Michael Futrell

Biography

Michael Futrell was an elected official in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a member of the House of Delegates in the General Assembly of Virginia. As a Delegate, Futrell represented the 2nd district of Virginia, which encompasses Prince William County and some of Stafford County. Michael Futrell is an activist for education, military and veteran families, and healthcare reform. In office, Delegate Futrell was an active supporter of the “Ban the Box” movement. This movement persuaded the Governor to ban the felony check box on applications in Virginia, helping to expand the job applicant pool. Former Delegate Futrell and his wife, Bernadine, reside in Woodbridge, Virginia, where he is an active member of the Prince William County Chamber of Commerce. A devout Christian, Delegate Futrell and his wife also serve as Senior Deacons at Harvest Life Changers Church. He and Dr. Futrell have two children, Michael II and Melanie.

Early life

Born in Ohio and raised by a single father, Futrell came from humble beginnings. He has been known to tell his story of “living next to a drug house and growing up to be the first ever African American elected to represent Stafford County in the Virginia House of Delegates in their 350 years of existence.”

Taking after his father, who was a high school and college Hall of Fame basketball player, Futrell was a highly sought-after athlete. He had also become known for his public speaking skills, winning the State of Ohio Optimist International Oratorical Contest Scholarship for his speech, “My vision of tomorrow’s world,” and other oratorical contests throughout the area. Futrell went on to accept a full athletic scholarship to Lindsey Wilson College, where he was co-captain his senior year. Futrell graduated with a degree in secondary education in 2007.

Political career

Michael Futrell is a dedicated public servant who represented the Second District in Virginia's House of Delegates. In 2013 Futrell ran unopposed in the June 11 Democratic primary and defeated incumbent Mark Dudenhefer (R) in the general election on November 5, 2013. In 2015, Futrell served on the following House committees: Finance, Privileges and Elections, and Science and Technology. Futrell sought the Democratic nomination in the 29th District of the Senate of Virginia in the June 2015 primary. After failing to win the senatorial nomination, Futrell announced that he would not seek reelection to the House of Delegates but planned to focus on making an impact in his community in other ways.

While in the House of Delegates, Futrell supported numerous bills. In January 2015, Futrell teamed up with Senator Donald McEachin to introduce the Community Policing Act (Body Camera Bill) in the Senate of Virginia and in the House of Delegates. The bill included establishing and updating a number of minimum training standards for law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth and developing a comprehensive, statewide, long-range plan for strengthening and improving law enforcement and the administration of criminal justice throughout the Commonwealth with periodic updates to the plan. The bill also included a focus on improving community police relations. While in the House of Delegates Futrell was also a patron of the Ban the Box movement in Virginia. This new practice eliminates from job applications a requirement that applicants disclose felony convictions through marking a checkbox, in order to give each person with a previous felony a better chance to follow a law-abiding life through gainful employment. Futrell also sponsored bills focusing on the state infrastructure fund, various veteran's issues, and reforming healthcare in Virginia.

Private career and community service

Former delegate Futrell began a private career as an educator teaching middle school math and science to children many of whom were from families with low incomes. After making a career change to become a pharmaceutical representative in Northern Virginia, Futrell began volunteering as a basketball coach with the Hylton Boys and Girls Club in Woodbridge, Virginia. In 2010 Futrell and his wife, Dr. Bernadine Futrell, founded Make the Future. A nonprofit organization, Make the Future provides underprivileged and at-risk youth in the Northern Virginia region tools needed to “create positive habits from preschool to college.” Make the Future became a pillar in the community. Former delegate Futrell has always had a vested interest in the political well-being of his community, having served as past president of the Prince William County Young Democrats and Vice Chairperson of the Prince William County Elections Task Force.

Make the Future

Founded by the Futrells in 2010, Make the Future began with a summer basketball camp. After launching the basketball camp, the Futrells realized that they could make learning and athletics an enjoyable experience that could prepare future leaders for tomorrow. The overarching goal of the summer camps was to provide opportunity for youth to develop positive and constructive life choices. The camps included a curriculum designed to support scholastic, moral, and athletic development of its campers. The curriculum incorporated character development, nutrition training, and physical education into each lesson to develop children in the core areas needed for success on and off the court. Since the non-profit’s start, the Futrell couple have gone on to spread their message by working with NBA Hall of Fame member Dominique Wilkins; Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington; R&B sensation Ne -Yo and his non-profit organization, The Compound Foundation; Wilberforce University; and the Prince William County Schools. In 2014 the Futrells were honored by the Prince William County Minority Business Network. Make the Future has created several programs, working with individuals, groups, and organizations to meet its mission. At the top of the Make the Future agenda for 2015 was expansion of its gender-based generational mentoring programs, the Legacy Lectures and the Wisdom Brunches, as well as increasing the number of adults who will commit to becoming mentors in the Commonwealth of Virginia.