Michael L. Campbell is the retired Interim Executive Director of the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT. Prior to that position, he served as Chief Operating Officer for 6 years. Mark Twain wrote most of his well-known works from this house and spent more years there than he did in any other place. Michael helped keep the legacy of Mark Twain and his family alive by serving 70 employees. He has served the nonprofit community in the Central Connecticut area for over 40 years. He was the Executive Director of SummerWind Performing Arts Center in Windsor, CT and was Chief of Staff for the Girl Scouts of Connecticut. He also served as National Development Director for the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps in Arlington, VA, responsible for all advancement efforts nationwide for this youth development organization. One of Michael’s favorite roles was Executive Director of the Hartford Children’s Theatre. His duties there included development, finance, operations and the management of all programs that led the organization to receive the New England Theatre Conference’s award for best youth theatre production in New England. Michael was a fixture at the Producing Guild, a premier non-equity theatre for over 15 years as Business Manager, Production Manager, Actor, Singer and Production Assistant. He has served on many local, national, and international boards with experience in all areas of nonprofit governance and management.
Michael was diagnosed with a pheochromocytoma in the summer of 2021 and spent over a month in the hospital at the University of Connecticut Health Center. His surgery was successful, and he vowed to give back to the community. Michael has traveled to almost 60 countries, is a former mountaineer and has served in uniform as a Lieutenant Commander acting as a mentor for the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps. With his wife Rie and their four cats Shiraz, Zambezi, Colaba, and Marais he lives in Canton, CT.