Michael Lazzara

State Senator, North Carolina-6th District

Senator Michael Lazzara has a passion for his community, family and business. He currently serves in the North Carolina General Assembly representing District 6 which includes his residence of Jacksonville, NC. Born in Palermo, Sicily, Michael grew up in Chicago and enlisted in the US Marine Corps. He served with distinction until his release from active duty including service aboard Camp Lejeune. A consistent entrepreneur, he opened businesses in media and in the food industry. For his successful business efforts and community contributions, he was recognized as the Small Business Person of the Year for 2003. In 2008, he was given a lifetime achievement award, the Civic Honor, by the Chamber of Commerce for his diversity of contributions to the improvement of his community. In 2005 he was elected to the Jacksonville City Council and served as the Mayor Pro Tem.

Sen. Lazzara has tirelessly and consistently worked to advance transportation and infrastructure interest in his region. Michael is very involved in the community. He has represented economic development interests serving on the Board of Directors for “Bettering Our Local Downtown” and has been active in other economic development activities in the community. He and his wife have two sons who have been active in the family business. 

Back to all members

Join Our Newsletter

Name(Required)

Help Me Choose

Which characteristics is your community looking for in funding opportunities?

Disaster declaration
A Presidential Disaster Declaration unlocks a suite of federal programs that assist local governments with disaster recovery. This is a good filter for communities included in recent Disaster Declarations related to flooding.
Nature-based solutions
The program has a strong focus on providing assistance to promote a healthy ecosystem as a critical defense against flooding impacts. Eligible activities may include floodplain restoration, environmental stewardship, projects that use natural features to mitigate erosion, and living shorelines.
Encourages public-private partnerships
The program encourages or requires collaboration between government entities and stakeholders, including the private sector, to fund, develop, or implement projects.
Offers rolling deadlines
The program accepts applications on an ongoing basis with no fixed deadline.

Is your project in the planning, design, or construction phase?

Planning
The gathering of data and information regarding the extent and impacts of flooding. Eligible activities may include data acquisition, risk assessment, and environmental analysis.
Design & scoping
Covers pre-construction activities, such as defining project scope, developing technical designs, and securing funding to prepare for implementation.
Construction & implementation
Involves carrying out flood resilience projects, including building infrastructure and deploying solutions to reduce flood risks.

Are you looking for grants, loans, or technical assistance for your project?

Funding (grants)
A monetary award that does not need to be repaid. Many federal grants are reimbursable, meaning recipients must cover project costs upfront and then request reimbursement from the government.
Financing (loans)
A government-issued loan that must be repaid. These loans typically provide funding upfront, helping communities cover project costs before repayment begins.
Technical assistance
Assistance from the government in the form of services — such as project planning, engineering and design support, data analysis, training, capacity building, or collaboration through a cooperative agreement — instead of direct funding.

Some programs provide extra support for specific project types or communities. Do any of these apply to your project?

Small or rural communities
Programs that set aside funding, offer loan forgiveness, or adjust cost share requirements for communities with smaller populations.
Small or low-cost projects
Programs that offer reduced requirements for smaller projects, such as waived cost-sharing or exemptions from benefit-cost analysis.
Regional or watershed focus
Programs that support projects that take a watershed management approach or address flooding at a regional scale, requiring coordination beyond a single town or community.
Tribal communities
Programs that dedicate resources or adjust cost share requirements specifically for tribal governments or organizations.
View Results