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Communications Officer Kaniqua Welch

Kaniqua Welch

Communications Officer

External Affairs and Communications, Leadership and Infrastructure Funding Team

American Cities, Human Services

Kaniqua Welch is a communications officer at The Kresge Foundation.

She joined the foundation in 2019. During her tenure at Kresge, Kaniqua has led internal and external communications for several of Kresge’s national grantmaking programs, including American Cities, Arts & Culture, Environment, and Human Services. She also co-led communications planning for the Detroit Program’s Marygrove P-20 Learning Community.

In addition to her role as a communications officer, Kaniqua co-chairs the foundation’s Equity Task Force, which is a team of 15 cross-departmental members selected to drive the foundation’s diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) work. Kresge’s Equity Task Force is charged with auditing the organization’s DEIJ progress; implementing a five-part equity framework; serving as an accountability partner to the President & CEO and Executive Office to create an inclusive culture; being a bellwether for the Foundation to remain committed to Equity; and providing learning and engagement activities for all staff.

Prior to joining Kresge, Kaniqua served as vice president of communications with Finn Partners and as a communications director at Weber Shandwick – both global public relations and marketing firms. At each agency, she worked with corporate, nonprofit and philanthropic clients to lead communications programs focused on integrated media strategies; executive positioning and thought leadership; and corporate social responsibility campaigns centered on education, health, social justice and community development. At Weber Shandwick, Kaniqua also led the Detroit-based Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practice.

Kaniqua started her career as a news reporter with the Oakland Press. During her career span, she has worked with several organizations, including Detroit Public Schools, managing media relations, marketing, crisis planning, internal communications and external partnerships. She also worked with McLaren Oakland Medical Center and the POH Regional Medical Center Marketing & Foundation Office, coordinating donor relations, fundraising events, hospital publications and community engagement programs.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Kaniqua earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Oakland University and a master’s degree in public relations and organizational communication from Wayne State University. She is currently studying public leadership at the Harvard University Kennedy School. Kaniqua is also a former adjunct instructor at Oakland University, having taught courses in journalism, public relations and group dynamics.

By Kaniqua Welch