Elected to a second term in 2006, Mike has been a respected leader in the community and achieved consenus to move the county forward on several issues, including planning and construction of a criminal justice complex which will meet the needs of the community for generations.

Mike comes from a long line of public servants. His great-grandfather (Spanish-American War and World War I), grandfather (World War I) and father (World War II) served honorably in the military and returned home to continue working for Elkhart County residents. Mike's most significant role model, his father, was an assistant chief with the Goshen Fire Department and encouraged him to continue the family tradition.

Mike chose law enforcement as a career, and worked his way through the ranks of the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department for 20 years before seeking the office of sheriff. During the first campaign, Mike defeated a former two-term sheriff and a well-known department detective for the Republican nomination. He soundly defeated a Democrat challenger in the 2002 election, and no one challenged him in the 2006 general election.

A member of several professional police organizations, Mike also serves on the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 985 men's auxiliary, the Salvation Army advisory board, and the Elkhart County 4-H Fair board.

Mike is married to Cheryl Books, who also has ties to the local criminal justice system. Cheryl has worked for the sheriff's department, local judges and the juvenile magistrate.