I have been supporting government department and non-profit organizations working to build services that work for communities, creating anti-racism hiring practices, developing collaborative culture, and supporting individual leadership. Some recent project highlights include:
Since 2021, I have worked with Alia to lead a community-centered child welfare transformation project in Rock County, Wisconsin. The goal is to reduce racial disparities in family separation by bringing forth a community response rooted in the Black community in Beloit, WI. By centering a design process on the voice of lived experts, the Rock Equity Project is helping to create supports that are designed by and for the community. And the CPS system is creating practices designed to support families within the context of their community instead of separation. Read More
Michelle’s unique skillset has been instrumental in helping us authentically center the voices of the community in our child welfare systems change efforts. She is able to join with others to translate a vision for empowered community voice into actionable steps toward meaningful change.
Kate Luster,
Rock County Human Services Director
The Northside Healing Space (NHS) hosted by Liberty Community Church is a cooperative space open for efforts that provide healing from racialized trauma and exploitation. The effort is focused on ending oppression and exploitation through rest, remembrance, resistance, and revival. They offer services such as high-impact historical trauma recognition and healing through active listening, mindfulness, story sharing, resiliency, and perseverance. I am supporting development of sustainability systems as they launch a new “Homeplace” effort to support birthing parents.
Michelle has a gift. She is able to chart a course for the future while standing solidly in the present. This unique capacity allows her to be transformative, an agent for change and build systems that are sustainable and life giving to organizations and individuals.
Rev. Dr. Alika P. Galloway,
Liberty Community Church, CEO
I worked for a year with Dakota County Social Services through a partnership with the Humphrey School to support their effort to move from talk to action with racial equity hiring and organizational culture. We used a human centered design approach to identify new practices together to increase diverse hiring and create a place where diverse groups feel they can bring their whole self to work.
Michelle has an innate ability to step into societal and organization issues and gather critical information. Her assessment allows her to quickly and accurately interpret the current space with ease to brainstorm next steps. She helps transform ideas into creative and effective solutions.
Calla Oftedahl, Dakota County Social Services,
Administrative Manager
