People Mingling

About Us

Our Story

For a quarter of a century, Dream Design International has built sustainable communities through land planning, engineering, and real estate development. Our dream is to make Rapid City, the Black Hills, South Dakota, and communities around the world exceptional places to call home.

We value our communities as they are and envision how much greater they could be. We work with business leaders, elected officials, non-profits, and people of the community to not only identify problems and dream up possibilities, but to literally build solutions that change horizons. Our number one priority is to foundationally grow our cities so that our children and future generations have promising futures.

605-348-0538 contact@dreamdesigninc.com
Sioux Falls One Stop Ground Breaking with our Dream Design team

Our Difference

We believe:

  • What matters to communities and people is what matters to us.
  • People come before profit.
  • Smart growth creates opportunities for individuals to achieve their dreams.
  • We’ll never compromise on doing the right thing.
A few men from the Dream Design Team

Our Leadership

Our team of industry professionals and innovative thought leaders is dedicated to improving and supporting the communities we serve.

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Hani Shafai, PE | President

Having grown up in war-torn Palestine, Hani learned early the art of adaptability, constant rebuilding, unwavering possibility, and faith in what the world could become. Hani brings that grit and vision to the work of rebuilding and recreating his community. Where others see a rundown business or an empty plot of land, Hani sees a thriving new economic hub, a location for much-needed medical services and schools, and a place that people could only dream of calling home.

With over 30 years as an engineer and developer, Hani knows it takes comfort and trust to build a great development, and you can count on him to gather partners that have a proven track record of honesty, integrity, and success.

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Mike Stanley, PLA, FASLA | Director of Planning

Mike has been practicing landscape architecture in the Black Hills region for over 18 years. He has worked with a broad range of clients including developers, municipalities, school districts, the military, and civil engineers. As part of the Dream Design team, Mike develops and pushes our design aesthetic and function. He continually works to make sure our designs are relevant, exciting, and responsive to human and environmental pressures.

Mike has been recognized for design and construction excellence by the American Society of Landscape Architects — Nebraska/Dakota Chapter and in construction by the Associated General Contractors of SD. He has also been recognized for sustainable design by the city of Rapid City.

 

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Pauline Kelley, CPA (inactive), CGMA, EMPA | Chief Financial Officer

Pauline brings nearly 23 years of financial management experience, overseeing multi-million-dollar city budgets and managing accounting services for municipal governments, in her role as Dream Design’s Chief Financial Officer. She offers a tireless commitment by providing organized, optimum financial service and assistance to Dream Design’s partners, clients, and the public. She is experienced at addressing and monitoring multiple projects at a time, all with focus, energy, and enthusiasm.

As the current board president for the Rapid City YMCA, Pauline has also previously served as board president for the United Way of the Black Hills, chair of the South Dakota Municipal League board of directors, president of the SD Governmental Finance Officers’ Association, and as a member of the Black Hills Area Finance Officers Group and South Dakota Governmental Human Resource Association.

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Kumar Veluswamy | Director of Facilities and Construction

Kumar has been engaged in the engineering profession for over 20 years. His talents and engineering expertise include  contract negotiations, space programming, conceptual planning, design,  value engineering, construction, facilities assessment, modernization, renovation, forensic building analysis, and post-occupancy evaluation.

Kumar has a strong understanding of contract execution and project organization.  This critical understanding ensures that project documents are completed correctly and construction is on time and within budget.

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Renee Catron | Director of Operations

As Dream Design’s Director of Operations, Renee ensures that teams and projects have resources available to deliver on promises to our clients. Renee manages the relationship between the development and design team, and the agencies having jurisdiction over the project. She and her team facilitate projects for early success by leading work for subdivision plans, rezoning requests, design reports for water, sewer, and drainage, platting, easements, and planned developments. Renee oversees and coordinates the site design team including planning, land surveying, civil engineering, and site construction administration.

Shortly after Hani established Dream Design International, he hired Renee as the company’s first employee. In the company’s early years, Renee served as Dream Design’s Office Manager – managing HR, client affairs, property management, and assisting engineering staff.

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Allie Geier-Barlow | Director of Marketing and Innovation

Allie’s role as the Director of Marketing and Innovation positions her as a versatile and multifaceted professional, making her a true jack-of-all-trades within Dream Design. She takes charge of various essential tasks, including event management, website maintenance, brand updates, communications, and social media engagement. By actively overseeing these areas, Allie guarantees that Dream Design not only maintains an appealing appearance but also remains transparent by sharing project updates with the community.

In addition to her responsibilities at Dream Design, Allie actively participates in the advertising community, holding the notable position of Vice President for AAF Black Hills, the local advertising organization.

Economic Impact

The team at Dream Design International takes every opportunity to improve the quality of life for the people they serve. By bringing essential services like education and healthcare to communities, they, in turn, create an economy where access to jobs, affordable housing, and improved infrastructure become achievable dreams.

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Diamond Ridge

Philanthropy

As a company that puts people before profit, it’s vital that we look at every smart growth opportunity as an equally important opportunity for individuals to achieve their dreams. Whether a community wants to expand affordable housing options or a medical facility wants to create access to care, we are ready to make those dreams come true.

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Dream Design Donates Land For Box Elder Children’s Museum

Get in Touch

Are you ready to start a new project or learn more about a specific property? Fill out our contact form to get started on a new project or with any questions, and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

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