Mike Gussiaas

Mike Gussiaas serves as Chief Marketing & Creative Officer for Travel South Dakota, where he leads the brand strategy, creative direction and consumer marketing efforts that position South Dakota in an increasingly competitive travel marketplace. He oversees paid marketing across channels, guides agency and partner relationships and uses performance insights to identify new markets, audiences and growth opportunities.

With decades of tourism-marketing experience, Mike brings both strategic and practical perspectives to the work. His background also includes small-business ownership in the Black Hills of South Dakota, co-founding a wine bar, a stint as a professional photographer and service on local nonprofit boards—experiences that help him connect high-level strategy with the realities facing tourism businesses, industry partners and communities. His approach blends storytelling, data and continuous improvement to strengthen the brand and grow demand for South Dakota.