Michael Fleming
Executive Director
Photo: Patricia Williams, 2012
Michael Fleming has served as executive director of the Los Angeles-based David Bohnett Foundation, www.bohnettfoundation.org, and as Mr. Bohnett’s political director since 2000. He works closely with Mr. Bohnett to promote the foundation’s mission of improving society through social justice, developing quantitative and qualitative goals for funding progressive programs in education, LGBT, art, gun violence and cognitive animal research.
With a background in broadcast media and public affairs, Fleming has deployed his strengths in communications, strategic planning and cause-oriented advocacy to help steer nearly $50 million (since 1999) to organizations that share the Foundation’s vision.
Under Fleming’s stewardship, the Foundation established and funded leadership development graduate programs at some of the country’s top schools including New York University, UCLA, Harvard and University of Michigan. Since 2003, Fleming has taught undergraduate humanities and graduate level public policy courses at UCLA.
In December 2010, President Barack Obama named Fleming to the White House Council for Community Solutions — a select group of business, non-profit and education leaders that studies growth and the impact of innovative, community-developed solutions to address some of the nation’s most serious challenges.
His local community involvement includes an appointment by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Convention Center. He previously served as the President of the East Los Angeles Area Planning Commission.
He began his career as an associate producer for PBS’ flagship station, Boston’s WGBH-TV, and remains active in broadcasting as the chairman of the Board of Directors for the Santa Monica-based KCRW Foundation, one of the country’s most influential NPR stations.
Fleming has a B.A. from Colorado College and was a Victory Fellow (now Bohnett Fellow) at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. A Boston native, Fleming lives in Los Angeles and is married to Superior Court Judge Luis Lavin.
