JA USA: Michael Crome

When an accountant came into Michael Crome’s 11th-grade classroom in Columbus, Ohio more than two decades ago as a JA volunteer, neither one knew that day would change Michael’s life. 

Earlier this year, Michael was promoted to Chief Financial Officer of the Las Vegas Raiders, overseeing all financial aspects of the NFL team, including athlete salaries, stadium sales, merchandise, and more. 

“Junior Achievement opened the door for me,” Michael recalls, “to learn more about my future career. The volunteer who taught in my classroom inspired me with the insight about his career as an accountant. That interaction helped me to find my way into the world of finance, where I work today.

“Seeing someone who looked like me, someone that I could relate to, who was in the classroom, teaching a lesson [caused me to] go that route. I went to college, majored in accounting, and the rest is history.”

“Now, I’m trying to find more Michaels,” he says, “who may just need one or two chance interactions to set a new trajectory.”

Michael followed in his volunteer’s footsteps in another way: In 2006, he started volunteering with JA, too. By 2019, Michael was so invested in promoting JA’s mission that he had completed the World Marathon Challenge, finishing seven full marathons in seven continents over seven days to raise money for JA, after previously serving as Board Chair of JA in Las Vegas.