A native of Tacoma, Washington, Mikal graduated from Washington State University in 1979 with a degree in Business (Finance emphasis) and minor emphases in Political Science and Economics. After managing a congressional campaign in 1982, he joined McCaw Communications in 1983 as one of their first employees in the cellular division. After starting up a number of operations in midwestern markets, Mikal became General Manager of McCaw’s Cellular One operation in Salt Lake City in 1986, and moved to Tampa to manage their West Florida operations in 1987. In 1990, he moved back to Bellevue to manage McCaw’s International operations. In 1992 he helped found Pacific Northwest Cellular, serving as Managing Director. After a series of acquisitions and mergers, he became Chief Operating Officer of Western Wireless in 1994, and its subsidiary, VoiceStream, in 1996. When VoiceStream was spun off in 1999, he became President of Western Wireless. He served in that capacity until Western was sold to Alltel in 2005. In 2006, he helped found Trilogy Partners, and is a Managing Director of their investment company today. Mikal is the immediate past chairman of the Washington State University Foundation and earlier served as Treasurer and Vice Chair. He currently chairs the Nominating Committee of the Foundation, and is a member of the Board of Governors. He also serves on the boards of SnapIn Software, Sparkplug, WineBid.com, and the Tacoma Museum of Glass.