Mike has been nominated for five California On Location awards for Location Professional of the Year, winning two, and has also been nominated for two LMGI Awards.
Mike studied environmental science, geography and geology in college prior to working for the US Forest Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service for 13 years. He appraised properties, negotiated complex land exchanges, sited rights of way and coordinated environmental assessments throughout the Northwest.
When Steven Spielberg came to Montana to film, Mike was the site rep on National Forest land. While observing the various departments on the productions, Mike soon realized location managing was a way for him to combine his education and work experience with his love of photography and travel into a career.
Mike worked on his first location job in 1990 and has had the pleasure, honor and luck work with incredible directors, production designers, producers and assistant location managers and crew on 42 feature films ranging from dramas to comedies to summer blockbusters.
He has been nominated for five California On Location awards for Location Professional of the Year and won for “Memoirs of a Geisha”, “The Green Hornet” TOPGUN:Maverick”, and has also been nominated for two LMGI Awards.
Mike is a proud thirty-two year member of Hollywood Teamsters Local 399 and served on their steering committee for four years. He is also a founding member of the Location Managers Guild International, and he served the Board for over ten years, three years as president. He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Mike retired in 2022 and consults with film commissions, cities, counties, states and private businesses on a variety of topics related to locations, incentives and business development.
He, his wife and two cats split their time between Los Angeles, Montana and traveling.