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Our Engineering Team

Michael D. Albertson, PE

About Michael

Blake Tideman, PE

About Blake

David E. Leppert, PE

About David

Jared Schippers, PE

About Jared

Lucas G. Fried, PE, SE

About Lucas

Stephen Kilber, PE

About Stephen

Aaron Hartwell, PE, SE

About Aaron

Mason Underberg, PE

About Mason

Shaun Preszler, PE

About Shaun

Justin Kepler, EIT

About Justin

Alex Lesselyoung, EIT

Smiling young man wearing a suit
About Alex

Matthew Deardoff, PE

Matt headshot
About Matthew

Our Drafting Team

Albertson Engineering has a seasoned staff of REVIT/CAD professionals, with most of our team having decades of drafting and construction-industry experience. Contractors and design professionals appreciate the superior quality of our drawings.  

Our drafters have a keen eye for detailing and dimensioning that leads to a superior construction document and sets our work apart from other firms.  Our team’s extensive experience in coordinating mechanical, electrical, and architectural drawings/REVIT models reduces conflicts during construction, which ultimately saves project cost and time.  And with the ability to share files using multiple platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Dropbox, client FTPs, A360, BIM360, our team makes sure information is shared in an organized and timely manner.

Interested In Working With Us? Contact Us Today!
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Albertson Engineering Inc. has provided award-winning structural engineering solutions to design professionals, contractors, and private owners throughout the Black Hills and Great Plains since 1999. 

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2024 © Albertson Engineering

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Michael d. albertson, PE

President

As president and founder of Albertson Engineering Inc., Mike specializes in developing conceptual designs and overseeing the most technically challenging projects at AEI. He helps develop creative structural solutions that meet the desires and needs of the project in a functional, aesthetic, and economical manner. He has developed his expertise during the past three decades, during which time he has led the design of construction projects greatly exceeding $2 billion in total. He understands that limited change orders, on-time delivery, and quality documents are a priority to clients of AEI.

Mike has been active in community, state-wide, and national organizations. He has served as a board member on the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions, president of a local school board, board president for the Children’s Home Society, an officer for the Black Hills Playhouse, and many other civic and professional organizations. He continues to donate a lot of volunteer time to nonprofits, especially those benefiting children’s causes.

M.S. Civil Engineering, Iowa State, December 1992
B.S., Civil Engineering, South Dakota State, December 1989

Professional Registrations
Arizona PE 60738
Colorado PE 37095
Georgia PE 040107
Georgia SE 00040
Iowa PE 15366
Kansas PE 23166
Minnesota PE 23755
Missouri PE-2021021560
Montana PE 18925
Nebraska PE 9959
New Mexico PE 27965
North Dakota PE 5261
South Dakota PE 6192
Tennessee 130197
Texas PE 153096
Wisconsin 46584-6
Wyoming PE 9138

Professional Associations
Am. Society of Civil Engineers
American Concrete Institute
Am. Inst. of Steel Construction
National Society of Professional Engineers
Prestressed/Precast Concrete Institute
SD Engineering Society Black Hills Chapter
Society of Military Engineers
SD Board of Tech. Professions

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blake tideman, pe

Principal

Blake’s strengths are deeply rooted in the strong work ethic and practical knowledge gained from growing up on a small farm west of Winner, South Dakota.  Blake takes extreme pride in the quality of his engineering work and is always willing to go the extra mile for his clients.  He believes some of the best knowledge gained can come from requesting feedback on his designs from the contractors who build them. Blake currently spends most of his time in the Albertson Engineering office in Winner, SD.

When not at work, Blake enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids.  He regularly volunteers his time with youth sporting activities in the community.

M.S. Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 2009
B.S., Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 2007

Professional Registrations
Iowa PE 23677
Minnesota PE 52499
Nebraska PE E-18089
South Dakota PE 11135

Professional Associations
South Dakota Engineering Society
American Institute of Steel Construction

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david e. leppert, pe

Principal

David has over 30 years of structural engineering experience and has developed a reputation for producing high quality construction documents. From humble beginnings as a draftsman working through college, David joined Albertson Engineering in 2002 and became a Principal with Albertson Engineering in 2015. His extensive experience in a wide variety of projects serves well to help oversee and manage the quality work that is produced by Albertson Engineering – designs that cover all the bases and can be reasonably and economically constructed.

Out of the office, David puts his talents as a musician to work in his local church, occasionally playing both the keyboard and guitar. He also enjoys camping, kayaking, and hiking with family and friends throughout the Black Hills.

B.S., Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 1991

Professional Registrations
Minnesota PE 26525
North Dakota PE 27790
South Dakota PE 6041
Wyoming PE 9598

MSHA Part 46 & 48 Certified

Professional Associations
American Institute of Steel Construction
American Society of Civil Engineers

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jared schippers, PE

Principal

As an engineer, Jared prides himself in always seeking the most constructible design while never compromising the aesthetic intent of the building.  This continues to lead to cost-effective designs and consistent positive feedback from architects and contractors.

