Michael leads the 90-person Columbus Region office of global design firm AECOM as its Managing Principal and Design Director. In his role, Michael is responsible for driving vision, strategy, business development, and design excellence for AECOM’s multi-disciplinary design services. Michael is a highly regarded design and community leader noted for his unique community-impacting, mission-driven approach to architecture that supports and enhances the dynamism of communities and furthers a fundamental belief that innovative design is the essential building block to vibrant, resilient communities. With specific expertise in civic, cultural, education, and urban design projects types, Michael brings a reputation for driving design excellence locally, as evidenced through numerous past design awards, notably, being named The Wall Street Journal’s “Best Architecture of 2015” for his design leadership of Columbus Museum of Art’s Margaret M. Walter Wing expansion while serving in a leadership role at his previous firm.

Michael authored the design of many notable projects in Central Ohio while at his previous firm including the Columbus State Community College School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management (Mitchell Hall), the City of Columbus’ Michael B. Coleman Government Center, The Ohio State University Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute, the Ohio History Connection Collections Expansion project, the Rev1 Innovation Center at The Ohio State University, The Franklin Park Conservatory, the McConnell Arts Center of Worthington, the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, The Battelle-Darby Creek Environmental Center, the Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy, the Columbus Metropolitan Library Northern Lights branch, and the OSU Newark McConnell Residence Hall.

Beyond his daily work, Mr Bongiorno is tirelessly committed to the arts, education, and his community.  He currently serves a Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Greater Columbus Arts Council and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Columbus College of Art and Design. Michael founded Columbus’ “Design Weeks”, a community design festival, while serving on the board of trustees for the Columbus Center for Architecture and Design, where he led the award-winning “CBUS Ideabook” and “cbus:FOTO” public engagement projects.

Michael has presented and written extensively on mission-driven design and creative placemaking. Michael’s 2012 TEDx Columbus talk, entitled “Looking Over the Overlooked,” took the audience on a journey to discover new ways to re-imagine underutilized urban spaces. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, he is a cum laude graduate of the prestigious Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York City and has lived and traveled extensively abroad.