Outstanding entrepreneurship, business leadership and dedication to engineering excellence and innovation
Inducted 2025
Chad Surprenant earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Iowa State University in 1993 and joined ISG, the engineering firm his parents founded in their basement. He was heavily influenced by their emphasis on giving back to improve your surroundings through talent, time, and treasure. They helped shape Surprenant’s entrepreneurship mentality, which he has carried through his 30+ year career as both a business leader and philanthropist. Surprenant has dedicated his career to engineering excellence by growing ISG, supporting engineering education, and enhancing the quality of life in the communities he serves.
When Surprenant began as a staff engineer at ISG, the firm had just 10 employees. Through hands-on experience and industry insight, his responsibilities increased, and he earned managerial roles. While his leadership on projects was impactful, his ability to identify new business opportunities and expand services played a crucial role in driving ISG’s growth. Becoming President and CEO in 2001, and later Chief Strategy Officer and Board Chair in 2020, Surprenant has consistently led with intention—expanding services and office locations to position ISG as it stands today: a 100% employee-owned firm with 500 employee-owners and 14 offices across five states and still growing.
Along with the time he has dedicated to ISG’s growth and advancing the AEC industry, Surprenant actively invests in initiatives that strengthen communities and enhance quality of life at all levels. To preserve a valued local amenity, he acquired a summer collegiate baseball team to support its long-term presence in the Mankato community. He also helped launch ISG’s Impact Day, providing each employee-owner with eight hours of paid volunteer time, reinforcing the culture of service shaped by the ISG mission of making a difference.
Surprenant has also earned industry recognition for his contributions. He was named Young Engineer of the Year by the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers in 2003 and by the Minnesota Federation of Engineering in 2004. His leadership extends beyond ISG, as he actively supports the education and advancement of future engineers, architects, and design professionals. Surprenant has served on the Iowa State University Civil and Environmental Engineering External Advisory Council and was instrumental in establishing the civil engineering program at Minnesota State University in Mankato, where ISG was founded.
Surprenant and his wife, Tara, are generous supporters of education, dedicating both time and financial resources to advancing engineering and design programs. In 2020, their gift led to the creation of the Surprenant Ingenuity Lab at the Iowa State College of Design, equipping students with cutting-edge technology, including virtual and augmented reality and 3D scanning. In recognition of their philanthropic efforts, the Surprenants received the Emerging Philanthropist Award from the Iowa State University Foundation in 2022. Their most recent contribution in 2024 established the Surprenant Interactive Visualization Lab (SIVL) in the Town Engineering Building, further expanding opportunities for students.
Today, ISG employs over 60 Cyclone graduates full-time, in addition to the internship programs for our students. Continuing the Cyclone family tradition, one of the Surprenant’s three children is currently attending Iowa State, while another is a proud graduate.