Michael is the Chief of Staff to the Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, based out of Washington, DC.

He previously served as a Special Assistant with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, helping lead the agency’s

conservation strategy of the Monarch butterfly. The number of monarchs in North America has dropped 90% in the past 20 years. Michael’s job is to rally a diverse team of scientists, educators, and land managers to work across the continent to reverse this precipitous decline. Michael is a 2005 Mitchell Scholar. He was enrolled in the Zoology Master's Degree program at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Michael's thesis research examined issues arising out of EU conservation area designations for private land owners in Ireland. Inspired by the arts community in Galway, Michael was an active member of the drama society at NUIG. Michael also tackles other tough science and planning questions facing the National Wildlife Refuge System. In the near term, he hopes to bring clarity and enthusiasm to the agency’s landscape conservation and scientific work through his talents in forging effective communications and engagement campaigns. In

the future Michael is interested in leveraging creative avenues to get young people interested in science and nature. Michael obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida.