came to Swanton, VT when Mike was a child. He graduated from Missisquoi Valley Union High School in 2001. Mike accepted a Presidential Scholarship from Saint Michael's College and graduated with honors majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Political Science in 2005.

Mike's interest in social justice led to work advocating for increased attention to HIV/AIDS and malaria programs, especially in East Africa. During 2004 he traveled to Tanzania with the Student Global AIDS Campaign, worked on voter registration efforts with TrueMajority and co-coordinated advocacy for the 04-Stop-AIDS campaign of the Health Global Access Project. 

Putting off medical school at the University of Vermont, Mike worked as a singer/songwriter in Los Angeles after college. Returning home to Vermont in 2008, he joined his brother Brian and his mother Pam to start Cosmic Bakery & Café. This cozy cafe has blossomed into a wholesale bread bakery, specialty dessert source, and coffee hotspot in Saint Albans. Mike steps out of the kitchen a bit, singing and playing guitar at the occasional Open Mic at Cosmic. 

Mike's wife Stephanie and newborn baby Molly will join him on the campaign. ("I Like Mike" onesies will be available soon!)

Mike actively volunteers with the Saint Albans Community Justice Center. As the Vice Chair of the Saint Albans Downtown Board, Mike works closely with community leaders on promoting and developing downtown Saint Albans. He also served on the board for Common Ground, the Saint Albans Teen Center and actively supports programs that promote the arts and fight hunger and homelessness in Saint Albans.