Experience

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  Still Have Faith . Com

  • Pontiac, IL

  • Author

    • May 2011 - Present
    • Pontiac, IL

    Mike was born and raised in Pontiac, Illinois; he graduated from Illinois State University in December of 1982. Mike worked for his father in the family business while growing up and all through college. He learned to operate heavy equipment, bulldozers, backhoes and excavators, working on farm drainage projects. He met his future wife, Mary, in May of 1983 and they were married in January of 1985. After getting married, Mike went back to Illinois State University to earn his teaching certificate, becoming a Social Studies teacher. His first teaching job was teaching inmates at the maximum security prison in Pontiac, Illinois, in May of 1987. After teaching inmates for almost 2 years, Mike was promoted into the Business Office as the Business Manager, where he stayed for the rest of his career in Corrections. Mike took advantage of an early retirement buyout in 2004, leaving as the Chief Fiscal Officer of the Pontiac Correctional Center. Taking the early retirement buyout due to Mary’s long battle with breast cancer, Mike returned to teaching in the public schools, after dealing with his father’s death, Mary’s death and a failed second marriage. Mike took the advice of some friends and decided to write a book on his experience of being married to a woman for 23 years who fought a 17½-year battle with breast cancer and the struggles he has had in the 4 years since Mary’s death. With the encouragement of his 2 children, Tom and Sarah, Mike has written a heart-felt book on what he experienced over this time period. His hope is to help others understand the struggles associated with having a loved one fight against a terminal illness. Mike also hopes to raise awareness for the caregivers of terminally ill people and the jobs they do. Mike is donating $1 for every book or e-book of his that he sells for cancer research.

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  Local Schools

  • Special Education Teacher

    • Jan 2004 - Present

    Prepared and taught stimulating curriculum while addressing the individual needs of cognitivelyimpaired, learning disabled and behaviorally challenged students in a self-contained classroomsetting. Served on several administrative committees, partnering with school district teachers andadministrators to plan, develop and implement new special education programs.

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  Stalter Rottweilers

  • Pontiac, Illinois, United States

  • AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator and Dog Trainer

    • May 1988 - Present
    • Pontiac, Illinois, United States

    I would like to give a little back experience on myself. I am an AKC Certified CGC Evaluator. Over the 30 years that I have owned Rottweilers I have earned 2 AKC CDs, 2 United Schutzhund Clubs of America BHs, 3 American Herding Breed Association titles, 3 ADRK BSEs & 1 RKNA Inc. SE with different Rottweilers. I have also extensively trained 6 Rottweilers that already had Schutzhund and IPO titles to maintain their working ability. In my job with the Illinois Department of Corrections I obtained a Rottweiler for the IDOC K-9 unit and I audited the IDOC K-9 for a number of years when they were working and training at the Pontiac Correctional Center.With my time, experience and knowledge of dogs I have offered private and group dog training along with canine behavior consulting and problem solving for well over 25 years. Also as a State of Illinois licensed teacher, I can help train and solve canine behavioral problems through ethical standards and the effective use of Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA) practices using evidence-based education and training methods likely to succeed in achieving a training or behavior change objective. I focus on reinforcing desired behaviors, and always ask the question, “What do you want the dog to do?” Every dog is unique and holds a special place in your heart and I understand that perfectly. That’s why I have specialized training sessions that focus on devising the best plan to train your dog, keeping in mind the nature and habits of your dog. Every dog breed is different with different drives and motivation as is every individual dog.

