Michael Hatley

Michael Hatley, Vice President of Creatives Services

Michael came to Family Legacy in 2014 following a 34-year career in journalism, brand advertising and marketing.  He began his career as a writer and editor for the Brotherhood Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and advertising manager at Word Records, followed by 29 years at The Richards Group, a $1-billion-plus Dallas advertising agency where he held production and business management roles on national brands, including Chick-fil-A, Home Depot, Dodge RAM and Fruit of The Loom.

Michael is the son and grandson of Baptist ministers and former missionaries in Colombia and Brazil.  He and his wife Susie have served for 17 years on the Richardson, TX Area Committee for Young Life and he is the chairman of the board of directors of The Texas Music Project, a non-profit supporting music education programs in Texas since 2003 and past chair of the Executive Steering Committee for the Richardson Wildflower Music Festival.

Michael has a B.A. in journalism and minor in advertising public relations from Texas State University.

 Michael’s story:

 I am so humbled and honored that God cared enough for me to lead me here.  In 2009 I read the book, Halftime, by Bob Buford, and it changed my life.  I had a rewarding career, great family and was actively involved in my church and community, but something was missing.  There was a hole in my life.  The desire for success and business wins became hollow and I was just slogging through work feeling like I was shooting fake arrows at fake targets.  Together my wife Susie and I began making changes to our life, creating financial and time capacity as we planned a “second half” pursuing God’s call to serve others.  He began giving us more opportunities to serve Him and love on and help others and, every time we did, our hearts were filled with joy as He showed us He had something better planned for us, something so miraculous that, when it happened, everyone who knew us would know it was God who did it and not us.  That “something” is Family Legacy.   God has been preparing me my whole life to serve orphan kids in Africa for Christ.  I was orphaned and adopted and lost one adopted brother to HIV/AIDS in 1987.  Another brother was a biracial orphan my parents adopted while they were missionaries on San Andres Island, Colombia.  God used our years of serving in Young Life to prepare our hearts for pursuing kids for Christ.  God found us and we found you and we are so grateful.

I married my college sweetheart in 1980 and we are blessed to have two married daughters, three grandchildren and a son who is a senior at Baylor University.

Grace,

Michael

Philipians 2:3-4: ”Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”