Jared enjoys helping those around him.  He has volunteered for several organizations focused on helping those who live in poverty and misguided youth. He is also currently serving a three-year term as trustee at his local church. Jared loves his work but is also always looking forward to his next traveling adventure.

M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 2012
B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Kansas, 2009

Professional Registrations
South Dakota PE 12764

Professional Associations
SD Engineering Society
American Institute of Steel Construction

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lucas g. fried, pe, se

Associate Principal

At Albertson Engineering, Lucas has grown from being an engineer-in-training writing simple field observation reports to a licensed structural engineer coordinating multi-discipline design teams to create unique and effective structural design solutions. Lucas, now an Associate Principal with AEI, is currently working remotely in Overland Park, KS. He will be relocating to Cheyenne, Wyoming, in August 2024, where he will manage the Cheyenne office.

Due to his upbringing on the island of Kodiak, Alaska, Lucas has a passion for most things outdoors. When Lucas leaves the office, he enjoys fishing, running, kayaking, biking, finding unique hiking locations with his wife, and entertaining their three young children.

M.S. Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, June 2013
B.S., Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 2011

Professional Registrations
South Dakota PE 13166
Missouri PE-2021006451
Wyoming PE 20218

Professional Associations
South Dakota Engineering Society
American Institute of Steel Construction

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stephen kilber, pe

Associate Principal

Stephen’s areas of focus include field assessment and documentation, analysis, and rehabilitation of existing structures and building systems. He thoroughly enjoys the challenges of working within the constraints of an existing facility; developing a feasible, cost-effective repair; and coordinating with the owner on the installation and execution of the required restoration. Stephen also has extensive experience operating AEI’s in-house ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment.

Stephen and his wife Danae both love the Black Hills and Rapid City. They spend a great deal of time outdoors with their three sons and volunteer with their children’s sports activities.

M.S. Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 2013
B.S., Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 2012

Professional Registrations
South Dakota PE 13396

Professional Associations
American Institute of Steel Construction

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aaron hartwell, pe, se

Aaron uses his understanding of how buildings are constructed to design and analyze some of the most challenging and outside-the-box design projects that come to our firm.  Work interests include incorporating advance computer design programs in the process of design, coordinating building information models (BIM) with structural analysis programs, and developing design processes to facilitate rapid design calculations.

Outside of the office, Aaron is involved with community service organizations including Habitat for Humanity. He also assists seniors at SD School of Mines and SDSU with their senior design capstone projects. Aaron also enjoys working on his own small construction projects around the house, keeping physically active, and learning new things.

M.S. Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 2009
B.S., Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 2007

Professional Registrations
South Dakota PE 11122
Minnesota PE 52471
Nebraska PE 15666
North Dakota PE 40140

Professional Associations
American Institute of Steel Construction

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Mason Underberg, PE

Mason recognizes the importance of a constructible design, and he strives to deliver one on every project. He works with contractors and architects to develop a design that addresses the needs and concerns of all disciplines involved. He believes in efficiency and will do what it takes to keep the project on schedule and under budget.

Prior to joining Albertson Engineering, Inc., Mason spent nearly 10 years working on the in-house engineering team of one of the largest contractors in North America providing construction engineering services for many different types of projects ranging from bridges to offshore oil platforms. 

Outside of work, Mason enjoys spending time with his wife, Kinsey, and their four young children.  He also enjoys playing softball, fishing, and reading.

Professional Registrations
South Dakota PE 13404
Texas PE 137119

Professional Associations
American Society of Civil Engineers

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shaun preszler, PE

Since beginning at AEI, Shaun has been involved in the design and construction observation of various concrete, wood, masonry, and steel structures, helping him better understand the integration of design to construction. The practical experience of being on site helps Shaun deliver designs in a way that contractors and clients appreciate.

Shaun enjoys spending time with his family and working around the house. He enjoys his visits back home helping his parents or in-laws on their family farms, and he certainly loves the South Dakota pheasant hunting and fishing.

Professional Registrations
South Dakota PE 15043

Professional Associations
American Institute of Steel Construction

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justin kepler, eit

Justin joined Albertson Engineering, Inc. in May 2015 as an intern while working toward his Master’s degree.  His background in drafting and construction has been a great asset in generating high quality construction documents for various types of projects. Justin is currently an EIT working under Mike Albertson, PE.

When not at the office, Justin enjoys spending time with his family, which usually means following the kids to sporting events, especially soccer.  He loves the outdoors, and he is always up for a motorcycle ride through the Black Hills.

M.S. Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 2017
B.S., Civil Engineering, SD School of Mines, May 2016

Professional Registrations
EIT

Professional Associations
American Institute of Steel Construction

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