Mike was born and raised in Fresno and attended local schools including Bullard High School, Fresno City College and graduated from CSU Fresno with a degree in Business Administration.  

His association with the Fresno Sheriff’s department goes back to the early 1970s when he was a reserve deputy.  He enlisted in the California Air National Guard in 1970 as a jet engine mechanic, and retired from the 194th Fighter Squadron in Fresno in 1993 as an F-16 pilot with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He became a Financial Advisor with the firm of Drexel Burnham Lambert in 1980 and is today a partner in Encore Investment Consultants in Fresno.