In June 2022, Mayor Justin M. Bibb appointed Michelle Rose as the Executive Director for the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Workforce Development Board. In this role, she leads public sector workforce development programming and strategy for the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.  

Previously, Rose served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs under U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.  “From day one, Michelle Rose has been a trusted advisor and strong leader as Acting Assistant Secretary for Congressional & Intergovernmental Affairs,” Secretary Walsh said. “As a former mayor, I'm thrilled she is bringing her expertise to drive change at a local level.” As Acting Assistant Secretary, Rose directed the Department of Labor’s strategy for interacting with Congress and advancing legislative priorities, successfully led ten Senate confirmations, served as the primary staff liaison to Capitol Hill on behalf of the Department of Labor, and managed all operations of the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs.  

Rose’s prior experience includes serving as chief of staff to U.S. Deputy Labor Secretary Chris Lu, nearly six years as a senior legislative officer in the Office of Congressional Affairs, and work with advance teams for both the White House and the Obama for America Presidential Inaugural Committee.  

Locally, Rose was Director of Talent Initiatives for the Cleveland Innovation Project, a non-profit collaborative of foundations and economic development organizations working to create a blueprint for regional growth through high-tech jobs in Northeast Ohio.

Rose has also worked in constituency services for the Democratic National Committee and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Miami University. Her first role in Washington was as a summer intern for Ohio’s Senior Senator, The Honorable Sherrod Brown. She is a Northeast Ohio native and grew up in Painesville Township. She and her husband are happy to be raising three daughters in Shaker Heights.