I think it’s a common American sentiment - at least for those of us Gen X and younger - that many of the systems that supported previous generations, systems we were told would be there for us as well, appear more and more likely to be reaching the end of their viability. Be it environmental, governmental, familial, economical, or social, our systems show their signs of distress. We’re a little too familiar with the unsettling feeling brought about by the words of the poet: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;”

Simultaneously, many of us feel a sense of helplessness as billionaires and heads of state make wild and drastic changes with local and global consequences. What can we possibly do? I believe there’s a lot.

We have an opportunity now to imagine new systems. We have an opportunity to build more resilient communities - an opportunity to put us in control of our own prosperity. I hope you’ll come along.

A Belvidere native, Michael graduated BHS in 1998 before leaving his hometown to attend Illinois Wesleyan University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in music education. Following college he moved to New York, NY where he spent 6 years founding and working in nonprofit organizations. Upon returning to Belvidere in 2010, Michael spent a brief stint as a teacher with D100 before beginning his career as a software engineer. Apart from his career Michael has been active as a Boone County Arts Council board member for over 12 years, is the Vice Chair of the Boone County Democrats, has volunteered in a leadership capacity for several local social justice and community organizations, and from time to time produces video content covering local politics. Michael is proud to live in the heart of Belvidere with his wife Lauren, three amazing daughters, two good dogs, and a pretentious cat.