Meet Michael Zinszer

Michael Zinszer was born in the greater Philadelpha area of Pennsylvania, where after graduating from Wm Penn High School in 1981 he joined the United State Navy. During his Navy Career he rose to the rank of Chief Boatswains Mate as a Navy Saturation Diver. Over his 20 years of service, he was stationed onboard various sea commands, and at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit in Panama City, Florida. While in the Navy Michael’s duties included but not limited to Deep Submergence Officer, Saturation Diver, Shipboard Surface Warfare Officer’s (SWO) Duties, and participant in numerous Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) priorities as task leader, researcher in life support systems, and in biomedical and environmental physiology research. Michael completed his Associate Degree at Gulf Coast Community College and a Bachelor Degree in Social Science Education at Florida State University upon retiring from the Navy in 2002.

Shortly after retiring from the Navy, Michael was offered and accepted employment as Diving Safety Office at Florida State University (FSU) for Homeland Security program development in Underwater Crime Scene Investigation. Then later assuming the position as Director for Advanced Science Diving at FSU. While working at FSU, Michael completed a Master of Science Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and a Specialist Degree in Education. After completing his graduate degrees, he was appointed as Professor, Teaching Faculty III. Michael was instrumental in the development of FSU’s Underwater Crime Scene Investigation Program (UCSI), that helped set industry standards for in-water forensic investigations. As a member of the UCSI team Michael worked with the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and other Federal, State, local agencies. Over Michael’s military and civilian careers, he has been involved in many high profile in-water investigations including the Recovery of TWA Flight 800, salvage of oil tanker Exxon Houston, and missing high school student Natalee Holloway.

In 2017, while advising a student on the best path to attend Law School, Michael took notice and looked at “a legal field of study” as possibly the best path to use his life skills in a different way; soon thereafter, he applied to and was accepted at the Charleston School of Law, graduating in 2019 with a Doctor of Jurisprudence and a Certificate in Maritime Studies. Waiting to be closer to his family, Michael moved back to Panama City, calling on his friend of many years, Larry Perry, to advise him in practice of law in Florida. Michael has since been a part of the team at Perry and Young.

Michael has live in Bay County since 1989, enjoying the opportunities Florida’s emerald coast has to offer, raising his children Cody, Elizabeth, Caroline, and Isabelle, and notes that the best career choice he ever made was being a father. Michael stays active as a volunteer in his church and within the community.