Mike Thoreby joined Desert Botanical Garden in 2024 as the Senior Director of Facilities and Operations. He brings 35 years of full-lifecycle facilities management experience, including more than two decades in senior leadership roles across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. At the Garden, Mike oversees the strategic direction, maintenance and long-term operational sustainability of the historic venue’s physical assets.
Prior to this role, Mike served as Director of Plant Operations and Maintenance for the Tempe Union High School District, where he directed cross-campus teams and spearheaded a $100 million bond capital improvements program. His previous leadership includes serving as Facilities Division Manager for the City of Bellevue, Washington, where he managed a $124 million levy dedicated to fire station design and construction. Earlier in his career, Mike drove institutional growth as Director of Facilities Operations, Capital Planning, and Development at Bastyr University, and spent nearly 20 years managing operations for Country Financial as the Western Regional Facilities Management Coordinator.
Committed to advancing the facilities industry, Mike is an active member of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and its local Greater Phoenix Chapter. He is a graduate of the prestigious LEAD (Leading, Educating, and Developing) senior executive program at the University of Virginia’s Cooper Center for Public Service in partnership with the Darden School of Business. Mike graduated with honors from South Seattle College with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Sustainable Building Science Technology.