Michael is a former 5th grade teacher, author of the children’s book, Composting for Community, father to Ezra and Diego, and the founder and Executive Director of LA Compost.
As a community composter he supports, schools, churches, community gardens, farmers markets, libraries, and parks to create compost systems to support soil health. He was exposed to soil health at an early age from the time he spent in his grandfather’s garden turning over rocks and logs to see the life that thrived underground, and how plants responded beautifully to growing in soil that was full of life. The seeds of LA Compost sprouted while he was working as a teacher. Excited to create more connections around food, soil, and community, he organized an after-school garden club to facilitate knowledge sharing opportunities across campus, and was transformed by the ways in which his students engaged with food and soil related topics. The early days of LA Compost included picking up food scraps from juice bars, coffee shops, and taco shops, and composting this collected material in friends and family members backyards. LA Compost has supported over 50 community compost locations across the county, ensuring that both the soil and souls who engage with it, are cared for. Michael cofounded the California Alliance for Community Composting, currently sits on the Board of Directors for the U.S Composting Council, and Food Exploration and Discovery, and was appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles to become a Commissioner for the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office.
