Mike Ervin, producer

Mike Ervin has been a producer for Greg Smith since February 2000. He brings a wealth of knowledge about the disability community to the show that comes from his experience as a freelance writer and disability rights activist. He is a founding member of the Chicago chapter of ADAPT, a grassroots, direct-action disability rights organization.

Mike and Greg probably first met as children attending the same MDA camp near Chicago, but they don't remember each other from then. Their paths crossed again in 1993 when Greg invited Mike and his sister Chris Matthews to be guests on Greg's show. The topic: The Jerry Lewis Telethon. Mike and Chris co-founded "Jerry's Orphans," an MDA protest group, and Greg was the 1993 MDA Personal Achievement Award Winner for the state of Arizona! It was quite a show.

After that Greg followed Mike's writing career and has always admired his work. As a journalist, Mike Ervin has published more than 1,000 pieces in more than 40 national and local newspapers and magazines. Among his published short stories is "Coitus Interruptus" in Staring Back, an anthology of writers with disabilities. His credits as a produced playwright include "The History of Bowling," "Activities of Daily Living" and "The Plucky and Spunky Show."