Pride CEO Michael Ziegler dies after decades of work for people with disabilities
Pride Industries, a Roseville-based nonprofit organization dedicated to creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities, is mourning the loss of its leader.
Michael Ziegler, who served as Pride’s CEO for 37 years, died peacefully at home while surrounded by family Tuesday, the organization said. Ziegler was 75.
Pride described Ziegler as a local business icon and entrepreneur who devoted most of his career to creating jobs for disabled people. Ziegler joined Pride in 1983. Under his guidance, Pride grew from a small nonprofit with 65 employees into a national organization with more than 5,600 employees, 3,350 of whom have disabilities.
“Mike was a visionary who surrounded himself with talented people,” Jeff Dern, president of Pride Industries, said in a news release. “Mike’s impact on the communities Pride serves and the Pride family is immeasurable. Everyone who met Mike was instantly drawn to his passion for Pride’s mission and his love for people. I’ve never known a more brilliant businessperson or someone with a bigger heart than Zig.”
Ziegler is survived by his wife of 37 years, Debby, their two sons, two daughters-in-law and two grandchildren.
“Mike Ziegler was a great man and most importantly a dear friend,” Pride board chairman Bob Olsen said. “He loved people and dedicated his life to making the world a better place by creating opportunities for people who need a helping hand. I am a better man for having known Mike. We will all miss him very much.”
Ziegler suffered from stage 4 cancer and had been in hospice care since February, Pride said. Ziegler began working with the board of directors in 2018 to develop a succession plan, most notably by appointing Dern as president.
Ziegler addressed employees and the board of directors once more in a recent message, the organization said.
“The best 36 years of my life have been spent devoted to Pride and our mission to create jobs for people with disabilities,” Ziegler said. “The people I met along the way, both in and outside of Pride, have helped transform a sleepy nonprofit organization into the largest nonprofit employer of people with disabilities in America.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 1:07 PM.
