Michelle entered the industry as a financial analyst in early 1999 and later assumed the role of senior financial analyst, overseeing financial analyses of over 130 community banks every quarter. Additional responsibilities included authoring and co-authoring research papers, presenting original research at seminars and conferences, and facilitating onsite.

In the years that followed, Michelle challenged banks to realize opportunities for high performance beyond the balance sheet. This diversified her into strategic planning, tactical consulting and enterprise education. During that time, Michelle continued her original research, industry white papers and national presentations on topics such as strategic and tactical consulting and education, noninterest income, Regulation D, and community bank tax burden.

In 2007, having engaged hundreds of bankers and spoken before thousands more, Michelle continually encountered issues that were not native to the financials. At this time, propelled by her long-held belief that the human element is at the same time a bank’s most valuable resource and volatile risk, she created an independent consulting firm focused on succession planning, strategic planning and training and education.

Throughout her career, Michelle has authored three books, The Art of Strategic Planning, The Art of Tax Efficiency and, most recently, The Art of Succession Planning.

Michelle graduated summa cum laude from Cedar Crest College with a dual major in corporate finance and marketing. She is an avid runner and enjoys hiking and camping with her husband and two sons. A major personal goal is to complete the Appalachian Trail.

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