Blog
Get to Know Your Fellow A&P Colleagues - Michael Pugh
The Administrative & Professional Collaborative (APC) is the representative voice for the Administrative & Professional employees of FSCJ.
In an effort to build cohesiveness, awareness and collegiality, each month we put a “spotlight” on one of our members. April's Administrative & Professional Collaborative (APC) spotlight shines on Michael Pugh.
Michael Pugh started as the Vision Education and Rehabilitation Center (VERC) Program Manager in March of 2021. VERC has been located at the College’s Downtown Campus since 1982 and, as part of the oldest grant program at the College, Michael manages and supervises the delivery of rehabilitation services for adults and high school students who are visually impaired or blind. His team provides a continuum of services to 350-400 individuals throughout Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. His team’s mission is to empower individuals who are blind or visually impaired by providing a comprehensive program of rehabilitation training, serving as a resource for families and employers, and enhancing public awareness and understanding regarding vision loss.
Michael is an alumnus of FSCJ, graduating in 1999 before completing his Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Statistics and minoring in Computer Science at the University of North Florida. Michael’s initial career focus was in the IT field, working in various capacities for 21 years. Michael joined VERC in 2008 as an Advisor III, Assistive Technology instructor, wanting to use his technical knowledge to assist others. He earned Assistive Technology certificates through the State of Florida’s Division of Blind Services and has personally assessed and instructed hundreds of students with visual impairment in learning various technologies. In 2014, Michael completed a graduate certificate program in Instructional Design with the University of North Dakota, leading him to develop the first college prep course in the state designed specifically for individuals who are visually impaired, which earned him the Innovator of the Year recognition by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. In 2015, Michael became a project coordinator for VERC, gaining experience that eventually led to the program manager position in 2021.
Michael credits former employee Peter Bianchi, who was visually impaired and passed away while working at VERC, for being a friend and mentor that led to a path in Michael developing a mindset of a leader as well as his mother, who was an educational administrator for over 20 years.
Michael has a strong belief system, motivating and committing himself to serve others. He has personal connections to the disability community, having a son with Autism and another family member who is mobility impaired. He has pledged his life’s work to advocate for those within the disability community who need a voice.
Michael enjoys spending time with his wife and precious little boy, cooking, woodworking, all things mechanical, learning world history, and as a Florida native, enjoying the outdoors and gardening.
Our spotlight shines on each campus/center at least once a year. Nominations for the spotlight may be directed to your campus representative or any officer. Learn more about APC on our website, http://blogs.fscj.edu/apcollaborative.