Michele Speaks

Baltimore City
Appointed July of 2025

Michele Speaks is a dedicated community activist and Co-Chair of the Warnock Foundation, where she is a champion of innovative ideas and forward-thinking individuals working to improve the lives of Baltimore residents.

Previously, Michele served as Vice President of Advancement at the Family League of Baltimore, overseeing all fundraising and development efforts. Her leadership has extended to roles at the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks and Irvine Nature Center, where she successfully led a capital campaign to build a 17,000-square-foot exhibit hall, classrooms, and a trail system situated on 210 acres of land in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Committed to addressing systemic challenges, Michele founded Apples and Oranges Fresh Market to combat food disparity in East Baltimore. She served on the Advisory Board of the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute, Trustee of Irvine Nature Center and Trustee of Baltimore Center Stage.  She also dedicated nine years as an Advisory Board member at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

Currently, Michele serves as a Director of Global Refuge, the largest faith-based nonprofit supporting immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. Additionally, she is Chairman of New American Lending, an organization providing accessible personal and business loans to refugee and immigrant communities.  She serves on the Branding and Marketing Committee and Capital Campaign Committee for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum which has begun construction on a new museum facility located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Her work continues to shape equitable opportunities and lasting change for Baltimore, the State of Maryland and beyond.