Michelle Rafferty is the Chief Program Officer at Shift Work Forward, where she leads program strategy and implementation across the organization and national network. She brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in workforce development, spanning community-based organizations, philanthropy, and large public workforce systems.

As our lead program strategist, Michelle oversees programs across the organization’s core focus areas, mobilizing teams to support regional workforce systems in transforming career navigation, improving job quality, and addressing systemic barriers to economic mobility. She has played a central role in shaping the organization’s strategic direction, including leading Shift Work Forward’s 2024 strategic planning process and designing national initiatives that have raised more than $17 million in philanthropic support. Her work has strengthened the organization’s approach to racial equity, data-informed practice, and systems change at scale.

Prior to joining Shift Work Forward, Michelle served as chief strategy and operating officer for Detroit’s public workforce system, where she oversaw more than 35 workforce organizations and managed $40 million in federal, state, local, and philanthropic funding. Across her career, she has built collaborative partnerships, redesigned workforce systems using human-centered approaches, and improved outcomes for workers and communities.

Education

• Master of Public Affairs — University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology — University of Michigan