Mike has nearly 25 years’ experience in child welfare and behavioral health, as well as international development. Currently serving as Director of Operations at Institute, he desires to assist organizations seeking to develop effective infrastructure, streamlined programming, and strategic plans to reach their organizational goals.

Previously, Mike lived in SE Asia, and served as the Executive Director at a Cambodian-based, international non-profit for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking. After repatriating, he served as the Executive Director for their USA affiliate office. During his time at Hagar International Mike spoke at numerous international conferences and was published in several international journals on the topics of trauma informed care and resilience.

His time overseas follows his years with one of Ohio’s largest public child protection agencies, where he served as Associate Director of Performance Improvement. While there, he led the implementation of Team Decision-Making and helped build a culture of positive family engagement through the case planning and review process.

Mike has a depth of skills including executive management, operations, program implementation, fundraising, and direct social work practice. His leadership approach is an extension of his belief in creating positive team environments; serving and empowering staff to reach their full capacity; and using data to ensure continuous quality improvement.
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During his free time Mike regularly copes with bouts of wanderlust by planning his next big international trip, having already traveled to 30 countries on six continents. He is an avid supporter of his local MLS team, the Columbus Crew, and enjoys photography, disc golf, rec soccer, and spending quality time with his kids.
 
Education

Master’s of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University
Bachelor’s of Psychology & Sociology from Hope College
 
Post-Graduate Certificate Programs

​Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery from Harvard University
Human Services Management Program from The Ohio State University
Leadership and Biblical Studies from Vineyard Leadership Institute

Licensing

He is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervision Designation