Mike Collins,
President
As President, Michael L. Collins serves as the primary strategic consultant for clients in the educational services arena, specifically focusing on public policy, organizational advancement, marketing and member advocacy.
A champion for public schools, his first eleven years of employment were in education in a city school district, state education department, and national education association. Collins served on Ohio’s State Board of Education from 2009 to 2017, and he continues to assist clients seeking to improve opportunities for Ohio’s school children. State organizations associated with student health services, nutrition, school safety, the growth of the whole child, educational policy and practice related to communications, funding, and governance are the focus of his agency.
From 2002 to 2008, he served on the Westerville City Schools’ Board of Education, including two years as board president.
While on the Ohio State Board of Education, he chaired the task force to create statewide educational standards for language arts, mathematics, science and social studies in 2010, and he provided insight to state legislators and statewide non-profit associations during the development of the Ohio public school wellness and nutrition program.
He has served as a consultant to public schools in more than 10 states, advising districts on executive searches, programs, community engagement, public policy and governance issues.
A veteran media and marketing strategist, as well as a successful fundraiser and event promoter, Collins founded his promotions company in 1982 and served as its President until 2016. For 35 years, his company, Promotions One, managed regional mega-events such as Red, White & Boom, First Night Columbus, WaterFire Columbus, the Columbus Marathon and the Columbus Race for the Cure. He was vice president of Collins Studios, Inc. and marketing consultant for organizations such as the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Prevent Blindness America.
Collins was an avid runner and is a participatory athlete for 40 years, a 20-year director of the Columbus Marathon, and founder and publisher of Ohio Runner and Ohio Golfer magazines. He is a graduate of Miami University, with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, and he earned his master’s in education at Ball State University. His greatest personal joy comes from his wife, three children and four grandchildren, and he enjoys hiking, reading and is a self-described “political junkie.”