Michael Arno founded Arno Political Consultants in 1979 at the age of 23. Since that time, APC has managed the qualification effort of more than 300 statewide and local ballot measures across the country. In all, APC has gathered more than 90million signatures and registered 10 million voters in 26 states. APC has emerged as the largest and most successful Initiative Democracy company in the country with offices in Sacramento, CA, Washington, DC and Seattle, WA.

APC has worked for several Fortune 500 companies such as RJR Nabisco, Proctor & Gamble, Occidental Petroleum, Wal-Mart, Southern New England Telephone, and Philip Morris. Among its political clients, APC has provided consulting services to two US Presidents and several Governors and Members of Congress. APC has also set the standard for effective grassroots campaigns and has assisted businesses and organization win legislative and regulatory battles on nearly 100 occasions. APC's grassroots campaign programs are among the most unique in the field, integrating signature gathering, letter writing drives, telecommunications, third-party organization building, and voter registration.

Mr. Arno is a frequent speaker on Initiative Democracy and is a strong advocate for the peoples' right to petition. Through Mr. Arno's efforts, many states have created more accessible petition laws. Mr. Arno has lectured on Initiative Democracy in Moscow, and St. Petersburg, Russia, and Kiev, Ukraine. He has also advised the European Parliament in Brussels on the creation of a European Union petition process.

Mr. Arno has been written about in several publications including The Wall Journal, Forbes Magazine, Newsweek Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Salon Magazine, USA Today, The Congressional Record, Roll Call, Campaigns And Elections Magazine, and The California Journal. Mr. Arno is also listed in Who's Who in American Politics.

In 1989, Mr. Arno co-founded the APC International. APC International has assisted U.S. companies entering foreign markets in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Among APC International's clients have been Bechtel Group, Inc., Radian Corporation, Trammel Crow, EDAW, Philip Morris, and Marriott. APC International has offices in Brussels and Paris and is headquartered in Sacramento, CA.

Prior to his work in politics, Mr. Arno was a newspaper editor for the Dallas Morning News and the Tyler Morning Telegraph. Mr. Arno studied Journalism and History at University of California, Los Angeles. Mr. Arno resides in Sacramento with his wife and two children.