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  Illinois Department of Corrections

  • Individual and Family Services
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • CFO Pontiac Correctional Center

    • May 1987 - Sep 2004

    Chief fiscal officer of the Pontiac Correctional Center, which is a segregation super maximum-security prison that includes a mental health treatment facility, whose annual budget is $55 million. The Pontiac Correctional Center is the eighth oldest correctional facility in the United States, opening in 1871. My responsibilities were directing all of the non-clinical operating activities which included, controlling the institution’s budget and spending plan, maintaining a daily working knowledge of the expenditures, ensuring that all subordinate staff are performing their duties correctly. The areas of my responsibility were the accounting, procurement, property control, timekeeping, payroll, insurance, human resources, warehousing supplies, mail room, inmate & employee commissary, inmate & employee clothing, and all telephone equipment. Was responsible for all fundraising activities at the Pontiac Correctional Center ensuring targeted goals were met and that all procedures met with the Illinois State law. I controlled the allocation of expenditures within the limits of the state approved appropriations by reviewing fiscal reports and records of business activities of the Pontiac Correctional Center. I regularly prepared fiscal reports for higher and lower level staff to better distribute funds. Additionally, I prepared staffing reports for the hiring and eliminating of positions to ensure compliance with state approved staffing levels. I oversaw the construction of a 200 bed Mental Health Unit, the renovation of the 100 bed Condemned Unit and cell strengthening of the 400 bed North Segregation Unit.The major accomplishment of my duties as Business Administrator was the perfect audits from the Auditor General’s Office for 2000 – 2002 audit and the 2002 – 2004 audit. There was no material or immaterial findings, which was a first ever for the Pontiac Correctional Center.

  • Business Administrator II

    • Jan 2000 - Jan 2004

    A segregation supermax security prison and peripheral mental health facility with an annual budgetof $55M, housing approximately 2,000 inmates and employing over 1,000 personnel.CHIEF FISCAL OFFICER 2000 to 2004Executive oversight and strategic steering control of financial and statutory requirements across allareas of departmental operations, including financial planning, reporting & forecasting, accounting,payroll, regulatory compliance, due diligence, divisional reorganizations, cost reductions, riskmanagement and internal audit. Responsible for budget and expenditure planning, procurement(commissary, clothing, telephone equipment and warehouse supplies), fundraising, HR, Mail Roomoperations and insurance within the correctional center and adjoining mental health facility.- Advised managerial staff on the allocation of financial resources; analyzed financial and relatedreports to identify/isolate issues and advise department administrators of methods for resolution.- Served as the department’s primary representative for fiscal matters; coordinated the financialportion of the center’s annual strategic plan and budget request.- Hired, trained, led and evaluated a team of more than 40 employees with manager/director levelreports in budget, accounting, financial compliance, financial accounting and audit & risk.- Prepared staffing reports and conducted quarterly/annual employee evaluations.- Liaised between various state agencies and cross-functional entities including the Auditor General’sOffice, Capital Development Board and the Office of Management and Budget.- Oversaw all fundraising activities to ensure achievement of targeted goals.- Ensured operational compliance with State-approved appropriations.

  • Business Manager

    • Jan 1988 - Jan 2000

    I was the assistant Chief fiscal officer in the operation of the Business Office. I directly supervised the day-to-day operation of the payroll, timekeeping, insurance and vending services. I assumed the duties of the Business Administrator in his absence. Additionally, I coordinated the fiscal and service areas of the Business Office and acted as the front line manager. I conducted special studies, implemented procedures after approval, coordinated the bidding and purchasing of goods and services, and assisted in the planning and development of the institutions budget, along with providing data to high-level management for review. As the Business Manager, I was assigned the duty of training staff in the Business Office regarding new procedures. I was also responsible to train new Business Office staff existing procedures. I was appointed the telecommunications coordinator and hazardous waste coordinator for the Pontiac Correctional Center. Was responsible for all fundraising activities at the Pontiac Correctional Center ensuring targeted goals were met and that all procedures met with the Illinois State law. The Employee Benefit Fund was the main recipient for the fundraising; however, other charitable organizations had fundraising activities for which I was responsible. The institutional mailroom, which consisted of a staff of four union and one manager reported to me for daily direction of their work activities. These included prioritizing work schedules, approving time off, and overseeing the security work involving both incoming and out going staff and inmate mail.

