Hello. I'm Michelle, and this is my journey.

Hello. I'm Michelle, and this is my journey.

  • RURAL ROOTS RURAL ROOTS Michelle is a daughter of rural Missouri; she was born in March of 1962 in St. Joseph, Missouri, a small rural town outside of Kansas City. Michelle was raised by her widowed mother, who took care of Michelle and her 6 siblings. Though money was tight, Michelle was brought up in a home full of laughter and responsibility. Even though she was the younger sister, Michelle assumed a care-taking role with her brothers and sisters. When she wasn’t riding a bike or running around the neighborhood, she was inside her home helping her mom with chores.

  • EARLY LESSONS EARLY LESSONS Michelle learned early in her life the value of family and hard work. She credits her sense of responsibility and work ethic to her Mother, who she watched work three jobs in order to take care of her and Michelle’s siblings. When Michelle turned 12, she began working side-by-side alongside her Mother, cleaning houses and saving for college.

  • WORKING THROUGH COLLEGE WORKING THROUGH COLLEGE Michelle knew that education would be critical to her success in life. That’s why she studied hard throughout middle and high school, always believing she’d end up in college. However, when the time came to register for classes at University of Central Missouri, Michelle needed additional funds to cover tuition. So she worked while attending classes, paying for college using student loans, work-study and summer employment. Michelle’s dedication and drive paid off, as she earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting.

  • WORKING THROUGH LAW SCHOOL WORKING THROUGH LAW SCHOOL Several years after becoming a Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.), Michelle’s relentless drive for success and service landed her in law school. Michelle worked full-time during the day as an accountant and attended law school in the evening at St. Louis University School of Law. Her years in the classroom, augmented by professional work experiences in St. Louis for the "Big Eight" accounting firms and law firms, prepared Michelle to serve our state in ways few others have been able to professionally.

  • SERVING MISSOURIANS WITH AN AUDITOR’S EYE SERVING MISSOURIANS WITH AN AUDITOR’S EYE When then Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill was looking for someone to help review and ensure compliance of more than 5,000 taxing jurisdictions, she looked for someone who paid attention to the law, details of overcharges and what it was costing Missouri taxpayers. She found Michelle. Michelle made the difference when it came to how both state and local government handled its job and maintained accountability to Missourians.

  • MISSOURI’S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN DEPUTY STATE AUDITOR MISSOURI’S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN DEPUTY STATE AUDITOR Claire McCaskill appointed Michelle Deputy State Auditor based on her hard work and commitment to Missourians. Michelle managed not only one of the largest offices in Missouri state government, but also the largest group of accountants throughout the state. Her role supervising and reviewing operations and audits that were centered on government accountability benefited MIssouri’s taxpayers by improving state and local government operations and services.

  • EARLY RECOGNITION AS A LEADER

    EARLY RECOGNITION AS A LEADER In 2009, Michelle was honored to be selected as an Eisenhower Fellow, along with other distinguished business, nonprofit and government leaders from the St. Louis area. Named after America's 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Eisenhower Fellowship identifies, connects and empowers its selectees from over 45 countries around the world by fostering a global leadership exchange program where Fellows seek to affect positive change in their own communities while learning from other leaders in various parts of the world. That year, Michelle traveled to China for 4 weeks and engaged in a series of powerful discussions with members of China's national government on a wide range of topics, including human rights, trade and the environment. Afterwards, Michelle served as the first president of Eisenhower Fellowships St. Louis Alumni Chapter. She organized the first conference of international leaders who focused finding real solutions to some of the most pressing national challenges: how to sustain job growth, spur more robust economic development, combat poverty and devise responsible immigration policies.

  • CONNECTING MISSOURIANS TO FEDERAL RESOURCES CONNECTING MISSOURIANS TO FEDERAL RESOURCES After being elected to the United States Senate in 2006, Senator Claire McCaskill continued to rely on Michelle’s leadership to coordinate area development and bring together local governments, St. Louis area businesses, and concerned residents for the purpose of moving our state and our city forward. Michelle worked on making sure tax dollars were made available for crucial area projects and programs, and she was also tasked with making sure St. Louis residents were able to receive the benefits, services and information they deserved from the federal agencies entrusted to work on their behalf.

  • SMALL BUSINESS VISION & LEADERSHIP SMALL BUSINESS VISION & LEADERSHIP Michelle left Senator McCaskill’s Senate office after several years in order to start her own small business consulting firm, drawing on her experience as a C.P.A., as an attorney, and as a longtime public servant. In the process of creating a successful small business, Michelle has also created numerous well-paying jobs, proving that it’s possible to have positive business growth without sacrificing workers’ quality life and wages.

  • CARING FOR HER FAMILY CARING FOR HER FAMILY A loving wife and devoted sister, aunt and grandmother, Michelle along with her husband Ron stepped up to the responsibility and blessing of taking care of her mother and father-in-law in her home when their health required daily supervision and maintenance. She enjoyed this time with her parents—laughing with them, learning from them, and loving them as they deserved.

  • THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY Michelle is devoted to her family, and she has been since her earliest memories caring for her siblings. She has treasured many professional and personal achievements over the course of her life; however, her proudest accomplishment is supporting her loved ones. She was proud to be married to her best friend and life partner Ron Sherod for more than 17 years, and to raise a family alongside him that includes children and grandchildren. Equally so, Michelle is proud to be the sister and aunt to several siblings, nieces and nephews. Michelle enjoys spending her free time hearing their joy and laughter throughout her home as she visits with them.

  • LEADING THE BOARD FOR JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE FOUNDATION Always dedicated to helping her community lead empowered and informed lives, Michelle became increasingly involved with the Board of Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s Foundation, which provides youth programming and mentorship in the St. Louis area. Currently, Michelle serves as President of the Board, while helping the organization transform the lives of kids everyday by building character and skills to win in life.

  • THE EXPERIENCED, DEDICATED AND DRIVEN CANDIDATE ST. LOUIS NEEDS & DESERVES THE EXPERIENCED, DEDICATED AND DRIVEN CANDIDATE ST. LOUIS NEEDS & DESERVES Michelle has announced her candidacy to become the City of St. Louis’s next Missouri Alderwoman for the 17th Ward. With more relevant state and federal government experience than any other candidate, St. Louisans have a real opportunity to benefit from Michelle’s long record of success delivering results, accountability and progress while working on our behalf. Michelle has the experience, dedication and drive to help our St. Louis community continue to grow and thrive. So remember to vote for Michelle on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

And now you can become part of Michelle's journey

VOTE APRIL 6, 2021