Mike Blake, former Deputy Associate Director, Office of Public Engagement, The White House Michael Blake often humbly refers to the words of his mother who remarked that the family had gone, “from no house to the White House.” His family emigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica seeking new opportunities. Blake is the director of Public Policy & External Affairs for Green For All, a national organization working to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. He also is the senior advisor for Operation Hope. Michael served as the Senior Advisor for the Office of Public Engagement for President Obama’s 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Blake is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.