Michael Hingson

Meeting of October 25, 2005, Washington D.C. on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities:
Is the Workplace Ready?

As was the case with many Americans, Michael Hingson's life changed dramatically on September 11th. He and his Guide Dog "Roselle" were the lucky ones, however, in that they escaped the World Trade Center attack.

As a WTC survivor and as a Guide Dog user, he was thrust into the international limelight. Michael and "Roselle" have since become well-known as representatives of the strength of the human/animal bond, and have been successful in communicating the power of that bond in many media interviews and public presentations. As an internationally acclaimed public speaker Michael has traveled the world speaking on topics such as Trust and Teamwork, Turning the Tables on Terrorism, and using your inner tools to Move Forward after 9-11. Michael has traveled with a Guide Dog for more than 41 years and embodies the lifelong partnerships created by Guide Dogs for the Blind and those they serve.

Prior to becoming the National Public Affairs and Donor Relations Officer for Guide Dogs for the Blind, Michael held sales and senior management positions with several major high tech companies for more than 25 years. Most recently, Michael worked on the 78th floor of Tower One of the World Trade Center as the Mid Atlantic district sales manager for Quantum Data Protection Division of Irvine, Calif., overseeing a sales force and field operations. An Eagle scout in the Boy Scouts of America, he has a master's degree in physics from the University of California at Irvine. He is a former member of the California State Guide Dog Board, (the state guide dog school and guide dog trainer licensing body), and has served on several other agency boards throughout his career. He is a lifetime member of the physics honors society Sigma Pi Sigma. On August 7, 1984 then Governor Martha Layne Collins of Kentucky conferred on Michael the title of Colonel in the Kentucky Militia for contributions he made to the efforts of the Kentucky Department of Rehabilitation. Michael lives in Novato, California, with his wife, Karen, Panama (a 15-year old career change golden retriever from Guide Dogs for the blind), and Sherlock, the Hingson's ten-year-old cat.

This page was last modified on October 25, 2005.