February 2020 | #IAMSHAKER Alumni Spotlight: Michael Tate (SHHS ‘85)
Guests at this year’s Shaker Schools Foundation's A Night for the Red & White will be treated to a lively evening emceed by Shaker Heights High School alum and professional auctioneer Michael Tate. Tate, who will make the trip from his home in San Francisco, says he can’t wait to reconnect and return to a place that played a “pivotal role” in making him who he is and to support an organization whose mission he believes in. Read more about Michael Tate in this month’s #IAMSHAKER Alumni Spotlight.
How did you get started in auctioneering?
I was on the development committee at the San Francision Gay Men’s Chorus and I was helping to set up for our annual fundraiser with the woman who was the chair of our fundraising committee. A lot of our auction items were auctioning chorus members’ time to sing solos or duets at other events. So, two hours before the event, she asked me if I was feeling good about the auction. And I was like, “What are you talking about?” And she said that I was going to work as the live auctioneer that night. She said, “I assumed you knew you’d be doing this.” Clearly, I didn’t, but for her, it was about audience engagement and storytelling and she thought those were things I was good at. Today, I look back on that as a wonderful moment. It really was the best way for me to get started: I knew the singers in the auction and I understood the mission of the organization, so I could speak from a place of understanding. That’s really how this took off.
From then on, when the chorus would travel during concert season we offered similar modest auction packages. I became the default auctioneer. Then one day, we were at a concert in Sonoma County and a woman asked me for my card. Of course, I didn’t have one, but that’s when I realized that this could be a potential livelihood and that people would actually pay me for it.
What do you enjoy about live auctioneering?
I’ve always been a talker and I enjoy getting people to open up—I think I’ve always been good at that. And I think that’s translated well into my style of auctioneering. My work is focused exclusively with nonprofits, arts and social justice groups. I have to feel committed to and aligned with the mission of each organization, so I take it upon myself to learn about each one. It’s strange, but for me when I’m working an auction, I’m just being myself. I’m chatty, I’m not confined to the stage and I’m always on a handheld mic, working the audience and cajoling them with a firm, yet respectful hand so that they go just a little beyond what they thought they could do. When the opportunity to work at A Night for the Red & White came up, I had to do it because I believe in Shaker and because I’m a passionate advocate for public schools.
What are you reflections of your time in Shaker?
Shaker was pivotal for making me who I am. When I was a student, it was hard to be a gay, young black man. I dealt with bullying a lot, but today, I think that kids are much more aware of other kids who are in pain. By the time I graduated, I was so ready to be out of Shaker.
But now, I look back now with mature eyes. I know that I needed to be pushed academically and socially. It’s funny: so many of the people who may have hurt me in high school are now friends of mine. We acknowledge all the stupid stuff that we did. And every time I come back, I make a point of driving by all the schools I went to. I grew up on Scottsdale so I go to Lomond, then I drive by Ludlow—there was a special projects group there—then past Byron [now Shaker Heights Middle School] and then the High School. Everything always feels so much smaller, but I’m reminded of how beautiful Shaker is and how diverse it is.
How many events do you do a year?
I do 40 auction events a year and I work full-time at the Stanford University Alumni Association. I love my day job, and the auctioneering gives a different energy and feeling. It’s a good balance.
What are you looking forward to when you come back for A Night for the Red & White?
I’m looking forward to learning more about how the Foundation has grown in the past year. Since my job will be largely fundraising, it’s important to look at how the event did last year and how we can pivot and amplify that for this year. There will also be a good number of people that I know in the audience and since Shaker is something that’s so close to me, I think it will be more emotional for me. But those are the kinds of things that will make it special.
What advice do you have for students who may be feeling the same way you felt when you finished your time at Shaker?
Shaker really prepared me for life and for meeting people from all walks of life. I remember meeting kids when I was a student at Brown who had faster-paced lives and were independent in a way that was eye-opening for me. But I still felt like the experience I had in Shaker was rich and diverse. I was ready academically and socially. Today, while I’m a big city, faster-paced guy, Shaker feels like the kind of place where I could see myself living. I love the community and I love that Shaker cares about its students. At the end of the day, you never know where you’re going to end up. You might find yourself back in Shaker as an adult, looking at it with fresh eyes and a new appreciation.