ABOUT MICHAEL PARHAM

Michael Parham was born and raised in California where he was taught the value of community service at an early age. At age 12, Michael was actively involved in supporting his community as a student volunteer working to protect senior citizens and taxpayers from irresponsible government overreach. Michael was also an exemplary Boy Scout who earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in scouting.

After High school, Michael attended Dartmouth College where he double majored in Economics and Russian Language, graduating with honors. He received his MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and thereafter became a licensed CPA with Deloitte & Touche.

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Michael earned his FINRA Series 7, 24, 63 and 79 securities licenses and spent 12 years in New York City in the M&A departments of several global banks and the international audit group at Deloitte & Touche. He recently joined US Bank as an SVP and Managing Director, after more than 10 years running his own boutique investment bank. Michael has made a career as an advisor to many companies and leadership teams across a variety of industries and geographies.

Michael and his family returned to California and settled in Irvine in 2002 where his older children attended elementary school in the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD). He served as PTA President for a year and then successfully ran for a seat on the IUSD School Board, where he served three consecutive terms (2004-1016), and was twice elected President.   Michael’s leadership in IUSD expanded the reputation of excellence in Irvine while saving taxpayers over $20 Million through many cost savings initiatives. Michael received, on behalf of IUSD, the prestigious District Leadership Award at the Green California Schools Summit & Exposition in 2009. 

In 2018, with 2 children in college and 2 girls entering Kindergarten/Pre-K, the Parham family moved from Irvine to Rancho Mission Viejo and enrolled the girls at Esencia Elementary.  The girls continue to flourish at this remarkable school. Michael knows how tough it is to run a school district, particularly at a high-performance level, and he believes Capistrano Unified could benefit from his experience.

Michael and his wife believe strongly in the value that quality public education can bring to each family, and to society, as a whole. Michael believes that parental rights must be at the forefront of key decisions, and that each child deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. 

Michael Parham would be honored to have your vote for Capistrano Unified School District Area 2.