TAB BWI Facilitator(s)

Michael Mobley, Executive Director of j-ref, an organization that provides financing to small businesses in Howard County, is an executive with over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, finance, marketing and operations that facilitated growth, market share and profitability for various industries. Critical to his achievements is his ability to develop a vision and mission around which multi-functional teams could create business objectives that led to the strategies and tactics required for business success. Prior to joining j-ref in December, 2005, Michael was Managing Partner of Obsidian Management, a consulting firm he founded in 2002 that provided strategic advisory services to small businesses. Previous to founding Obsidian, Michael spent five years in the auto insurance industry. He began with Progressive in Baltimore as the head of marketing, sales, pricing and regulatory and government affairs for an $80 million business. At the request of his former boss at Progressive, Michael moved to 21st Century Insurance in Los Angeles as a Vice President to manage a $900 million auto insurance business in California. In both cases, he increased revenue and profits. Michael had extensive experience in economic development in Cleveland, Ohio, his home town, from 1993-1997. He was on the board of a small venture capital fund when he was asked to temporarily manage the fund when the previous manager departed. Within a year, Michael brought three money-losing businesses to breakeven, helped develop growth strategies for two other businesses and an exit strategy for an additional business. He was also Director of the Minority Economic Opportunity Center in Cleveland. Michael was charged with facilitating economic growth within the minority community and focused on business development, capital formation, jobs and economic education. He created a business-to-business roundtable for minority entrepreneurs and mainstream businesses to foster supplier relationships, partnerships and strategic alliances, and facilitated growth and profitability for $25 million of minority business. From 1987-1993 Michael was an executive with Marriott Corporation in Bethesda, Maryland, one of the world's leading lodging companies. He began as an Assistant Controller in Corporate Operations, Planning & Control, where he managed an $8 billion budget process and developed a market expansion plan for one of the restaurant divisions. In 1989 Michael was named Vice President of Finance and Business Analysis for the Marketing Department of the Hotel Division. After cross-training as an Operations Manager in one of the hotels, he became Vice President of Hotel Planning, as part of the Lodging Development group. Michael co-developed the ten-year, worldwide hotel development plan for Marriott. This process included economic evaluation, market identification, product development, financing techniques and implementation strategy. Michael has additional experience in consumer packaged goods, manufacturing and financial services. In addition to his professional experience, Michael has contributed substantial time to community involvement. He is a life member of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), an organization that promotes economic development and education in the Black community. The NBMBAA has 38 chapters in the United States and an affiliate in London. Michael was elected to the Board of Directors in 1995, and served as Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, National Secretary, National Treasurer and National Chairman of the Board. His tenure as National Chairman was 1998-2000. At the invitation of the President of Ghana, Michael led a delegation to that West African nation in 1999 to discuss opportunities for economic development in Ghana. Michael served on the board of the Development Credit Fund in Baltimore, and was a member of the Investment Committee of The Reinvestment Fund, a Philadelphia-based venture capital firm. He also is on the board of Northwest Settlement House in Washington, D.C. In addition to numerous board positions in Cleveland and Washington, Michael was a board member and columnist for a local newspaper and hosted a television show, both in Cleveland. He currently hosts a television program in Howard County called "Down To Business". Michael has won several awards for his professional and community activities. He received the Financial Achievement Award from General Foods Corporation in 1985 for his work on a share repurchase program. In 1993 Michael received the Business Volunteers for the Arts Award for outstanding service to the arts by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, D.C. He is a 1995 graduate of Leadership Cleveland and received several proclamations for his community service in Cleveland. Michael was also a recipient of the 2000 Eagle Award for Leadership from the National Eagle Leadership Institute. Michael is a member of the Leadership Howard County class of 2007. Michael received his B.A. in Economics from Columbia University, and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. Michael has two children and is a resident of Ellicott City, Maryland.