Hoover Consulting Michael Hoover Resume

Michael Hoover was born in Pasadena, California in 1949. He attended primary and secondary school in then-rural eastern Los Angeles County. Mr. Hooverís interest in geology began at an early age during day hikes to the chalk mine on the Covina Ranch where fossils could be found in the local rocks.

Mr. Hoover was the captain of the football and wrestling teams while attending South Hills High School in West Covina, and voted the most valuable wrestler in his sophomore, junior and senior years. He was selected by the Los Angeles Times for the All San Gabriel Valley Football team and was the League Champion wrestler at the 187-pound weight class. Mr. Hoover received a congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. in 1967 where he played Division I-A football until an injury ended his collegiate athletic and military career.

Mr. Hoover transferred to UCSB in 1968 where he took the first of many geology classes. Mr. Hoover received Bachelorís degrees in Geology and Geography from UCSB in 1971, and was accepted into the Masterís program at UCSB in the fall of 1971. He received a Master of Arts degree in 1974. Mr. Hooverís area of interest while enrolled in the Masterís program was Engineering Geology. During the academic year 1972-73 Mr. Hoover took time off from his studies to design and construct a geodesic dome house in Isla Vista. The ìdomeî as it was called, became a social focal point for students during the 1970ís, and is featured in the book ìSanta Barbara Architectureî. The dome home began a life-long love of architecture for Mr. Hoover; he has designed and constructed six homes including a recently renovated 1910-era craftsman-style home located near the Santa Barbara Mission. The 1910 home, his current residence, was honored by the Pearl Chase Society in 2001 as an example of Santa Barbaraís historic architecture.

From 1974-78 Mr. Hoover worked for the firm of Dames & Moore, then the worldís largest earth science consulting firm. Mr. Hoover was based in Santa Barbara, but spent over a year in Valdez, Alaska working on slope stability and hydrologic problems related to major construction projects. At the age of 28 Mr. Hoover became a Registered Geologist and Certified Engineering Geologist. He started his own geologic consulting firm in Santa Barbara shortly thereafter, eventually building up a company that employed 15 people and offered a full range of hydrological, geological and soil engineering services. Mr. Hoover closed down the corporation in 1999, and now spends most of his time working on small consulting projects, and operating solid waste disposal and recycling facilities in San Luis Obispo County. Mr. Hoover is the majority shareholder, President, General Manager and Chief Onsite Geologist of Chicago Grade Landfill & Recycling and its subsidiary Santa Maria Transfer & Recycling. Mr. Hooverís San Luis Obispo County waste and recycling operations have received commendations from the California Integrated Waste Management Board and San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors.

Mr. Hoover is a founding member of the Central Coast Branch of the Groundwater Resources Association and served as Vice President. He is also a member of the Association Engineering Geologists. Mr. Hooverís small consulting firm focuses on geologic hazards related to development projects, groundwater supply development for agricultural clients, and pollution issues. Mr. Hoover also acts as an expert witness, having been so certified by the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County on several occasions. During his 25 years as a practicing geologist Mr. Hoover has entered and logged over a hundred geologic trenches and hundreds of borings related to the characterization of geologic hazards such as earthquake faults and landslides.

Mr. Hoover is the author of the City of Santa Barbaraís Geologic Hazards Study. Mr. Hoover also co-authored several geologic publications and has written several hundred technical reports, including safe yield evaluations of coastal watersheds in Santa Barbara County and the Goleta West Basin.