Mike worked 32 years with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, serving in the Dayton and Walla Walla areas for two decades and retiring in 2002 as a Captain in the agency’s Enforcement Program. During his career with WDFW, he also served as a Community Affairs Specialist and worked with the WWCC Irrigation Technology program and local Conservation Districts to develop and implement an innovative cooperative compliance fish screen program for basin irrigators. He completed an 18 month program with the Natural Resources Leadership Institute at North Carolina State University and worked two years at Washington State University developing a similar program for the Pacific Northwest. Prior to coming to WWCC, he returned to work with WDFW and served four years as a Special Assistant to the Director, specializing in collaborative problem-solving and environmental conflict resolution at the community, region and statewide level.

In December of 2007, Mike came to WWCC to develop a Collaborative Leadership Institute within the new Water and Environmental Center. He played a key role in developing the water management proposal legislative report, and became the Director of the Water and Environmental Center in January 2009. Since then, he has focused on developing a new Strategic Plan to guide the Center’s activities and assisting with developing funding and design proposals for expansion of the Center to include research and teaching laboratories, additional office space for CTUIR fisheries staff and classrooms.