Michelle A. Taylor is President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Delaware (UWDE), one of the state’s largest nonprofit community impact organizations.
Michelle reports to the Chair of the Board of Directors and is ultimately responsible for all aspects of UWDE’s strategic planning, partner relations, philanthropy, community impact and engagement, operations and administration, finance, marketing, human resources, public policy, and board administration. She is UWDE’s primary representative in the community and provides leadership throughout Delaware on a range of issues central to United Way’s mission. In her role, she leads implementation of UWDE’s statewide strategy to improve outcomes in third-grade literacy, college and career readiness, and financial empowerment, especially in low-income communities. In doing this, she leverages UWDE’s more than 75 years of experience and relationships with nonprofit and community-based organizations, governments, businesses, academia, and civic-minded individuals, all of whom rely on UWDE to amplify their voices in the community. She is also chief steward of the United Way brand in Delaware and Salem County, New Jersey.
Michelle assumed her role in January 2008, after serving four years as UWDE’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. She joined UWDE in 2000 as Director of Finance & Administration, later served as Vice President of Operations, and during a six-month leadership transition in 2003, was UWDE’s acting president.
A career nonprofit professional, before joining UWDE Michelle held statewide responsibility as Director of Finance at Delaware Hospice. She is a board member of the Delaware State Health Improvement Plan, the Delaware Workforce Investment Board, the Delaware Community Foundation, the Wilmington University Administration of Human Service Advisory Committee, the Wilmington HOPE Commission, and the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission. In collaboration with the Delaware Department of Education, she spearheads implementation of the National Campaign for Grade-Level Reading through the Get Delaware Reading initiative. She has volunteered with Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Newark and Appoquinimink, Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council, Delta Outreach and Education Center, and served on the Board of Directors of the Trustees of Color.
In collaboration with the Governor’s office, the Delaware Department of Education, the Delaware State Board of Education and others, Michelle was instrumental in forming and implementing the initial “Delaware Stars for Early Success” program and is Chair of the Governor’s High-Quality Early Childhood Programs and Professionals Committee.