| Allow me to introduce myself- My name is Michael B. Feggans and no matter where I've served around the world, I've always called Virginia Beach my home. I was raised for most of my early life in the West Kempsville area of Virginia Beach, VA, by my mother who worked for 30+ years as a Norfolk Public School teacher, and my father worked for 20+ years as a Norfolk International Airport firefighter and retired as a Captain.
Before I graduated from high school, I knew my future was destined for the military as an avenue to gain high-tech skillsets, pay for college, and experience other cultures. I enlisted and departed for the U.S. Air Force in August 2001. After completing Basic Military Training, I attended a technical school where I would find my future in healthcare and information technology.
At my first duty station at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB), Ohio, I found my passion for community service and higher education. I enrolled in college and was elected to the Base Enlisted Advisory Council. Working on the base council for many years allowed me to help establish community events and programs. It was there I learned the value of building teams, community infrastructure, and reaching across the aisle to find ways to work together for a better future.
After completing my bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, I transitioned into healthcare information technology (IT) and expeditionary medical training and was finally able to pursue my true love of being an IT nerd. During this period, I also was fortunate to begin my journey into political engagement. I was accepted as one of the first enlisted active-duty Air Force Congressional interns and assigned to the Norfolk office of Senator Mark Warner (D-VA).
I worked closely with Senator Warner's Constituent Services team, which taught me the value of embracing community relations. This experience showed me the importance of reaching out to civic partners and community stakeholders, and assisting citizens regardless of their political affiliation.
Shortly after completing my internship, I received orders to deploy to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan to support Afghanistan missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. During this deployment, I led the aeromedical evacuations operations for injured service members returning from Afghanistan and served as the medical IT mission planner.
I also worked with the State Department to provide laptops to the local library and assist with community outreach. Years later, I was hand-selected to provide deployment support to the Republic of Korea in 2018-2019 as the medical Senior Enlisted Leader for the Gimhae Contingency Hospital project. Under my leadership, I oversaw a team that was responsible for a $50M development project with the capacity to serve over 500 patients.
After returning home from Operation Enduring Freedom, I was fortunate to be stationed in Hampton Roads. Being back home in the 757 allowed me to grow ties with the Virginia Young Democrats and Virginia Beach Democratic Committee, and serve on the City of Virginia Beach Cybersecurity Committee.
I was selected to work within Governor McAuliffe's administration in Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson's office as a cybersecurity intern. While there, I conducted cybersecurity research and helped create the "RU Online VA" crowdsourcing initiative, which focused on identifying broadband gaps within the Commonwealth and working to find solutions to close those gaps.
I was sent for my final overseas tour and served at Andersen AFB in Guam. While stationed there, I established the Team Rubicon disaster response branch and provided recovery support when natural disasters struck the region. In Guam, I was promoted to my final rank of Master Sergeant and completed my Masters in Cybersecurity from the Historically Black College & University, Norfolk State University.
After thoughtful planning, I retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service and began the next phase of my life as an entrepreneur in the technology industry. As a small business owner, I've been able to give back directly to the community that raised me. My drive to provide a progressive voice as your next Delegate is a continuance of my lifelong service to the greater good.
I'm excited about meeting the residents of the new 97th House District, tackling the challenging issues at hand through compassionate leadership, and continuing to serve this vibrant community with steadfast commitment. |