About Mike

Mike Allen has lived in Mississippi all but nine months of his life. Born in 1970, Mike moved from Ocean Springs to Starkville in 1993 to begin graduate studies at MSU. He earned a Masters of Public Policy and Administration degree in December 1994 with a 4.0 grade point average. The next year he began working on a Ph.D. in the same field with a minor in Economics.

In 1995 he began working at the Center for Governmental Training & Technology in the MSU Extension Service. He remained there through 2003 and specialized in producing educational materials for city and county officials and facilitating state-mandated local government education and certification programs.

From a child, Mike had entrepreneurial interests. An Internet idea — helping people save money shopping online — that began as a hobby in early 1999 became a business several years later as Shopping-Bargains.com, LLC.  At the end of 2003, Mike left his “day job” and became self-employed to work this new venture full-time.

Fast-forward to 2009. Mike, through Shopping-Bargains.com, now has 7 full and part-time employees and has won several awards including induction into the Mississippi BBB’s Business Integrity Circle of Honor (2007). Mike was also named the “Affiliate of the Year” for the 2009 Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Awards. In addition to serving on a variety of ecommerce advisory boards in the United States and Europe, Mike has presented at several national conferences and authored a chapter about finding bargains online in a book for military families (Your Military Family Network: Your Connection to Military Friendly Businesses, Resources, Benefits, Information and Advice [2008] with a foreword by Senator John McCain).

Even though he moved to Starkville for a master’s degree, Mike now calls Starkville home and is involved in his community. He is a member of the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, the Starkville Young Professionals, the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, and Broadmoor Baptist Church. He volunteers with The Father’s Child Ministry, an outreach for fatherless children in the Golden Triangle area and is currently participating in The FORUM, an Oktibbeha County leadership development program.

Mike has had a longtime interest in government and public service. He feels we should continually improve our city through conservation, technological innovation, cultural enrichment and sound economic development practices. These actions, he feels, should encourage family, faith and community.

Mike feels we can make our community a better and safer place.  He is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and supports efforts to teach hunter and firearms safety.

Mike is happily married to the former Rachel Culver of Starkville. The couple have six children.