Michael Russo

As the Vice President of Policy and Programs, Mike Russo works to provide community-based organizations with the data, training, and tools they need to be effective advocates for local budgets that reflect the needs of low-income communities of color. Before joining Catalyst California, Mike served as the director of the federal office of U.S. PIRG, a nationwide federation of state-based public interest advocacy organizations. He also previously led U.S. PIRG’s work on health care, overseeing campaigns to implement the Affordable Care Act and helping to create a program to analyze and watchdog insurers’ rate filings, which has saved consumers over $25 million. Mike graduated from the California Institute of Technology and Columbia Law School.