The Annual General Meeting of the FAI Junior Council takes place on Saturday in Rathkeale House Hotel, where Hanley will become chairman for a two-year period - the first ever Limerickman to hold the position and only the third ever Munster man.
He has served his apprenticeship as vice-chairman of the national body for the last two seasons.
Indeed, Hanley's experience in junior soccer administration stretches back over 40 years.
It all started with his local club - firstly as a player and then at officership level.
As an 'inside left' or centre-forward Hanley enjoyed a successful playing career with Shamrock United and then Foynes.
He won both Desmond Cup and League medals.
"Foynes were very good in the 70's and late 60's," he recalled this week.
The club tried their hand in the Premier Division of the Limerick District League in the late 70's and although they won the Murphy Cup in their first season, ultimately a shortage of players saw the experiment fail.
Mike Hanley recalls that many of the players and officials of the club were lost to work on the oil rigs during this period.
Before his playing career had finished, Hanley had taken the first steps into administration - he first sat on the committee of the Desmond League in 1967.
"I am involved in soccer over 50 years and involved with the Desmond League for 41 years," he explained.
"I don't think I could see myself existing without junior soccer."
At Desmond League level, Hanley has served as fixtures secretary, PRO and secretary. And, for the last 30 years he has served a chairman of the west Limerick junior soccer league.
"I remember when we had only eight or nine teams and now we have 46 or 47 teams and 34 clubs," he says, with a degree of satisfaction.
"Like everywhere else, it all took-off with the 1966 World Cup in England and then when the Jack Charlton era came around, it all exploded."
Aside from the Desmond League, Hanley has been involved with the Munster Football Association since 1980 and is a former chairman. He has sat on the FAI Junior Council since 1984 and on the national council of the FAI senior committee since 1995.
"There are a lot of meetings and a lot of travelling, but I wouldn't be doing it, if I didn't enjoy it.
"Thankfully I have a very understanding family," he says of his wife Nora and two daughters.
So what will the next two years hold for Hanley?
"I will be chairman of the junior council that I have been a member of for the last 24 years.
"I am looking forward to it, but we have some fairly big challenges ahead of us in junior football," explained Hanley, who will turn 66 shortly.
"I want junior football to get better and better. We are saturated with Premiership coverage on television and it can be difficult to get people out on Sunday mornings and afternoons.
"I want to get as many grounds as possible with floodlights so it will be possible to play games on Friday and Saturday nights. The clubs playing at the highest standard have no problems with commitment, but it is where there are B teams and clubs are playing in the third and fourth divisions, that people are there to enjoy the buzz and for the social aspect and that is important as well."
In the coming weeks, one of the first official functions for Hanley will be the presentation of the Oscar Traynor Cup.
"The final takes place in the Desmond League grounds in Clouncreask and wouldn't it be nice to present it to a Limerick captain - preferably the Desmond League!"