Michael is a committed community leader and passionate public servant with a comprehensive and substantial record of service, reflecting his dedication and willingness to put service above self. Michael's record includes working for and volunteering with local and state governments and multiple nonprofit organizations throughout our community.

Michael is honored and privileged to have the opportunity to serve the people of our community, providing representation for his generation while working to improve the community for all residents. Through his advocacy, Michael strives to take what actions he can today to be a positive force for planned progress in our community for tomorrow.

Michael has lived most of his life in Union County. Growing up in this community influenced his appreciation of what it truly means to be part of a community. As a leader, Michael wants to ensure that our community can provide opportunities for people to prosper for generations to come and that folks not just survive but thrive here in Union County.

Michael recognizes that we all have different lived experiences and come from different places, but we have all chosen to make this community home, and this community is what binds us together. Michael believes in collaborating, coordinating, and communicating with our neighbors to unite the community and create positive outcomes for our future.

Ten years ago, Michael's life changed when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that would make him completely deaf on his right side. Gaining a disability early in his life, Michael quickly realized that we as a society do not adequately accommodate people with disabilities as we should. Since then, Michael has been determined to change that.

Michael has served as a Governor-appointed Councilmember on the North Carolina Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing since July 2021 and the North Carolina Statewide Independent Living Council since February 2024, advocating for a more accessible North Carolina that provides quality services and resources for people with disabilities.

On these councils, Michael has collaborated with decision-makers to significantly improve and create new services for individuals with disabilities, promoted the elimination of societal barriers, created a new statewide plan for independent living, recommended updates to policy, and ensured that North Carolina is inclusive and accessible to people of all abilities. 

Michael believes that if we as a society are purposeful in eliminating barriers and creating a more equitable and accessible world, then people with disabilities can live as independently as those without. Michael hopes to one day live in a world where the full integration of people with disabilities throughout all facets of society is a reality and not just a goal.