Mike, Communications and Public Policy Director of ACLU of Ohio, received his Master’s degree in psychology from Cleveland State University’s Diversity Management Program and his Bachelor’s degree from Hiram College.

During his seven year tenure at the ACLU, Mike has worked on a variety of critical civil liberties campaigns. These include the Cincinnati-based Police Reform Project, coordinating the advocacy campaign against the Ohio Patriot Act, and promoting state criminal sentencing reform.

In August 2010, Mike co-authored the report Reform Cannot Wait: A Comprehensive Examination of the Cost of Incarceration in Ohio from 1991-2010. The report analyzed two decades of research showing the state’s “tough on crime” laws were a burden on state finances, diminished public safety, and perpetuated racial inequalities. Mike also co-authored and designed the ACLU’s April 2011 report, Prisons for Profit: A Look at Private Prisons. The report highlights the problems faced by other states who have privatized prisons, including: increased costs, safety problems, a lack of transparency, and increased recidivism.

Mike frequently provides commentary to members of the media on core ACLU issues ranging from ending capital punishment to strengthening state privacy laws.

Mike also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Greater Cleveland Community Shares, who named him the 2009 Volunteer of the Year. Recently he was named a Sue B. Mercy Fellow with Humanity in Action, an international non-profit organization devoted to promoting global human rights.