  • Educator

    • Jan 1987 - Jan 1988

    EDUCATOR, Pontiac Correctional Center & Dwight Correctional Center 1987 to 1988Prepared instructional material and lesson plans for a GED program as well as various academicsubjects to a diverse group of adult inmates in a maximum-security correctional facility setting.Summary of • Spearheaded the integration of an Inmate Teaching Program in the SegregationAccomplishments: Units of both the Pontiac and Dwight Correctional Centers.• Wrote grants to obtain federal funding for the Inmate Teaching Program.• Tracked student data, collecting demographic information utilized in a variety

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  Pontiac Correctional Center

  • Chief fiscal officer

    • May 1986 - Sep 2004

    My responsibilities were directing all of the non-clinical operating activities which included, controlling the institution's budget and spending plan, maintaining a daily working knowledge of the expenditures, ensuring that all subordinate staff are performing their duties correctly, and perform quarterly and annual job evaluations on the 40 subordinate staff that I directly supervised. The areas of my responsibility were the accounting, procurement, property control, timekeeping, payroll, insurance, human resources (personnel), warehousing supplies, mail room, inmate & employee commissary, inmate & employee clothing, and all telephone equipment. Was responsible for all fundraising activities at the Pontiac Correctional Center ensuring targeted goals were met and that all procedures met with the Illinois State law. I controlled the allocation of expenditures within the limits of the state approved appropriations by reviewing fiscal reports and records of business activities of the Pontiac Correctional Center. I regularly prepared fiscal reports for higher and lower level staff to better distribute funds. Additionally, I prepared staffing reports for the hiring and eliminating of positions to ensure compliance with state approved staffing levels. I oversaw the construction of a 200 bed Mental Health Unit, the renovation of the 100 bed Condemned Unit and cell strengthening of the 400 bed North Segregation Unit.The major accomplishment of my duties as Business Administrator was the perfect audits from the Auditor General's Office for 2000 - 2002 audit and the 2002 - 2004 audit. There was no material or immaterial findings, which was a first ever for the Pontiac Correctional Center. It should be noted that the age, size, and security level make this an even more notable accomplishment. I regularly determined major policy and program formulations as they pertained to fiscal issues and managed building and office space for the Pontiac Correctional Center.

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  Pontiac Grade School District #429 Educational Foundation

  • School Board Member

    • Jan 1999 - Jan 2000

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  Pontiac High School District

  • Board of Directors

    • Jan 1999 - Jan 2000

    Obtained grants from local businesses and government agencies totaling $20,000

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  Livingston County Humane Society

  • Board of Directors

    • Jan 1999 - Jan 2000

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  Livingston County Young

  • President of

    • Jan 1990 - Jan 1997

  • Director of

    • Jan 1984 - Jan 1990

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  Dwight Correctional Center

  • Educator

    • Mar 1988 - Sep 1988

    I was responsible for the instruction and curriculum development for a GED program in a maximum-security correctional facility setting. I used standard teaching methodology in the program and developed unique teaching methodology designed for the instruction of adult inmates. I prepared and executed diagnostic test instruments geared to evaluate the student's abilities and needs. I administered evaluative testing to gauge, rate, and scope the progress in maximizing the inmates' potential in the educational and behavioral goals that had been established for the students, on an individual basis.I wrote grants for the inmate-teaching program to obtain Federal funds in financing the program. Along with this, I tracked student data collecting information on age, grade level, attendance and progress. This data was used in a variety of educational and governmental reports. I also initiated a program of teaching inmates in the segregation unit at both the Pontiac and Dwight Correctional Centers.

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  Community Service

  • Operating Engineer

    • Jan 1972 - Jan 1987

    From the age of 12 until I was 27 I worked for my father in his excavating company were I learned to operated bulldozers, backhoes, excavators, gradealls, road graders, and scrappers; used in the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, clearing farm land, constructing waterways, cleaning and straightening creeks, installing and repairing drainage tile, and removing buildings and other structures.; School District #429 Board of Education Member 1995 to 2003.