Mike was raised and educated in East Tennessee, obtaining a degree in Political Science from East Tennessee State University in 1974.  Immediately after graduation, Mike entered the US Army as a 2nd Lieutenant, eventually taking command of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD - Bomb Squad) Detachment.  After completing a four-year obligation, Mike obtained certification as a police officer in Georgia before entering the FBI as a Special Agent in 1980.  He worked in six different FBI field divisions, serving primarily as an investigator with ancillary duties as a SWAT team member, sniper, undercover agent, teaching interview and interrogation techniques, and serving as a hostage negotiator, eventually being promoted to Supervisory Special Agent. His investigative experience includes but is not limited to violent crimes, white collar matters, organized crime, foreign counter intelligence, civil rights violations, computer fraud, surveillance, and child pornography.

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Mike retired after more than 27 years of duty in the FBI and immediately took a position as the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction as a member of a team overseeing criminal investigations in Afghanistan and building the infrastructure of the Investigative Directorate.  In addition, since 2008 Mike has sub-contracted with the US State Department, Office of Anti-Terrorist Assessment, conducting classes abroad regarding Hostage Negotiations, Interviewing Terrorists Suspects, and Investigating Terrorists Incidents.