Michael T. Seley
Michael Seley is the Policy Director for Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza and the Principal of Melogold Strategic Group LLC, a public affairs consulting and policy research firm focused on serving California. He is also actively involved in the Central Valley Immigrant Entrepreneurship Network, working to identify strategies that support minority-owned small businesses and promote local entrepreneurship across the Central San Joaquin Valley.
​
Before joining the City of Fresno, Michael managed entrepreneurship ecosystem research at the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, studying how capital and market access initiatives intersect with management education organizations to support business development for veterans, women, and people of color. During his time at UC Riverside, he also served on the Inland Empire 2030 Roadmap and Vision Committee, helping to define economic development benchmarks for the next decade, and participated in the Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (IE-GO) Coordinating Council. Additionally, as a Policy Analyst at Estolano Advisors, an award-winning public policy and planning firm in Los Angeles, he provided technical assistance to organizations and local governments pursuing state economic development grants and facilitated strategic planning discussions.
​
Earlier in his career, Michael played a key role in Fresno County’s homeless COVID-19 response, leading efforts to convert motels into quality permanent housing and rapidly deploying emergency non-congregate shelters to curb the virus’s spread. His experience also includes work with the Ontario-Montclair School District, Riverside Unified School District, League of California Cities, Southern California Association of Governments, Central Valley Community Foundation, and the Cities of Eastvale and Riverside, CA.
​
Michael’s research focuses on sustainable and inclusive economic development in American cities. He explores how regional institutions can collaborate to foster entrepreneurship in underserved communities and leverage collective interests to attract industries that create quality jobs. Passionate about business capacity and equity in California’s inland regions, he aims to shift perceptions of the Central Valley and Inland Empire from being undervalued to being recognized for their unique strengths and growing economic potential.
​
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/International Affairs and a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Riverside. His academic achievements include the Dean Thomas L. Broadbent Outstanding Senior Award for community development work in Inland California regions and the Vice Chancellor’s Excellence in Community Leadership Award for bridging UCR students with the Greater Riverside area. As Vice-Chair of UCR’s Student Services Fee Advisory Committee, he led funding expansions for student health and wellness programs and secured permanent annual funding for undocumented student scholarships. As an alumnus, he now chairs the Master of Public Policy Professional Fee Committee, implementing a participatory budgeting framework for future students to guide professional degree fee allocations.
​
In his spare time, Michael enjoys playing with his dog, Joe and travelling around California. He has made significant progress toward visiting every California county and anticipates finishing before the end of 2025.
