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 rake 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 were not limited to Deep Submergence Officer, Saturation Diver, Duties as Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), and participant in numerous Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) priorities as task leader, researcher in life support systems, biomedical and environmental physiology studies. Michael completed his associate degree at Gulf Coast Community College then a bachelor’s degree in education at Florida State University.

After retiring from the Navy in 2002, Michael was offered and accepted employment as Diving Safety Office at Florida State University (FSU) for the development of an in-water investigations program, under tasking from the Department Homeland Security. Shortly after, Michael also assumed the role as Director for Advanced Science Diving. 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), setting 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 Alabama 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 Juris Doctor degree and Certificate in Maritime Studies. Wanting 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 the practice of law in the Great State of Florida. Michael has been a part Perry & Young team since.

Michael has lived 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.