Michael is Professor Emeritus in Architecture at Cal Poly where he has taught design since 1997 and developed general education electives in design and the built environment for all majors. His research has focused on the way cultures conceptualize the environment and has taken him across Indigenous communities in the American Southwest and coast of British Columbia, and vernacular settings across Europe. In 2021 he completed a Fulbright Award at the University of Prešov in the Slovak Republic where he taught environmental aesthetics while researching 17th century wooden churches in the Carpathian Mountains. He also served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design.
 
He was a practicing architect in the Chesapeake Bay area for almost twenty years. Work where he was designer intervened in primarily underserved communities, and included non-profit, educational and university clientele. Several projects earned awards from branches of the American Institute of Architects.
 
Michael and his family are twenty-year residents of Morro Bay. He previously served as Planning Commissioner for the city for over fifteen years, most recently during the review of the new General Plan.  Michael hopes to contribute his background in environmental review, land use, design, and ethics toward stewardship of the lands and an intergenerational compact on decommissioning and safe storage between current and future generations on the Central Coast.

Current term concludes May, 2025