Before joining the Fourth Sector Group, Michelle held the position of Minister of Social Development and Technical Coordinator of the Social Cabinet of Panama. As part of her duties, she led the process of developing the first national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI); the creation of the first Childhood MPI in the Latin American region, and the adoption of the SDGs at the national level. She also presided the National Concertation Council for Development, a legally established space for dialogue and social concertation with the participation of 23 sectors of society.

Michelle is a faculty member of the School of Government of ADEN University, teaching the course of Human and Social Development; consultant for Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), Fellow of the VIII class of the Central America Leadership Initiative, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.


She has local and international experience in the legal, cultural, and development fields, and background in laws and political science, with master’s degrees in Commercial Law, Management of Heritage and Cultural Projects, and Public Administration (Social Policy and International Development). She lives in Panama City with her husband César and their two-year-old daughter, Paloma.