Over the course of 25+ years, Michelle has worked with numerous academic and nonprofit organizations, as a staff member, volunteer, and Board leader. Michelle has served in executive and leadership positions in North Carolina including Executive Director of NC Child, Project Director of the Partnering for Excellence Initiative at Benchmarks, and Executive Vice-President of Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina. In these roles she has been fortunate to work with strategic, committed, and visionary individuals who have helped create meaningful change in the lives of so many North Carolinians.
Michelle’s leadership and advocacy for children has been recognized both nationally and in North Carolina. Michelle is the 2022 Recipient of the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award; the 2022 recipient of the national Partnership for America’s Children Florette Angel Child Advocacy Award; the 2012 recipient of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families Commissioner’s Award and the 2012 North Carolina Pediatric Society, Tom Vitaglione Child Health Advocacy Award.
A graduate of Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland, Michelle holds Master’s degrees in English and Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
