Michael Oliver

Michael was born in San Francisco, raised in Palo Alto, California. After frequent family visits throughout his childhood, he moved permanently to Oregon in the early 1970s. He is a University of Oregon alumnus, where he studied psychology with a minor in accounting and quantitative methods.

Michael held several executive-level positions in both the non- and for-profit human services field and provided related consultation to boards of directors/staff, government agencies and law firms during his career. He has a long history of volunteering on the boards of local social service agencies, homeowner associations, statewide professional associations as well as regional and national advocacy organizations. 

Since retiring, Michael has continued to volunteer with local groups involved with conservation-related activities, particularly those involving reintroduction of native plants/trees and restoration of local waterways. He enjoys hiking, camping/backpacking, gardening, birding, fly fishing and spending time with and riding his and his wife’s horses. He and his wife live in SW Portland in the Tryon Creek watershed and obtained Backyard Habitat Program’s Platinum Certification on their property several years ago. Prior to becoming a Director, Michael served on WMSWCD’s budget committee during 2024.