NDLTAP
NDLTAP Names Satermo as First Tribal Representative on Advisory Board

Posted: Nov 23, 2021

The North Dakota Local Technical Assistance Program, a program that provides expertise and training to counties, townships, municipalities and other road agencies, has expanded its advisory board to include representation from tribal government. NDLTAP is an outreach program of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at North Dakota State University.

Scott Satermo, chief executive for the Three Affiliated Tribes, was named to the advisory board in October. Satermo has an extensive background in transportation planning and construction. He began his employment for the Three Affiliated Tribes in 2019, working as transportation engineer until March of 2020 when he assumed the position of CEO. Prior to working for the Three Affiliated Tribes, Satermo worked for 20 years in civil design and construction contracting, first as a civil engineer for the City of Fargo and then as president and owner of both Rising Sun Construction and North Core Corporation. Rising Sun was a general contracting company focusing on underground municipal utilities located in Fargo, ND. North Core was a horizontal boring and tunneling company with offices in Fargo, ND, and Omaha, NE.

Satermo earned a B.S. in civil engineering from NDSU. His current focus is creating a robust tribal transportation system, developing processes and partnerships that create opportunities.

Other NDLTAP advisory board members include representatives from cities, consulting firms, counties, townships, the Federal Highway Administration, and the ND Insurance Reserve Fund. Bryon Fuchs, who serves as the North Dakota Department of Transportation's tribal liaison and is also the assistant director of its Local Government Division, represents NDDOT on the NDLTAP board.

"The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute has been enhancing its outreach to tribes in the region," Dale Heglund, NDLTAP director, noted. "Establishing closer ties to tribal governments by including them on our advisory board fits with that effort." Heglund noted that UGPTI's tribal liaison, Joy Annette, who joined the UGPTI's staff in 2019, is in regular contact with all the Tribes in North Dakota and most of those in surrounding states to make them aware of training and expertise available through NDLTAP and other resources available through UGPTI.

"Adding Scott to our advisory board will help us better understand the unique needs of tribes in providing a road network and mobility to their residents," Heglund said. "At the same time, it helps us better address the emphasis at the NDDOT that there is one road network that connects seamlessly across townships, counties, municipalities and tribal lands."