Michael King

Michael King is a retired national award-winning principal, including Kansas Middle School Principal of the Year 2018 and National Association of School Principals 2012 Digital Principal of the Year. Under his tenure, his schools have been recognized as exemplary by the Oklahoma State Department of Education as a Lighthouse Project School and named a National School of Excellence Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. While serving as principal of Dodge City Middle School, his school was selected by the National Association of Secondary School Principals as a regional Breaking Ranks Showcase School. The Kansas Association of Middle School Administrators recognized Dodge City Middle School as a Gold Standard High Performing School in math and reading in 2010, an Exemplary Middle School in 2011, and a Middle School of the Year Finalist in 2012.

He has been an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Education at Oklahoma and Northwestern Oklahoma State Universities. During his career, he co-authored several published supplements for his works in “Developing School Programs and Policies,” including “A Guide to Developing Human Resources,” “Building Bridges of Trust,” “Developing a Safe and Healthy School Environment,” “Developing A Learning School,” and “The Virtual Schoolhouse.” He has also published many National articles on various educational leadership topics throughout his career.

Since Michael's retirement, he founded the Wild West podcast, which is now in the top 2% of Podcasts worldwide with over half a million downloads in over 12,107 cities and 150 Countries and territories. He has been a successful podcast producer and authored six books about early Kansas History and the Wild West. His book titles include Trails, Forts, Treaties, and Indian Wars, Buffalo Days, Bat Masterson, The Legends of Dodge City, Cattle Drives, The Days that Tried Men's Souls, Man in a Black Derby Hat, and Bat Masterson Selected Short Stories. He has also co-authored “Notorious,” a Gold-winning featured story in the 2023 issue of the Kansas Magazine.

As a Citizen of Dodge City, he believes community involvement is essential. He currently serves on several committees and boards to promote local history. He is an active member of the board of directors for Boot Hill Museum and the preservation of Fort Dodge committee for the Ford County Historical Society. Michael opened a video production business, Boot Hill Productions, in 2018 and has made several documentaries featuring Western culture. He lives in Dodge City, Kansas, with his wife, Sheralyn, who edits his work. He lives in Dodge City, Kansas, with his wife, Sheralyn. He has two sons, Bryce and Dustin, along with three grandchildren.