Michelle Dallafior has more than twenty-three years of experience in policy development, implementation and oversight in both the federal government’s legislative and executive branches advocating for social justice and public policy solutions that create pathways to opportunity for all families and youth.  Since leaving the federal government in early 2017, Michelle has been a strong advocate for prioritizing children in the federal budget process, improving tax provisions for working families with children, and increasing access to high-quality early childhood education.  Michelle is the Senior Vice President for Budget and Tax at First Focus and directs the Children’s Budget Coalition comprised of seventy participating member organizations.

In fifteen years on Capitol Hill, Michelle worked in several different positions covering a broad range of issues including, economic development, energy, healthcare, environmental justice, labor, criminal justice reform and appropriations.  She served as a Legislative Assistant to Senator John Glenn responsible for Great Lakes environmental and maritime policies and garnering bipartisan support for federal funding of Great Lakes protection programs.  She advised Congressman Ted Strickland for ten years as his Legislative Director, and ultimately Chief of Staff.  In those capacities, she set strategic goals and policy priorities, and oversaw the legislative and oversight activities for the Congressman who served as member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  After the 2006 election, Michelle joined the staff of the House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Energy where she managed a portfolio of energy-related topics including grid modernization, advancement of energy storage technologies, and emerging issues surrounding water management and power production. Michelle joined the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2009 where she advised two Assistant Secretaries on budgetary matters and legislative, political, and strategic initiatives to advance the Administration’s policy objectives and programmatic goals.

Michelle grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a Master’s in Public Policy from the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, now the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.  She also holds a certificate in Victim’s Advocacy and volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in the District of Columbia.