Michelle Gillespie is a Professional Engineer who has spent most of her early career in Project Management in both the private and public sectors. She advanced into a supervisory role, most recently managing a team responsible for delivering water and wastewater treatment plant projects for the municipal government.
Michelle was introduced to ANAC following a sudden and life-altering diagnosis of an acoustic neuroma in December 2019. After facing a long recovery alongside the Covid-19 pandemic, she began dedicating some of her time to volunteer work for ANAC in Spring 2022. After producing creative content for ANAC’s Facebook page and forming a members’ exclusive private Facebook support group, she adopted the overall management of ANAC’s social media accounts. She then stepped up to launch and execute the 2022 Annual Virtual Walk fundraiser, including designing promotional materials and managing all related communications. Following a successful fundraising event, she spearheaded the ‘Giving Tuesday’ campaign and then took on the responsibility of delivering ANAC’s holiday package including its newsletter, The Connection. Through these volunteer opportunities, Michelle demonstrated strategic thinking, collaborative leadership, effective management, and strong organizational skills – a valuable skillset she has brought to ANAC.
Michelle is passionate about the cause, and is excited to continue this meaningful work in her new role as National Operations Director as of January 2023. She embraces the opportunity to guide the organization through transformation, and reminds us that ANAC’s mission remains the driving force in all of its work – to provide accurate up-to-date information and ongoing support to individuals with an acoustic neuroma, and their families, in order to improve their quality of life. She feels privileged to serve ANAC’s valued membership – her fellow acoustic neuroma survivors and their loved ones. She believes that if the organization continues to cultivate a strong community of members, donors, sponsors and supporters, it will thrive, and it will continue to advance one step closer to its vision of a world that understands acoustic neuromas!
Michelle lives with her loving, supportive husband and two beautiful children in Grimsby, Ontario.