Michael (Mike) Childers joined the Eagle/Talon team in 2024. He holds a Civil Engineering Bachelors’ degree, Structural Analysis Masters’ degree, and an MBA in Strategy and Finance from Yale University. He has over 30 years of leadership level experience within strategy, operations, and finance for various mid-market companies involved with energy, construction, and eCommerce.

Over the past seven years, Mike led operations and finance for a Sioux Falls-based sales and distribution business that grew over fourfold, reaching more than $150 million in annual sales. His career began as a field/office engineer for a wastewater treatment facility. He then moved on to support nuclear plant construction, focusing on plant change orders and regulatory oversight. Later, he held senior strategy leadership roles at a large-scale global construction and facility management firm, managed sales and marketing for power industry equipment, and assisted private equity firms with valuations, due diligence, and turnaround support.

Mike teaches Entrepreneurial Management class at University of Sioux Falls and recently served as Doctorial Chair for a Study on improving corporate culture through empowerment and autonomy improvements in the workplace. He has served as Chair of Make-A-Wish of South Dakota, Board member for Big Brother, Big Sisters, Board Member for a large wood truss production facility based in New England; and currently serves as Vice President for State Theater Corporation of Sioux Falls. Mike is married with daughters and son-in-law’s, two dogs; and enjoys the occasion poker tournament having cashed in multiple World Series of Poker tournaments over the years.