Michael’s Qualifications
Schools face incredible challenges as they recover from post-pandemic learning loss, budget crises, and the difficulties of achieving academic success while protecting the safety of ALL students.
Mike is a proven leader for three reasons:
He is a local CEO and an experienced board member. Mike has held or currently holds seats on public and private boards, as an Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board, and Chair of Audit Committees. He is well versed in areas of finance, budgeting, hiring and managing personnel, negotiations, motivating and holding employees accountable, and creative problem solving.
He is a Founder, President, and Chairman of numerous successful technology companies, and as the builder of some of the world’s largest solar power plants, he is a pioneer in the utility-scale solar industry. Mike brings this expertise to the school board, navigating complicated issues around new technology, processes, and systems. Mike is also committed to promoting STEM education in our schools.
He believes in transparency, communication, and independence. Parents and members of the community are often left in the dark while decisions are made that affect our children. Michael wants to hear from you. He is known as the “go to” board member for families who need help, effectively serving as their “ombudsman.” Families need an independent board member, not beholden to special interests, who will listen and then be the voice for students and parents. Join the Facebook group on the button below or contact Michael at michael@allmanforschoolboard.com
Using skills and experience he gained in the executive suite of multiple successful businesses and board rooms, he promises parents, students, community members, staff and teachers that he prioritizes these issues, while keeping student safety, health and wellness at the forefront of all of his decisions.
Early Life
Michael Allman has always been a persistent and analytical thinker with a fond admiration for Math and Science. He followed these interests to Michigan State University, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, making him the first in his family to earn a four-year college degree. He paid for his education by working as a field hand, union factory worker, and busboy among many other jobs. These experiences taught him the value of hard work and a good education. He then continued his education and earned an MBA with a specialization in Finance at the University of Chicago, where he studied under Nobel Prize winning economists Merton Miller and Eugene Fama, while holding a full-time job.
career
After graduate school, he entered the business world, traveling around the globe to teach Fortune 500 Executives economic principles and advise on effective management strategies.
In 1998, Michael joined Sempra Energy and moved his young family to San Diego. In the aftermath of the Enron scandal, Michael was named Chief Financial Officer of Sempra Global with the mandate to ensure the company had honest accounting practices. He managed 5 billion dollar budgets, negotiated union contracts, and played a key role in making sure Sempra complied with all state and federal regulations. Michael will ensure that SDUHSD will operate in a sustainable and transparent manner.
Michael is also experienced at leading ambitious projects to completion. During his time at Sempra, he built the largest solar power plants in the world and ran the largest natural gas distribution company in the United States, serving over 22 million families. He now serves on boards of directors for numerous companies advising them on best practices and using his deal making expertise to negotiate complicated mergers and acquisitions. He is excited to use these skills to help SDUHSD provide the programs and skills necessary to help our students succeed in our rapidly changing workforce.
Family
Mike was born and raised in Michigan as the oldest son in a family of four children to his father, a salesman, and mother, a secretary. He attended Michigan State University where he met his future wife, Lee Ann. After graduation, they moved to Chicago where Mike started out as a Chemical Engineer working in a laboratory. His position as a management consultant led them to an opportunity with the company in Johannesburg, South Africa, where his son was born. In 1993, Mike’s career moved the family moved to London, England where their daughter was born.
In 1995, the Allman family began their lives in Southern California, settling ultimately in San Diego when Mike joined the executive ranks of the newly-created company Sempra Energy. For the last two decades, San Diego has been their home where they watched their children grow from pre-schoolers to successful young adults.
Mike and Lee Ann have thoroughly enjoyed their life in San Diego, and they feel deeply connected to the community through their many close friends and cherished memories. Mike looks forward to continuing his journey, serving this community that he calls home.