Michael McCray: ACORN 8

In 1995, Michael McCray blew the whistle on $40 million in waste, fraud and abuse at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Clinton Administration. As a result, he became a leading public interest advocate for civil and human rights, including free speech and whistleblower protections. McCray is a 2007 recipient of the "No FEAR Award" in Washington, DC. In addition, he received statewide recognition for outstanding work in peace and social justice in Arkansas. The OMNI Center for Peace, Justice & Ecology honored him as an ARKANSAS PEACE & JUSTICE HERO in 2008. Most recently, McCray is a 2021 recipient of the Cliff Robertson Sentinel Award Recipient for his advocacy with the ACORN 8 from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

A former national board delegate for Georgia ACORN, McCray was the spokesman for the ACORN 8, the national board members that blew the whistle on a multi-million dollar embezzlement at the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). His breakthrough book RACE, POWER & POLITICS—Memoirs of an ACORN Whistleblower tells the inside story of ACORN. An author, speaker and public interest advocate, McCray has made numerous media (radio and television) appearances including CNN (Lou Dobbs Tonight) and FOX News (Glenn Beck Show). A highly sought-after public speaker, McCray makes memorable contributions to conferences, events and conventions that welcome his "tell-it-like-it-is" storytelling style and audience engagement. He combines Fortune 500 corporate experience and public interest advocacy by speaking on motivational topics including whistleblower protection, business ethics and corporate integrity.
McCray co-founded the International Association of Whistleblowers (IAW) and served as General Counsel for the Federally Employed Women Legal Education Fund (FEW-LEF), which champions equal employment opportunity. In addition, he is a member of the No FEAR Coalition, which promotes and supported the passage of the Notification and Federal Employee Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR) of 2002—the first civil rights law of the 21st Century. McCray is also the co-founder of the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival, an annual conference on Capitol Hill. The Whistleblower Summit is the largest gathering of whistleblowers and won a “Best Festival” Award for innovation in Arts, Culture and Film at Fest Forums (Santa Barbra) in 2019.

An alumnus of Georgetown Law, Howard University, American University and Florida A&M University, McCray has a diverse educational and professional background, including Fortune 500 Corporate experience in marketing at Johnson & Johnson, Personal Products Company, accounting at Honeywell Information Systems and investment banking at SunTrust Bank. However, McCray pursued his passion for public service and community economic development when he worked for the Federal Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Communities (EZ/EC) Program, a White House Economic Development Initiative for the Clinton Administration. He continued his desire for community empowerment by working for various community and faith-based development organizations, including T.D. Jakes Ministries (i.e., Metroplex Economic Development Corporation).

Currently, McCray is a seasoned advertising executive with nearly 15 years of progressive experience in marketing. He learned the business by conducting focus groups, special event management, new business development and account services at Advantage Communications, Inc. (ACI). Advantage was a pioneering multi-cultural advertising agency in Arkansas, McCray managed local, regional and national accounts like Hope Credit Union and General Motors. Most recently, McCray was a brand manager for The Design Group, where his portfolio included marketing higher education, tourism, hospitality and small business brands such as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Saracen Casino Resort and Mays, Byrd and O’Guinn Law Firm and the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission. McCray received a Davey Silver Award for the Hope Credit Union “Better Banking-Better Lives” advertising campaign In 2018.