“Ad maiorem Dei gloriam” -St. Ignatius of Loyola

Mike is a lifelong Catholic, originally from Louisiana, and has attended Catholic school throughout his education—beginning with St. John Berchmans Grade School, Jesuit High School, and the University of Notre Dame. Over the past 40 years, Mike has served as Sacristan of St. John’s Cathedral, Catechist, Lector, and team member of OCIA.

He retired from the federal government in 2019, following a 40-year career in senior executive program management, Earth science research, and the technical management of numerous nationally critical, multi-billion-dollar programs.

While in federal service, Mike served as the U.S. representative at the Group on Earth Observations Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, where he held the position of Senior Scientific Expert. He also held senior leadership roles at NASA, NOAA, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the United States Air Force. His expertise spans a broad range of Earth science and engineering disciplines, including space and ground system architecture, strategic planning, risk management, satellite operations, launch systems integration, and system integration and testing. Mike has successfully managed high-priority, multi-agency, and multi-contractor teams, and routinely represented the U.S. government to Congress and the Executive Office of the President.

Most recently, Mike has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The North Carolina Arboretum. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the American Red Cross, and the Asheville Museum of Science. He is a certified NASA Program Manager, a life member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a member of the National Space Foundation, and a third-degree black belt in karate.

Mike is a veteran of the United States Air Force. His honors and awards include the Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award for Exceptional Excellence, the NASA Office of Earth Science Outstanding Engineer Award, the National Space Club Award for Outstanding Aerospace Achievement, the Aviation Week & Space Technology Aerospace Laurel Award, the United States Air Force Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Cold War Service Medal, and the Gulf War Service Medal.