Background
Mike S. Zafirovski was born in Skopje, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, present-day the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. He immigrated to United States in 1969, arriving in Cleveland, Ohio with his family, $1500 dollars among them and speaking no English.Zafirovski holds a B.A. in mathematics from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania where he also captained the intercollegiate soccer and swimming teams. In 2002, Edinboro University awarded Zafirovski with an honorary doctorate degree. A native of Macedonia, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2004.
In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Zafirovski to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). In its advisory role to the president, the NSTAC provides industry-based analysis and recommendations on a wide range of policy and technical issues related to telecommunications, information systems, information assurance, infrastructure protection, and other national security and emergency preparedness concerns.
Zafirovski serves on the board of directors of Boeing. An active member of civic and business communities, Zafirovski serves on several professional, educational and non-profit business organizations, including The Canadian Council of Chief Executives, The Economic Club of Chicago and the Macedonian Arts Council. He and his wife Robin are the national chairs for Duke University's Parents' Committee. They have three sons.