Michelle Richard serves as the Acting Director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP).
Richard previously served as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s senior advisor on education, specializing in early learning and higher education to launch a statewide attainment strategy and pass Michigan Reconnect at the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
Prior to joining the Whitmer administration, Richard was a vice president at Public Sector Consultants. She started her career as an elementary school teacher in New Orleans.
Richard earned a Bachelor of Arts from Saginaw Valley State University and a master’s in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.