Michele Diaz brings over 25-years of experience working in the non-profit sector to Utopia Connect Foundation. She specializes in program quality assurance, evaluation, and training. Her work has included the development of quality non-profit programming for “at-risk” youth within the City of Chicago in collaboration with Chicago Public High Schools with a focus on instructor development and external and internal consumer relations.  Her position prior to joining UCF was contracted work as a consultant with Urban Policy Development Consulting (UPD) where Michele worked on a project with Chicago Public School’s (CPS) providing structured training and support on CPS’s newly implemented Reflect and Learn System; a tool used for teacher and principal evaluation, classroom observations and providing feedback on effective teacher practice. As a part of that project, she worked in collaboration with True North Logic and CPS to provide project management, system testing, training coordination and implementation as well as on-site training support for Network Chiefs, Principals and Teachers throughout Chicago.

 

Michele previously served as a Program Manager for over 10-years with a non-profit organization in partnership with the City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Libraries, Chicago Police Department (CAPS) and other non-profit organizations within Chicago. She has a background in Mental Health and several years of experience working as a Program Manager at an Adolescent Psychiatric Center.

 

Michele serves on the UCF Board with concentrated experience in human resources, management, policy and procedure development, program quality assurance, and staff training facilitation. In her previous positions she has also been involved with numerous special projects and committees with a focus on program quality such as the integration of the CitySpan Youth Participant Tracking System, involvement with the creation of an Out-of-School-Time Best Practice Toolkit and the development and project management of several specially funded Motorola Robotics programs. Her strengths are cross-collaboration with partner agencies, delivery of quality programming, and the development of quality instruction and training. 

 

Fun Facts: She comes from a family of 11, loves to travel and will still “boogie” if someone turns on Disco music!