business development at Avera Health in Sioux Falls. Statz is active in a number of professional organizations and currently serves on the South Dakota Board of Pharmacy, Southeast Technical Institute Foundation, SDSU College of Pharmacy Dean Selection Committee, South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organization council on Acute Care, and South Dakota Biotech Association. He is also active on several community organizations including Downtown Rotary, First Tee Program, Sioux Empire United Way, Volunteers of America-Dakotas Board of Directors, Catholic Foundation of Eastern South Dakota Board of Directors, Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Development Committee and the South Dakota Special Olympics Board of Directors. The Avera organization is a founding member of the Chamber and all of their subsidiaries continue to be active supporters of the Chamber and the community.
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