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Michael Schmitz
Executive Director - Oakland, CA
Michael is the Executive Director of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability USA, the leading membership association of cities & counties committed to climate action, clean energy, and sustainability. A recognized leader in the sustainability and climate change field, he has consistently achieved success through building strong and dynamic teams.
Michael is an attorney and non-profit leader with business experience who brings to the job over two decades of experience in policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Before joining ICLEI, Michael was Principal of Go Forward Consulting specializing in strategic research, analysis and policy development. The firm managed and advised non-profit, business, and political clients on a range of issues including environmental regulation, land use, and economic development. In this capacity he served as Executive Director of CLEEN, a statewide coalition of environmental and public health organizations advocating for the protection of California’s clean water and environmental health.
Prior to founding the firm in 2003, he was a civil rights attorney and senior legislative counsel for the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus focusing on environmental, trade, and economic development policies.
He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Stanford, a law degree from UC Hastings in San Francisco, and a master’s degree in Urban Planning from UCLA.
Michael’s civic activities include four years as Economic Development Commissioner in the City of Alameda and Board Member of the Restoration Advisory Board at Alameda Point NAS charged with overseeing the clean-up of the former Naval air station. He is an active PTA member at his children’s school.
He and his wife Catherine have a seventh grader and a fourth grader and live in the Bay Area.
Contact Information:
E-mail - michael.schmitz@iclei.org
Phone - (510) 844-0699, Ext. 312
