Michael Sutherland

Michael Sutherland is an experienced policy analyst currently working at Open Plans, Inc. since October 2022. Previously, Michael served as a Graduate Research Assistant at Baruch College from February 2022 to December 2023, focusing on mid-century Black homeownership under Professor Hilary Botein. Before that, a research and policy associate role at Housing Rights Initiative involved collaborating with elected officials to draft legislation and authoring complex policy briefs. Michael has also held research fellow and assistant positions at Lehman College, investigating climate policy in the U.S., and worked as an associate digital strategist at HZQ Consulting, managing client communication and content creation. Michael began this career as a policy intern for Andrew Gounardes for State Senate, contributing to press materials and issue platforms. Michael holds a Master of Public Administration in Urban Development and Sustainability from Baruch College and dual Bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Government from Macaulay Honors College and Lehman College.