Michelle Gilliard currently serves as the Director, US Education and Workforce Department at FHI 360.

She leads the US Education and Workforce Department which uses multidisciplinary approaches to address critical issues in education, the nexus of education and employment systems, youth development and community engagement to ensure lifelong learning and productive work for all throughout the United States. The Department is comprised of US Education and the National Institute of Work and Learning (NIWL).

FHI 360 is an international nonprofit working to improve the health and well-being of people in the United States and around the world.

Previously, Gilliard was a partner with Venture Philanthropy Partners as well as a senior director at the Walmart Foundation, one of the world’s largest corporate foundations. In that role, she provided leadership to the Foundation’s national giving programs including career opportunity, environmental sustainability, women’s empowerment, and international giving. While at Walmart, she refined her expertise with developing and funding large-scale collaborative initiatives to address complex social problems by leading the creation of www.MyFreeTaxes.com and Walmart Washington@Work.

For more than 20 years, Gilliard has worked on a broad range of social issues affecting low-income populations including a focus on postsecondary education outcomes, workforce readiness and labor market outcomes, and related social support services. Nonprofit capacity building and expanding educational and occupational opportunity characterize the twin focal points of her work.

Previous positions include vice president for programs at the Foundation for Independent Higher Education, vice president for planning and evaluation and executive director of the Consortium for the Advancement of Private Higher Education at the Council of Independent Colleges, and executive advisor at MG Associates. Gilliard received a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in sociology from Brown University, an executive master’s degrees in international service from American University, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Dayton. She is on the inaugural board of the Excel Center Adult Public Charter School in Washington, DC.