Mike Futrell

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Charles Michael "Mike" Futrell
Louisiana State Representative for District 66 (East Baton Rouge Parish)
In office 2000–2005
Preceded by	Woody Jenkins
Succeeded by	Hunter Greene
Member of the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council, District 8
In office 1997–2000
Preceded by	Lynda Imes
Succeeded by	Mike Walker
Chief Administrative Officer of East Baton Rouge Parish
In office January 2009 – 2010
Preceded by	Walter Monsour, Jr.
City Manager for South San Francisco San Mateo County, California
Incumbent
Assumed office  2014
Preceded by	Barry Nagel
Born	July 20, 1960 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican-turned-Independent
Spouse(s)	Married with children (Names of spouse and children unavailable) Estelle Blackledge Baxter (mother)
Alma mater	Baton Rouge Magnet High School Louisiana State University LSU Law Center University of Massachusetts at Amherst Stanford University
Occupation	Attorney

Charles Michael Futrell, known as Mike Futrell (born July 20, 1960), is an attorney, former United States Navy officer, former state representative from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the current city manager of South San Francisco in San Mateo County, California. He served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2000 to 2005 as a Republican, but he has since listed his affiliation as Independent with moderate views.

Background

Futrell was reared in the Sherwood Forest subdivision of his native Baton Rouge. In 1978, he graduated from Baton Rouge Magnet High School. In 1982, he received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. In 1985, he received the Juris Doctor degree from the LSU Law Center. He also obtained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Massachusetts. He has also studied at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

Political and military career

Futrell represented District 66 in East Baton Rouge Parish but resigned a year into his second term to become the state director for then U.S. Senator David Vitter, a Republican. Having followed Democrat-turned-Republican Woody Jenkins in the House, Futrell was himself succeeded by another Republican lawyer, Hunter Greene, later a family court judge. Journalist John Maginnis (1948-2014) said that Futrell did not stand out during his tenure in the legislature but was well-liked and well-regarded. Futrell's resume indicates that in 2002 he received the "Golden Apple Legislators Support of Education" award. In 2004, he procured the Louisiana Municipal Association Leadership Award. In 2005, he procured the Legislative Advocate Award from the conservative Louisiana Family Forum.

Prior to the House tenure, Futrell was from 1997 to 2000 the District 8 member of the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council. He was elected without opposition in September 1996 to succeed the incumbent Republican member Lynda Imes, who instead ran unsuccessfully for the Louisiana State Senate, having lost to the Moderate Republican Jay Dardenne, later the Louisiana secretary of state, lieutenant governor, and state commissioner of administration in the current administration of Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards.

In 2008, after leaving Vitter's staff, Futrell became the assistant to the Baton Rouge chief administrative officer, Walter G. Monsour, Jr. In 2009, Futrell was elevated to chief accounting officer by then Baton Rouge Mayor-President Melvin "Kip" Holden, an African-American liberal Democrat.

Futrell served wit distinction in the U.S. Navy veteran. He graduated from the Air Force Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. From 1987 to 1993, Commander Futrell completed two tours of duty as an officer on nuclear submarines. On the USS Grant, near the end of the Cold War, Futrell came in constant contact with submarines of the former Soviet Union. The communists tracked the American vessels so that they could attack immediately if war were suddenly declared. The Americans tried to avoid attack to remain a nuclear deterrent against the Soviets. Futrell also served on the submarine, the USS Kentucky. Futrell said that he had considered becoming an attorney for the Judge Advocate General's office but instead entered a private firm in Baton Rouge.In 2006, while on Vitter's staff, Futrell was recalled to active duty for six months during the Iraq War. For that service, he won the Bronze Star. Futrell was assigned to find still usable war materials and classified information whenever a military vehicle was damaged in combat. He soon returned to Vitter's office to manage what was called the D. C. Madam scandal. He resigned as Vitter's state director, not because of that controversy, but because he desired to return permanently to Baton Rouge, and the state directorship had required travel throughout the state to Vitter's district offices.

In 2008, Futrell completed the leadership course offered by the interest group, the Council for a Better Louisiana. He then joined the Holden administration. Then CAO Walter Monsour said that Futrell immediately earned his trust through the handling of the city-parish $1.2 billion sewer program.

In 2014, Futrell relocated to South San Francisco (population c. 64,000) to become the city manager. He reorganized the municipal staff. Then Mayor Rich Garbarino said that South San Francisco officials had been impressed by Futrell’s work: “He’s done just a heck of a job for us, he’s got some bright ideas, and he’s a really dynamic individual.” Garbarino cited Futrell’s vision in hiring new personnel among his significant successes as the city manager. He’s been very good about forward thinking and thinking out of the box. He’s like a breath of fresh air” “We believe we have the right individual to guide us to the new South City that is coming around, We've got a good guy at the helm here," Garbarino said.”