Michael Stephen Steele is an American politician, attorney, and political commentator. He served as the seventh lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007 and as chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2009 to 2011, making him the first African-American to hold either position.
Prior to his public office, Steele worked as a partner at the international law firm LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae in the 1990s.