Mike has lived his entire life in Cole County and is a proud 5th generation Cole Countian.

Mike has been married to his wife Jeannette for 38 years and together they own and operate Art's Pest Control in Jefferson City. They have run this small family business for almost 32 years.

Together they have 4 grown children- Brian, Krista, Kyle and Luke. They also have six grandchildren- Trenton, Julia and John born to Brian and his wife Tina. Austin and Chase born to Krista and her husband Adam. And Grace born to Kyle and his wife Robin. Mike is the second oldest of seven children. All but one of his siblings lives in Missouri. Four of his brothers and sisters, including Mike, live in Cole County.

While in high school, he learned the value of community service by volunteering at the Jefferson City Day Care. He was also involved in sports in high school and lettered in cross country, baseball and track.

A Successful Businessman.

Mike knows what it's like to sign both sides of a paycheck.

After graduation, Mike went to work at the Cole County Highway Dept. Later he was transferred to the Sewer Department and worked there for a total of seven years. He was responsible for the sewage treatment facilities in the local subdivisions.

Mike then began working for Art's Pest Control. Shortly after he was presented an opportunity to buy the business and has not slowed down since. He took a small one man operation and turned it into a successful business. Twenty five years later, Art's Pest Control is a family run business employing six full-time employees including Mike's son, Kyle.

He has been active in the Missouri Pest Management Association holding various positions over the last several years. He was president of the association in 2006 - 2008 and he has represented the association in Washington DC for Legislative Day. Mike has received the John Veatch Award and Man of the Year Award for his work in the pest control industry. The Department of Agriculture noticed his dedication to the industry and asked him to be on the Integrated Pest Management in Schools Committee to help develop recommendations for pest control in schools. Art's Pest Control was nominated for Small Business of the year through the Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce in 2008.

A Man of Faith.

Mike serves as a lector, Eucharistic and hospitality minister at Immaculate Conception Parish. He is an active member of Holy Name Society and one of the 12 that helped raise money with the Capital Campaign for the parish. He helped raise money for Diocesan Excellence in Education Fund in which both projects met there goals.