Michelle L. Thomas

Michelle L. Thomas has more than 30 years of experience in change management, strategic planning, organizational development and operations management.

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Michelle’s work in local government transition management began in 2006 with Cory Booker. Michelle joined his team shortly after he announced his candidacy for mayor and eventually served as Deputy Director of his transition staff. When Booker took office Michelle joined his administration, as Director of Innovation and Performance Management. She went on to become Business Administrator, the City’s highest ranking non-elected official.

After four years of service to the City of Newark, NJ, Michelle returned to the private sector where she created a grants management division in a lobbying firm that specialized in serving municipalities and counties across the country. She was soon lured back into the public sector in 2011 to serve as Deputy Mayor for Operations for the City of New Orleans. More recently, Michelle has served as Interim Executive Director and Chief Administrative Officer for the Louisiana Housing Corporation, the state’s housing finance agency.