Michelle D. Johnson serves as a senior program officer with The Kresge Foundation’s Arts and Culture Program. Through its equitable Creative Placemaking strategy, the Program team places an explicit focus on arts, culture and community-engaged design as central elements of community development and planning.

She oversees a portfolio of grants focused on catalyzing creative change in cities by supporting organizations that promote artistic solutions to community development and planning in targeted geographies.

Michelle joined Kresge in 2006. During this time span, she has supported several national Program teams – including Arts & Culture, Human Services, Health and Detroit – allowing her to foster cross-sector collaboration while bringing an intersectional lens to grantmaking.

Prior to joining Kresge, Michelle worked in the financial planning and philanthropic fund development sectors for nearly 20 years with several organizations, such as the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

At the Jewish Federation, Michelle served as a financial resource development analyst supporting the Women’s Campaign and the Education Department Fund. She also coordinated general campaign strategies for non-profit organizations.

Michelle earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Wayne State University and a master’s degree in management from Walsh College. She is also a member of several philanthropic affinity groups.

Photo: Douglas Schaible