When library staff grow, libraries thrive.
So many talented library leaders are stretched thin, second-guessing themselves, delaying their voice, and waiting for perfect conditions that never come.
After more than two decades leading in public libraries and city government, I made a deliberate choice: to spend my time supporting the kind of growth that changes how people lead and live.
As much as I loved serving the public, I loved serving my staff more. Watching someone step into their potential, gain clarity, find their footing, or lead through something hard with steadiness and purpose — that was the work that moved me most.
I believe in coaching the way I believe in public libraries. Both exist on the premise that resources, growth, and opportunity should be available to everyone, not just those at the top. Leadership is not about a position. It’s about people. And for libraries and communities to truly thrive, leadership capacity and soft skills need to be cultivated at every level.
People already have what they need inside them. What they don’t always have is access to it.
How I Help Libraries and Public Service Organizations
I help leaders and teams understand that leadership is not about us…it’s all about us. We work together to build the awareness, attention, and skills that support the individual and the mission of the organization.
I help teams:
- Build three-part awareness — awareness of self, others, and circumstances
- Stop the energy drains — drama, stress, and misalignment
- Transform reactive patterns into aligned action before mission gets lost
My work with libraries and public service organizations helps leaders and teams build sustainable growth — not through another training program, but through coaching that meets people where they are and helps them access what they already have.
What I Offer
Leadership Coaching
One-on-one and group coaching for emerging leaders and seasoned executives, with a specialization in women in public service roles. Includes Energy Leadership Index® (ELI) assessment and debrief — an evidence-based attitudinal assessment that builds awareness of how energy influences leadership, decision-making, and team dynamics.
Coaching Culture Consulting
Help libraries and public service organizations shift how leaders show up, how teams communicate, and how the whole organization grows. This is sustainable culture work, not a one-time training. It works at the individual level because that’s where culture actually lives.
Leadership Development & Workshops
Customized learning experiences, workshops, webinars, talks, and keynotes that meet staff and supervisors where they are and build the skills that matter most: communication, clarity, collaboration, and confident decision-making. Sessions are designed to be simple, practical, and aspirational, with strategies people can take with them and try out immediately.
Project Coaching
Get to the heart of what makes initiatives succeed or stall. Most projects don’t fail because of bad ideas. They fail because of unclear communication, unresolved tension, and misaligned priorities. Project coaching builds the awareness and relational skills that keep initiatives on track and teams working well together.
Michelle’s Background
Over two decades as a trusted leader in public libraries and city government, including Deputy Director of Public Services at San José Public Library and Assistant Director at Chesapeake Public Library. I led public services across 24 branches, managed budgets and organizational change, and navigated highly political environments with complex stakeholder and partnership dynamics.
I led with the belief that leadership is not about me and entirely about me — that the strongest leaders bring deep self-awareness to the service of their teams and communities. When challenges arose, my response was consistent: good, we know what we’re dealing with, now let’s figure it out. That steadiness, grounded in emotional intelligence and a genuine belief in people’s capacity to grow, is what I now bring to coaching and consulting.
Credentials: ACC – International Coaching Federation, Energy Leadership Index® Master Practitioner (ELI-MP), Certified Executive Coach, Kotter Certified Change Specialist, MSLIS University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
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