Mike is the founder and executive director of the Whitefish Lake Institute. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Luther College. Mike's career began in the fisheries division of Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks working in the Clark Fork and Blackfoot River drainages. Mike then traveled to Nevada to study Lahontan Cutthroat trout for the Summit Lake Paiute Tribe, and in Alaska, he worked for the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation. Upon his return to Montana, Mike was a partner at Watershed Consulting for eight years where he specialized in fisheries issues in Montana, Idaho and Nevada.

Mike serves as a governor appointed member of the Water Pollution Control Advisory Committee. He also chairs the Flathead Basin Commission On-site Wastewater Treatment Committee and Technical Committee. His past service includes governor appointments to the Flathead Basin Commission and Upper Columbia Conservation Commission. In addition, he served on the Montana Watershed Coordination Council board of directors and the Whitefish Climate Action Plan. Mike was a co-coordinator of the second and third editions of the Montana Lake Book. He is a past recipient the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society’s Individual Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the protection and enhancement of fisheries resources in Montana.