Michael (he/him) began his public service career education in 5th Ward/ Trinity Gardens section Houston, Texas. It was at this time that he began to correlate the impact of environmental inequity on youth academic achievement. To counter this inequity, Michael launched mentorship and social-emotional programs. Michael also founded The Resilience Is Power Program, whose mission is to nurture strong and resilient future urban water and community leaders and BIPOC communities. The organization has awarded scholarships, hosted youth camps and real estate and financial literacy training, and removed thousands of pounds of litter in New Orleans East and Houston, Texas.
Michael was born and raised in North Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Cancer Alley begins along the Mississippi River. The first in his family to attend college, Michael earned a Bachelor’s in Applied Sociology from Millsaps College and a Master’s in Education Administration from Texas Southern. He is a doctoral candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University, where his research examines how urban school leaders understand, perceive, and respond to media coverage of schools and communities educating Black and Brown youth. Michael is a proud husband and father. He spends his spare time fishing, hiking, cooking, traveling, writing, listening to soul and reggae, and watching documentaries.
