SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION
Speaker: Michael Ortega, Cochise County, County Administrator
Michael J. Ortega, a native of Douglas, Arizona, has acted as Cochise County County Administrator since July 2007. He served as City Manager of Douglas from June 1995 - June 2007. In September 2004, he went to work briefly with the Arizona Department of Transportation as State Engineer - Assistant Director, where he was responsible for leading the Intermodel Transportation Division. Prior to working for the City of Douglas, he worked as an engineering manager for consulting firms and Pima County. Michael graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and later earned a Master's in Business Administration from this same institution. He has been an active member, serving in leadership positions and on the boards of the Arizona-Mexico Commission Border Issues Committee, Arizona Town Hall, Cochise Community Foundation and the Arizona Rural Development Council. A registered Professional Engineer in Arizona and California, he worked as an Engineering Consultant in both states before returning to his hometown along with his wife, Pat, and four children. In his spare time, Michael coaches soccer and baseball and volunteers as a 4H Club Leader.