Selected Community Service
- Elected member of the Oshkosh Common Council. 2020 to Present
- Board member for Clarity Care, Inc. 2019 to Present.
- Member of the City of Oshkosh Long Range Finance Committee. 2019 to 2021.
- President of the Miller’s Bay Neighborhood Association, 2018 to 2020.
- Oshkosh Food Co-Op Site Selection Team, 2019.
- Member of the Oshkosh, WI United Way Fiscal Health Committee, 2018, 2019.
- Member of the City of Oshkosh Plan Commission, 2017 to Present.
- Vice President of the Miller’s Bay Neighborhood Association, 2016 to 2018.
- Member of the Oshkosh, WI United Way Women in Poverty Committee, 2016 to 2018.
- Chair of the Miller’s Bay Neighborhood Planning Committee, 2015.
Selected Talks
- "Does Money Matter?" Invited talk at UW-LaCrosse. March, 2020.
- "Compensation in Wisconsin's Public Sector: Balancing Internal and External Challenges." Invited talk to the International Public Management Association-Wisconsin Chapter. March, 2019.
- “Connecting Group Dynamics, Governance and Performance: Evidence from Minnesota Charter School Boards.” Invited Speaker at University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology. November 9, 2018.
- “Accountability and Nonprofit Failure.” Guest Lecture at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Program Evaluation and Policy Analysis Course. April, 2018.
- “The Wisconsin Superintendent: Priorities, Challenges, and Board Relations.” Invited Speaker at the Annual Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators Conference, Oshkosh, WI, April, 2018.
- “Making the Most Out of Your School Board.” Invited Speaker at the Wisconsin State Education Convention, Milwaukee, WI, January, 2018.
- “The Next Generation of School Choice Research.” Funded invited presentation at EdChoice, Indianapolis, IN. December, 2017.
- “Local Government in Wisconsin.” Invited Speaker at Leadership Oshkosh Government Day. Oshkosh, WI. November, 2017.
- “Local Government in Wisconsin.” Invited presentation to Leadership Oshkosh. November 16, 2016.
- “The Future of K-12 Education in Wisconsin.” Invited presentation to The Oshkosh League of Women Voters. November 9, 2016.
- “From Bold Experiment to Status Quo: The Policy Evolution of America’s First Urban School Voucher Program.” Invited Presentation to the UW-Oshkosh African-American Studies Program. November, 2015.
- “The State of Communities under 10,000 & Why It Matters for Everyone: Results from a Recent Survey.” Invited Presentation at the 117th Annual Conference of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities. October, 2015.
- “Evaluating Financial Condition in the Nonprofit Sector.” Invited Guest Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, NonProf 958:Topics in Nonprofit Administration: Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations. November, 2015.
- “The State of Wisconsin Communities with Under 10,000 Residents.” Invited presentation at the League of Wisconsin Municipalities CEOs Conference. August, 2015.
- “Charter School Board Member Productivity: Perceptions and Reality.” Invited Guest Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Business Management 725, Governances and Executive Leadership in Non-Profit Organizations. February, 2015.
- “Milwaukee Voucher School Leaders’ Views on Accountability: What Are They, and Why do They Matter?” Presented at the Nonprofit Research Colloquium at the Helen Bader Institute for Non-Profit Management, Milwaukee, WI. February 2015.
- “Clintonville Public Library Survey.” Presented to the Clintonville, WI Library Board, December 8th 2014.
- “Communicating with Elected Officials: Lessons for Community Leaders.” Invited presentation at 2014 Leadership Wisconsin Conference, Oshkosh, WI. November 17, 2014.
- “Evaluating Financial Condition in a Municipality: Can it Apply to the Nonprofit Sector?” Invited Guest Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, NonProf 958:Topics in Nonprofit Administration: Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations. November 10, 2014.
- “Miller’s Bay Neighborhood Plan: Presentation to the Miller’s Bay Neighborhood Association.” October 7, 2014.
- “Evansville Community Survey: Presentation to the City of Evansville Plan Commission.” May 5, 2014, with Karl Nollenberger.
- “Board Member Conflict, Attitudes Towards the Public, and Responsibilities: A Comparison of Charter and Traditional Public School Board Members in Minnesota.” Invited Guest Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Public Administration 958: Governance and Executive Leadership of Non-Profit Organization. February 17, 2014.
- “From Bold Experiment in Privatization to Status Quo: The Policy Evolution of America’s first Urban School Voucher Program.” Presented as part of the panel, “Life After Vouchers: Expansion, Accountability & Outcomes,” at the 7th annual Henry W. Maier State of Milwaukee Summit, November 2013.
- “Statewide Voucher and Regional Independent Charters: What Lies Ahead?” Presented at the Wisconsin Association of School Boards Legislative Advocacy Conference, Stevens Point, WI. November 2013.
- “Comparing Governance Behaviors on Traditional Public School Boards and Non-Profit Charter School Boards in Three Midwestern States.” Presented at the Nonprofit Research Colloquium at the Helen Bader Institute for Non-Profit Management, Milwaukee, WI. October 2013 with Douglas Ihrke.
Michael R. Ford
Associate Professor of Public Administration