Bio

Harriet Michel hails from Pittsburgh, PA, and earned her B.A. in sociology and criminology from Juniata College. She was a member of the first cohort of the American Field Services, established after WWII, and the first Black staff member of the National Scholarship Service & Fund for Negro Students. In 1970, She became the executive director of the New York Foundation and the first Black woman to head a major foundation. She also served as director of the Department of Labor’s Office of Community Youth Empowerment Programs, established the Women Against Crime Foundation at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and served as president and CEO of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. A woman of many firsts, Michel has received countless awards of achievement and is a founding member of the Association of Black Executives (ABFE).

“The key to my success is my passion. My passion has been and is social inequity and social justice.” - Harriet Michel