Michelle leads executives and national security strategy priorities for complex organizations that drive change across the enterprise and impact global security, human capital initiatives, quality of life, and modernization efforts at the intersection of defense, industry, and academia.

For over 27 years as an Army logistician, she led at all levels, from the tactical to the strategic and enterprise levels, leading Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, alongside our Allies and Partners in Europe and the Army, and within the Defense Organic Industrial Base.

Michelle recently published her first book. Additionally, she provides executive advice to national security focused small businesses, leads strategic planning support to the National Defense Industrial Association Lone Star Chapter, lectures on decision-making and problem solving at multiple academic institutions, and serves as a Senior Mentor to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization focused on logistics and leadership.

As the Chief of Staff of the Army’s most recent start-up, Army Futures Command, she managed the maturation of the acquisition and merger of over eighteen organizations with an annual budget valued at $12B in support of over 26K personnel to advance Army future force modernization and transformation efforts across defense, industry, and academia in support of our national security strategy.

As the Deputy Commanding General of the Combined Arms Support Command, she led the Joint Force’s efforts to publish the Joint Warfighting Concept’s Joint Concept for Contested Logistics. She led over 22 joint service executives globally to deliver a hypothesis that matured into a concept with required capabilities, including experimentation and resource investments, to deliver a future force capable of sustaining troops over vast distances, through contested domains, in a competitive space with increased sustainment demands through competition, crisis, and conflict. Simultaneously, she managed the professional development and career management programs and policies for 95K Soldiers globally across 40 areas of expertise in maintenance, munitions, and explosive ordnance disposal, with an annual training throughput of 180K Service members.

As the Commanding General of the Joint Munitions Command, she served as the chief executive officer for the life cycle management for all conventional munitions from development to production, storage, security, fielding, and sustainment including global supply chain management and distribution. Her leadership included the operations and maintenance of fourteen plants, arsenals, depots, and activities across thirteen states to maintain and deliver the readiness of over $57B of missiles and munitions in support of the Department of Defense.

She commanded a forward-stationed battalion and brigade in Europe alongside our Allies and Partners, with a presence in eighteen locations across eight countries. Following the Wales Summit, she enabled NATO’s establishment of Force Integration Units by embedding US leaders in shaping the security environment to deter aggression and assure the Alliance. Additionally, she led interoperability efforts across the alliance for sustainment capabilities in training and execution in competition.

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Illinois State University, a Master of Science in Human Services and Counseling from SUNY Oswego, a Masters in Military Arts and Sciences from the Command and General Staff College, and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from Kansas State University. She began her Army career as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Defense Artillery.