Michael serves as the senior political processes advisor for USAID's Europe and Eurasia Bureau. He provides technical advice to senior leaders, technical assistance on elections and political processes to field offices and manages regional and bilateral programs. Michael joined USAID in 1994 and is the agency's longest continuously serving democracy officer/specialist. From 2007-2012 he was the team leader for elections and political processes in USAID's Center for Democracy, Human Rights and Governance. Previous overseas postings include Bosnia-Herzegovina (2002-6) and The Philippines (1997-2000). He speaks Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Filipino, and French, and his regional specializations are Eastern Europe & Eurasia and East Asia. Michael served as the USAID representative to the governing board of the American Foreign Service Association from 2006-2012. He holds a B.A. from Georgetown University and MA in international relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.