Michael Whalen developed, owns and operates 22 restaurants and hotels in seven metropolitan areas of five Midwestern states.
The 14 restaurants were built around varying concepts with The Machine Shed Restaurants as the flagship. The original 100-seats blossomed into the second highest volume restaurant in the state, second only to his other Machine Shed Restaurant.
Mike was the Republican candidate for Congress in Iowa's 1 st Congressional district in 2006. Prior to that campaign, Mike was a board member of the National Center for Policy Analysis and the Iowa state leader of the NCPA's "Team NCPA" Social Security education effort. In this role he traveled the state and region speaking to community groups about the need for fundamental Social Security reform.
Mike is involved in several commercial real estate developments in addition to his operating entities and he has a long history of community service and distinguished awards:
- Business Hall of Fame Laureate, Quad City IA
- Iowa Hospitality Award, Iowa Division of Tourism
- Restaurateur of the Year, Iowa Hospitality Association
- U.S. Small Business Administration's Entrepreneurial Success Award
- Entrepreneur of the Year, Inc. Magazine
- Board of Directors: various Chambers of Commerce, Convention and Visitor's Bureaus, River Action, Inc.
- Founder, Wildwood Hills Ranch, a 400-acre nonprofit camp for at-risk youth, St. Charles , IA
- Founder, KZZQ/99.5 FM Contemporary Christian Radio station, Des Moines , IA
- President (Past) Iowa Hospitality Association
- President (Past) Iowa Young Presidents' Organization
- Honorary Master Pork Producer, Iowa Pork Producers
An honors graduate of the University of Illinois and Harvard Law School , Whalen and wife, Kim have two children, Christopher and Katie, and reside in Bettendorf , IA.
