On September 19, 2007, the Board of Trustees of Paul Quinn College named Michael J. Sorrell the 34th President of the institution.  At 41, he is one ofthe youngest presidents of a four-year institution in the country.  Under his leadership, the school has embarked upon an aggressive agenda that stresses academic excellence and a renewe d commitment to student services. His vision is to create an institution that produces Quinnites who possess enlightened minds, passionate spirits and the capacity to lead in both their chosen communities and the global marketplace. Among his accomplishments during his short tenure at the college are the following: revamping the admissions policy; establishing the Presidential Scholars Program; adopting a school-wide business casual dress code; and the creation of the Oberlin College/Paul Quinn College Mentoring Program.

Michael came to PQC from his post as the founder and Chief Problem Solver of Victor Credo, LLC where he represented athletes, coaches and other sports related organizations.  Michael has spent the majority of his career advising athletes, coaches, Fortune 500 companies and public officials.  His unique experiences include having served as the Director of Communications and Government Relations for Dallas 2012, Executive Director of the Global Games, and an assignment in the White House, under President , Bill Clinton, as the Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the President’s Initiative on Race.

 Michael received his J.D. and M.A. in Public Policy from Duke University.  While in law school, he was one of the founding members of the Journal of Gender Law & Policy and served as the Vice President of the Duke Bar Association.  Michael was a recipient of the prestigious Sloan Foundation Graduate Fellowship, which funded his studies at both Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (as a graduate fellow) and Duke University.  He graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in Government, where he was voted Secretary-Treasurer of his senior class and was a two-time captain of the men’s varsity basketball team.

Michael sits on numerous boards and committees that emphasize improving the areas in which he lives.  He is a board member for DFW Airport and the North Texas Public Broadcasting Company, Inc. and KIPP Truth Academy.  He also served as a Co-Chair of the 2006 Bond Campaign for the City of Dallas.  Michael is an alum of the Texas Lyceum, a member of the Dallas Assembly and a British-American Project Fellow.

He has played key roles in the campaigns of Washington, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty,  former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk and Texas State Representative Rafael Anchia.  Currently Michael serves on the Texas/Oklahoma Finance Committee for Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. 

Michael has been named the “Educator of the Year” by the Dallas Black Police Officers Association (2007), SouthFair CDC (2007), and the IMA of Greater Dallas (2008).  He has also been honored by the NAACP (2007) and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dallas (2008).  He is a past recipient of the Dallas Urban League’s 2005 Torch for Community Leadership and the President’s Award from J.L. Turner for outstanding contributions to the Dallas legal community. Additionally, the Dallas Business Journal named him one of Dallas’ Forty Under 40.