Michelle's story

Professional Life:
Michelle is owner and CEO of MPH Human Factors; a growing group of researchers, authors and teachers. These friends and colleagues share her passion for science-based solutions that improve our lives, relationships and well-being. She and her two middle school aged kids, husband friendly lab/boxer live in Bend, Oregon. She currently teaches aviation courses at a local college, and also enjoys working with a collaborative of researchers and fellow aviators as part of the Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA). LOSA has had a major impact on airline safety and culture progress, and Michelle is proud to be working to further this endeavor. This is the first job she chose because of its clarity of purpose and great leadership. “Can I come work for you?” as it turns out, are powerful, life-altering words.

Prior to moving into independent consulting, Michelle worked as Senior Manager of Human Factors and Cross-fleet training at a major airline. During the six years before that, she taught a variety of Aeronautical Science courses at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott, Arizona campus. Her first career with the largest impact upon her philosophy and worldview though, was as a C-130E/H and later, a special operations MC-130H "Combat Talon II" pilot in the United States Air Force during the first decade of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mentoring’s Impact:
As a middle-class teenager without enough money for the university she wanted to attend, her attitude was: “I can, and I will do this anyway.” This belief in herself was a testament to the direct impact of Michelle’s early mentors who told her she could do whatever she put her mind to, as long as she worked hard and asked for the job. She considers her mentors' powerful impact on her life every day, and now strives to give it back through parenting, teaching, and consulting jobs.

Through many journeys through joy, disappointment, loss, trauma, success and adventure in her life, Michelle learned that mental health problems like depression can be a compounding and dangerous downslope, and aviators today fear getting the help they need. It takes strength, but more importantly a support system of others who have been there to reach for help. She and her team of social science researchers are inspired by this kind of bravery and vulnerability. This is the driving purpose that began MPH Human factors. Michelle’s career continues to evolve from professional pilot to teacher and researcher in these fields:

• Aviation Human Factors
• Social Science and Neuroscience
• Train-the-Trainer for Facilitation
• Organizational Leadership
• Mental and Physical Resilience
• Safety and Risk Management