Bender Named to SD Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
The South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomes new members to the Board of Directors.
Michael Bender, owner, Bender Commercial Real Estate Services of Sioux Falls and David Giovannini, Senior Vice President, Wind Group of Molded Fiber Glass Companies South Dakota in Aberdeen were approved for three year terms on the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Board of Directors at the February 24, 2017 meeting.
The Board of Directors operates under the leadership of the current Chairman of the Board Steve Kirby, President, Bluestem Capital Company, Sioux Falls. David Owen is the President and Chief Lobbyist of the South Dakota Chamber.
Bender was raised in Dallas, Texas. In 1981, he graduated from TCU with a BBA in business. He became a commercial real estate broker and was associated with the Henry S. Miller Company from 1980-82. From 1982-87, Michael was assorted with the Swearingen Company in Dallas. Following that, he was associated with Shannon Corporate Real Estate Services until 1992, when he moved to Sioux Falls. Michael is currently the owner of Bender Commercial Real Estate Services and Bender Midwest Properties, a full-service property management company in Sioux Falls. He specializes in commercial real estate sales and leasing of office properties. In June of 2006, Michael was spotlighted in the Sioux Falls Journal as one of the “Top Ten Leaders” in Sioux Falls.
David Giovannini is originally from the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York and is a graduate of LeMoyne College with over 40 years of experience in manufacturing organizations ranging from engineered industrial products including pumps, steam turbines and compressors to utility boilers, nuclear power plant rotating equipment, wind turbine blades and nacelles. He started his career with the Engineered Products Division of Goulds Pumps in his hometown of Seneca Falls, New York eventually leaving to join Coppus Engineering where he spent 17 years of his career between their Worcester, Massachusetts and Kewanee, Illinois operations and, when sold to Dresser-Rand, the Wellsville, New York operation. Dave has functioned in senior leadership roles for over 20 years ranging from Plant Manager to president and owner of a window manufacturing company and to his current role as Senior Vice President for Molded Fiber Glass of South Dakota. His career has allowed him to experience life in several states including New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Nebraska, Alabama, Arkansas and now South Dakota.
State Chamber President David Owen stated, “The South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the only group that represents the entire spectrum of the state’s economy and is proud to have included voices from the renewable energy and real estate sectors to the Board of Directors.”
Board members are selected to represent geographic locations, diverse business types and concentrated areas of membership. Board members are eligible to serve two three year terms on the Board.
