Michael Carlson

Experience

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  Operation Fresh Start

  Sept 2001 - Jul 2006

  Construction Crew Supervisor

  OFS is a non-profit, affordable housing provider in Madison that works with young people who seek to make significant changes in their lives. Michael led crews of young men and women to construct affordable housing from the ground up, and served as their mentor, teacher, counselor, life skills coach, and job site foreman. He managed all aspects of his crew members' interviewing and hire, scheduling, review and promotion, and discipline, and co-managed in-house support staff to cultivate the personal, educational, and employment development of the young people under his supervision. Show less

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  Habitat for Humanity of Dane County

  Jul 2006 - Dec 2009

  Housing Development Director

  Michael led and managed Habitat's land acquisition, project development, and satellite cultivation efforts throughout Madison and Dane County. With the help of community volunteers and complex project teams, he acquired and planned 50 single-family, duplex, and multi-family building projects, for which he wrote and won $1.2M in project and land acquisition funding grants, and represented the affiliate at all municipal and county funding and project approval hearings. Michael spoke regularly to community groups regarding HFH's mission and opportunities for support, and he served as an officer on the steering committee to create the HFH "State Support Organization," an umbrella organization that secures resources on behalf of HFH affiliates throughout the state of Wisconsin. He promoted HFH's commitment to environmentally responsible building, by developing LEED-certifiable construction standards, in partnership with UW engineering students and interns. Show less

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  Madison Area Community Land Trust

  Jan 2010 - Jun 2011

  Executive Director

  Michael administered a 65-unit, $2M non-profit real estate trust, and managed all aspects of agency budgeting and annual audit, complex grant administration, outreach and community development, family services, capital procurement and project development. During his tenure, he forged a joint venture partnership with local non-profit Operation Fresh Start and leveraged $20,000 of agency funds to secure $330,000 of free construction material and labor. The MACLT/OFS partnership developed and sold $550,000 of innovative single-family housing, wherein Michael managed all aspects of site acquisition, project financing, home buyer recruitment and cultivation, design, compliance, and post-occupancy support. Show less

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  Madison Community Cooperative

  Jul 2011 - Nov 2014

  Asset Manager

  Madison Community Cooperative provides participatory, inclusive, and deeply affordable housing opportunities for low and very-low income individuals and families, in Madison, WI. Michael provided asset management services for the Co-op's $8.5M real estate holdings, and oversaw all aspects of contracting, property preservation and improvements, construction budgeting, scheduling, and resource allocation on behalf the MCC membership. He supervised MCC's in-house construction staff and organized the Co-op's member-managed maintenance program. Show less

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  Mosaic, Inc.

  Dec 2014 - Aug 2017

  President and Executive Director

  Mosaic exists to provide deeply affordable housing opportunities to marginalized and overlooked people. We specialize in the development of affordable housing cooperatives, accessory dwelling units, and other creative housing solutions tailored to people typically overlooked by the housing market.

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  Operation Fresh Start

  May 2015 - Sept 2017

  Employment Services Manager

  Operation Fresh Start provides disconnected youth a path forward to self-sufficiency. OFS participants work on affordable housing and parkland conservation crews to develop job skills, independence, and resiliency. State-licensed teachers provide participants with individualized instructor to help them earn their high school diploma. Michael manages OFS' Transition department, and ensures that each participant leaves OFS with a career or post-secondary education plan in a high-demand, self-supportive career field. Show less

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  Impact Seven

  Oct 2017 - Aug 2022

  Impact Seven invests in communities through housing development, property management and business lending activities throughout Wisconsin. Michael sourced and managed multi-family development projects funded through complex layers of private, municipal and tax credit investment financing, including Section 42 Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, state and municipal HOME and CDBG funds, and Federal Home Loan Bank affordable housing funds. Michael led all phases of development projects from site selection and site control, through planning and pre-development, property activation, and financial conversion. Project highlights include the Trotta Building in Middleton, the Garden Terrace Apartments in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Woodside Prairie, a supportive housing community for individuals with autism, located in Grafton, WI. Show less

  • Vice President, Real Estate Development

    May 2019 - Aug 2022

  • Director Of Real Estate Development

    Oct 2017 - Apr 2019
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  Ramaker | Architecture + Engineering

  Oct 2022 - now

  Architectural Project Developer

  Michael leads the day-to-day coordination of external and internal project teams and serves as the primary project contact for clients. Scope of consultation, coordination and management includes real estate development, project financing, building codes and municipal requirements, construction standards, design concepts, and management of large, multi-disciplinary teams.