Michele is a devoted, life-long public servant currently serving as the Chief of Education for the City of Cleveland. In those role she represents the Mayor’s interests for education and workforce development in the city, with a focus on improving the educational experiences for all learners from pre-K to higher education, and from CMSD to charter, parochial, and private schools.

Previously, Michele supplied The MetroHealth System as the Manager of Government and Community Relations.  She acted as a conduit between the City of Cleveland, its administration, and the other municipalities of Northeast Ohio with a focus on school based and social determinants of health.  

Prior to this role Michele served as the Director of Regional Collaboration for Cuyahoga County.  Appointed by Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish in 2017, she served as the liaison between the County and the 59 municipalities as well as the members of Cuyahoga County Council.  She oversaw the Executive’s Boards and Commissions, as well as leads the advocacy efforts at the state and national level on behalf of the County. Recent successes include leading the 2020 Census efforts resulting in increased counts in hard to count communities and successful funding advocacy for the County’s priorities including Lakefront Development and the Addiction and Mental Health Diversion Center.

Prior to her role in County Government, Ms. Pomerantz, created the role of Labor and Policy Liaison for CEO of Cleveland Metropolitan Schools.  There she supported the execution of the Cleveland Plan assisted in three successful school levy campaigns and became the school district’s point of contact with Cleveland City Council and legislators for the state of Ohio.  Prior to working as the Policy and Labor Liaison, she dedicated 22 years teaching first grade students within CMSD’s learning environment.  

During Michele’s teaching years, she gradually became involved with CMSD’s Teachers Union.  That involvement led her to create a group that organized support for various local, state and national political candidates which could help benefit CMSD and its educational goals for its students.  

In 2011, Michele was instrumental in organizing the CMSD workforce, and others, to participate in fundraising and election activities that resulted in blocking Ohio’s proposed controversial Senate Bill 5 Collective Bargaining law.  Michele and her volunteers collected the required signatures to force the issue to be put on the ballot for the voters to decide.    

Michele served 4 years as the Director of Political Action for Cleveland Teachers’ Union.  She then moved on to serve as the Deputy Director, Office of the President, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in Washington D.C.

While serving in the position of Deputy Director for the AFT, Michele traveled around the country taking her vast knowledge to other school districts where she briefed educators and advanced the goals of the President of the AFT and the organization.  Michele forged many relationships throughout the country for the furtherance of educational reform.

These unique opportunities has afforded Michele the advantage of seeing the role of education, health and workforce development from the lens of practitioner, advocate and creator of public policy.