Michael J. Wilson

Michael J. Wilson is the national director of Americans for Democratic Action (adaction.org), the legendary organization committed to liberal politics, liberal policies and a liberal future.

The first African-American to head ADA, Michael J. has been a trailblazer throughout his career. During more than 20 years of experience organizing for labor unions and working on Capitol Hill and for the Federal government, Wilson has successfully coordinated national grassroots programs and campaigns with hundreds of local union representatives, activists and liberal advocates. Wilson comes to ADA from the 1.3 million member United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) where he held several positions, including International Vice President, Director of Legislative and Political Action and Chief Lobbyist. At UFCW, Wilson helped to lead several important legislative efforts, including preventing Wal-Mart from entering the banking business, expansion of federal food and nutrition programs, pension reform legislation, and raising the federal minimum wage. At UFCW, Wilson served as director of the Active Ballot Club, one of the largest labor political action committees in the nation.

He previously held positions at the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Employment Standards Administration where he was Chief of Staff. Early in his career, Wilson served as Legislative Representative for the late Representative Charles Hayes (D-IL) and as a canvasser and organizer for the Illinois Public Action Council. Wilson serves on several boards including "Faces of Our Children", a nonprofit that funds public education programs on sickle-cell anemia, the Consumer Federation of America, the nation's leading resource for consumer information, the Food Research and Action Center, the nation's premier hunger advocacy organization and the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC), the leading national think tank for progressive ballot initiative campaigns.

Wilson has a B.A. from Michigan State University and lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife, Lori, his daughter Lacey, and his son David.