Leadership
Michelle McDaniel
Chief Executive Officer
Michelle McDaniel is an accomplished senior executive with over 30 years’ experience in healthcare, non-profit, social enterprise and government sectors. As a proactive leader with a passion for service and furthering equity, she has frequently been called upon to provide direction, stabilize and grow business operations, and successfully achieve results under pressure. Michelle’s career is rooted in her passion for ensuring the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable community members.
Michelle rejoined Crisis Connections in May 2021 after serving on the Board of Directors twice, first in the late 90’s and again from 2013 – 2016. In addition, she was a member of the organization’s Senior Leadership Team from 2000 – 2005, where her accomplishments include launching the King County 211 program.
Just prior to rejoining Crisis Connections, Michelle served as the Chief Mission & Enterprise Officer at FareStart. During her 8 years at FareStart, she was an instrumental part of the organization’s significant expansion, paving the way for a broader impact on poverty and homelessness in the greater Seattle area.
Additional career highlights include serving as the Regional Chief Development Officer at the American Red Cross - Western Washington Chapters, as well as Behavioral Health Emergency Manager for Public Health – Seattle & King County in their disaster preparedness and response division.
As a passionate supporter for equity, Michelle dedicates her time to anti-racism and social justice initiatives, including serving as the co-chair for the Raising Wages for Changing Lives Campaign to advocate for wage equity within the human services sector.
Born and raised in the Seattle area, Michelle’s "first" career was as a mental health professional, supporting adults and youth at Navos Mental Health Solutions for a decade.
Michelle has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Seattle University and a Masters in Business Administration from City University of Seattle.