Laurentide Strategies (formerly VALEO) is a Rochester (NY) and Atlanta-based consultancy helping clients with a range of communications needs: strategic communications plans; stakeholder engagement; public relations; public affairs; and evaluation, monitoring and fine-tuning campaign outcomes.Clients include the FinTech and Payments Processing industry (Worldpay, US and the American Transaction Processors Coalition), several nonprofits and corporations like Oldcastle (leading veterans HR public relations planning). We also launched DestionationFLX, an event and online platform promoting the Finger Lakes tourism industry, accumulating nearly 20,000 organic monthly visitors.The Geneva BID also retained Michael Mills as its Executive Director, helping local member businesses through property improvements, economic development activities and resource allocation.

Launched a public affairs (crisis, issues management, CSR, community engagement) and sustainability practice for the GolinHarris Atlanta office. Clients included Oldcastle, the United Egg Producers of America, American Transaction Processors Coalition and the Health Product Declaration Collaborative.

Led The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance as it seeks to promote energy efficiency for a cleaner environment, a more prosperous economy, and a higher quality of life in the Southeastern region of the United States. Ran the organization, which had an annual $6M budget and three-year $21M federal government program grant.

Launched PR1776 to provide clients with PR, public affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility, strategic brand counseling, crisis communications, and non-profit management/strategic planning services.Clients included: Sam's Club, Communities In Schools of Georgia, Technimark, Communities In Schools of Atlanta and Gary Pfaff & The Heartwells.

Candidate for Georgia Secretary of State, earning 53,001 votes in the July Democratic Primary.

Protected and enhanced the public reputation of the world's largest retailer across seven states in the Southeast. Primary responsibilities included: media spokesperson (regularly served as the primary Black Friday spokesperson, appearing on Good Morning America and CNN This Morning, among others); NGO and elected official stakeholder engagement; strategic communications planning; crisis communications; media relations executive training; public affairs; corporate social responsibility and merchandise and holiday marketing and advertising support.

Led client quality control, provided account management and strategic public relations services for a range of clients, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Oldcastle.

Co-founded a full-service public affairs firm and managed the reputation of clients in the media and halls of government. including the Georgia Electronic Commerce Association, Melaver, Inc. and Oldcastle.

Founded Coalition for a Voting America to engage and empower Georgians in the civic process in an educated and continuous manner, based upon Mills' graduate school thesis and plan for improving youth voter turnout. Managed the merger of CVA with national Vote for America to launch their Georgia chapter focused on improving educated voter turnout during the 2002 off-year elections. The VFAGA staff of four recruited and trained volunteers across 11 metro Atlanta counties to educate and lead voters to the polls. The six-month campaign raised nearly $350,000 for operations, activated more than 2,000 volunteers, earned more than 44 million media impressions, and helped elevate off-year election turnout by seven percent when the area previously witnessed double-digit declines in previous cycles.

Managed public affairs for this Atlanta-based full-service public relations agency. Client topic areas included climate change, healthcare, transportation, water quality and policy, among others. A partial client roster includes the Southern Company, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce (Clean Water Initiative, which produced legislation for the creation of the North Metro Water Planning District), Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Electronic Commerce Association

Led communications and served as the chief spokesperson on this victorious campaign for Lt. Governor

Aide during the 1998 session of the Georgia General Assembly supporting the Elections Division and managing the Small Business Start up Center at the Corporations Division.