Michelle Klobassa, a Principal and Senior Architect at TSP, Inc., has been named one of Prairie Business magazine’s “40 Under 40.” The annual list recognizes top business professionals under the age of 40 from across the Northern Plains. Honorees have made significant impacts in their chosen fields and demonstrate dedication to community through their careers and/or volunteer efforts.
Michelle grew up in Fargo, ND, where she was the only girl in her high school drafting classes. She joined Group II architects in Sioux Falls, SD, shortly after earning her Master of Architecture degree from Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. The legacy firm later merged with TSP, Inc. and its integrated, full-service team of designers, engineers, and planners.
Since becoming a registered professional in 2010, Michelle has moved deftly between architect and project manager duties. She is one of only two women architects who have risen to become a Principal in TSP’s nearly 90-year history—and the first woman to serve as a voting member on TSP’s Board of Directors.
Michelle is a LEED Accredited Professional with the advanced Building Design + Construction designation. She believes in the power of sustainable design not only to conserve energy and reduce operating costs but to uplift the wellbeing of those who experience daily life within the buildings she co-creates with clients. Her involvement in professional organizations and her leadership role at TSP have brought her a new level of influence in the field. She encourages young women to enter the design and construction industry—not only to increase diversity, but to benefit clients, business partnerships, and projects through the unique perspectives women bring to this demanding work.
Michelle is a graduate of Leadership Sioux Falls and the recipient of the Greater Sioux Falls NAWIC chapter’s inaugural Influential Woman in Construction award (2017). She serves as secretary/treasurer of the board for AIA South Dakota, the professional organization for registered architects. She also chairs the AIA-SD’s scholarship and design awards committees.
Michelle’s values are rooted in her faith, which she lives in part by uplifting others. Over the past year, she’s gathered with others to create the framework for the Catholic Women’s Professional League. The new organization soon will start hosting meetings in Sioux Falls, with a goal to expand the model throughout the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls—serving the 35,000 square miles east of the Missouri River in South Dakota.
Michelle balances work and community service with a fulfilling home life. She and her husband, Ryan, are parents of two daughters under the age of 4. Time-management and careful priority-setting mean family and faith come first, without sacrificing the reward of taking concepts from drawings to built projects.