Michael Klein
As Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at Tonio Burgos and Associates, Inc. (TB&A), Michael Klein builds on an extensive career in government, bringing with him a profound understanding of public policy development, government operations, community organizing, planning and advocacy.
Prior to joining TB&A, Michael served as Deputy County Executive for Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, overseeing Parks, Public Works and Partnerships. Michael designed and managed the successful “Come Back” campaign for the 6000-acre park system, achieving dramatic change in a short period of time.
Michael also served as Deputy Director for the New York-New Jersey office of President Bill Clinton's Office of National Drug Control Policy. In this capacity, Michael managed all the prevention programs and initiatives in addition to spearheading the Armory Project, a model program to convert underutilized National Guard armories into large-scale youth and community centers.
As a foundation for his career in government, he provided constituent services for New York Congressman Charles B. Rangel and served as legislative director to City Councilman Stanley Michels of Northern Manhattan. He served as a Regional Representative to Governor Mario M. Cuomo, coordinating policy, press, and community affairs in the New York City area.
Outside of government, Michael has served in various non-profit and advocacy organizations. As the Deputy Director of the Parks Council, and later as Senior Policy Advisor to New Yorkers for Parks, a non-profit advocacy institution, Michael developed and managed Parks 2001, a citywide campaign for parks and recreation services. Prior to this role as advocate, he served as Chief of Recreation for City of New York Parks & Recreation department during the Administration of Mayor Rudolph Guiliani. During this time, he received Rookie of the Year honors and graduated at the top of the class at the New York City Leadership Institute.
As a founder of New York Midnight Basketball, Michael was integral in establishing this career development and education program that utilized sports to improve people's lives. He also founded the Gabe Velez Foundation, a community-based initiative of the Citizens Committee for New York City, which organized and funded efforts to restore neighborhood playgrounds.
He earned a B.A. degree in International Affairs and Economics from Hunter College. Michael lives with his wife and three small children on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.