Michelle Steele
Chief First Nations Officer
Paul Ramsay Foundation
Michelle is a Kamilaroi/Gomeroi Yinarr from Moree, NSW, and is the Chief First Nations Officer at the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF).
Prior to joining PRF, Michelle worked in the public sector for more than 18 years, leading in key policy areas delivering for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly in health and aged care. During the pandemic, she led the COVID-19 Indigenous and Remote Policy and Implementation Branch, supporting the pandemic response and vaccine implementation program through a strong partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector – made possible through genuine and respectful partnerships forged through the advisory group.
Michelle has represented Australia at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She is also an inaugural Fellow of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program, an Indigenous-led lifelong collaborative fellowship program and platform for systemic change. She holds an Executive MBA from QUT.
