Michael leads PSR-LA’s water work of organizing, educating, and advocating with Southeast Los Angeles communities and community groups on local drinking water issues. He is often researching and identifying hazardous facilities including manufacturers, pesticides, plastics, and cleanup sites to identify violations, regulatory failure, and other trends to provide share findings and policy recommendations.

Michael’s passion for environmental justice began as a physics student when his professor assigned “The Dance of Legislation.” It included a sentence that shifted his focus into pursuing policy work: “If politicians do their job right, then there would be no need for as many physicians.” The same professor gave him an internship opportunity to get involved in the cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. It is located 10 miles from his hometown of Thousand Oaks but that was the first time he learned about it.

He is currently an Advisory Group Member, Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) for the California State Water Resources Control Board. Michael earned his B.A. in Environmental Studies with a focus in Policy and Law-Making and a minor in Sustainable Engineering from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Michael loves Santa Monica and Venice Beach for its punk rock, surfer and skateboarding history. He is an avid LA sports fan rooting fervently for the Dodgers and the Kings, and also knows the best live music venues in the city.