Michael is co-founder of Transition Colorado (www.TransitionColorado.org, formerly Transition Boulder County), a statewide Transition hub whose mission is to catalyze, inspire, encourage, network, support and train Colorado communities as they consider, adopt, adapt and implement the Transition process. In May of 2008, his organization became the first officially recognized Transition Initiative in North America. Since 2005, Michael has been a catalyst for relocalization—developing community resilience and self-reliance in food, energy, and economy—spearheading the organization's campaign to rebuild community and strengthen local economies. A frequent speaker about relocalization and the challenges that make it inevitable, he is a board member of Transition U.S., as well as a certified trainer for the Transition Network. He is also a founding member of the Boulder County Food and Agricultural Policy Council, a graduate of the Authentic Leadership Program at Naropa University's Marpa Center for Business and Economics, and formerly the board president of the Boulder Independent Business Alliance. Michael recently spearheaded the launch of Transition Times (www.Transition-Times.com), and serves as its editor and publisher.