Mike Winder is the author of nine published books, including the regional bestseller Presidents and Prophets: The Story of America’s Presidents and the LDS Church. He has presented academic papers as part of the Abraham Lincoln Sesquicentennial and has been published in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. He was twice appointed to the Utah Board of State History by Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. and is a member of the Mormon History Association, Ronald Reagan Club, and Center for the Study of the Presidency He is also a lifetime member of the Utah Historical Society.

Winder has an honors B.A. in history and a master’s in business administration from the University of Utah and has completed executive programs at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He resides with his wife, Karyn, and their four children in West Valley City, Utah, where he serves as the city’s mayor. He also keeps busy as the director of public affairs for The Summit Group Communications, as a strategic advisor for Winder Farms, and as president of the Utah League of Cities and Towns.