Michael Ault, Businessman of the Year

Michael has dedicated nearly 30 years to the revitalization of Sacramento’s urban core at the helm of Downtown Sacramento Partnership, a property-based improvement district (PBID) that serves as the collective voice for the property and business owners within the 66-block district of downtown Sacramento.

Additionally, Michael was involved in the creation and passing of the legislation which enabled PBIDs in the State of California for the first time.

The Downtown Partnership is shaping the identity of downtown Sacramento through public space management and projects that fundamentally transform the central city. As Executive Director, Michael oversees the planning and implementation of downtown’s public space services programs, business and economic development, policy & advocacy, and destination marketing.

Michael graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 1992 and has since been awarded the Distinguished Alumni award. He is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum; sits on the board of The Sacramento Metro Chamber, Visit Sacramento, and the Old Sacramento Business Association; has served on the boards of the International Downtown Association and Sacramento Sports Commission; and is the former board chair of the California Downtown Association.

Michael, his wife Christine, and their two children have lived in the Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento for the last 25 years.