Mike McCollum is a highly experienced consultant with an extensive background in environmental management and conservation banking. He is the owner of McCollum Associates and provides consulting services to landowners seeking to create and market mitigation and conservation banks in the western states. With a degree in marine biology and biological oceanography from San Diego State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Arizona, McCollum has a strong academic foundation to support his professional career.

In addition to his academic credentials, McCollum has had an impressive career in state government, where he proposed California's first statewide wetland mitigation banking guidelines and facilitated the establishment of mitigation banks across the state. He also served as the governor's lead negotiator for the landmark oil spill legislation and developed the Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response. Moreover, he has worked as a project manager at Fluor Engineers and Woodward-Clyde Consultants, where he supervised field teams for energy-related projects across the nation.

McCollum's professional achievements do not end there. He facilitated the adoption of the first state and national policies for the creation of conservation banks and developed the United States' first upland, listed species conservation bank under the new policies. McCollum's expertise in conservation banking and environmental management is supported by his California real estate broker license, which he uses in association with finding mitigation opportunities for his clients.

Overall, McCollum's impressive track record in government and private sectors has made him an important figure in environmental management, conservation banking, and biological oceanography.