Mike spent five seasons with the Forest Service in Arizona while working towards his B.S. in Ecology and Natural History at Prescott College. His final studies included conducting Wild and Scenic river research in the Grand Canyon. Mike has directed small corps programs, served as Project Coordinator for RMYC (CO) and spent five years as Academic Director for an alternative high school focused on service learning and outdoor experience. Throughout this time, he became more passionate about the Southwest’s amazing rivers and was also a river instructor with Outward Bound. Joining SCC as River Restoration Director was a culmination of Mike’s varied experiences. Here he supported watershed length, collaborative habitat restoration initiatives on the Dolores, Verde, Escalante, and Gila rivers with five conservation corps programs and a wide host of partners. After 6 years in this position, Mike stepped into the role as SCC's Ancestral Lands Regional Director where he supports 5 offices on Acoma Pueblo, Zuni Pueblo, Navajo Nation, Hopi and in Albuquerque's South Valley. Engaging Native American staff, crews and interns in communities of need while restoring and protecting habitat across the Southwest continues to motivate and inspire.