Michelle T. Boone is President & CEO of The Poetry Foundation, based in Chicago, Illinois. Appointed in May 2021, Michelle is the first woman and first African American to lead the organization. The Poetry Foundation is a private foundation committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture. Previously, Michelle was the Chief Program and Civic Engagement Officer at Navy Pier, and prior to that, served as the Commissioner of the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Before that, she was a senior program officer at the Joyce Foundation, managing the culture portfolio.

Michelle’s professional career includes work in television, film, and the recording industries, and she served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Chad, Africa. Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, a master’s degree in Public Affairs, and a doctorate in Philanthropic Leadership, all from Indiana University. She received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Adler University in 2025.

Michelle serves on the boards of Arts Alliance Illinois, Americans for the Arts, the Arts Club of Chicago, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Court Theatre, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies of Fine Arts, and United States Artists.