About Our Founder

Michele serves as the President of Aspire Grant & Development, LLC (Aspire), a comprehensive grant research and management firm specializing in federal, state, and private funding. Aspire is recognized as a nationally certified diverse vendor and accredited by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Additionally, it holds the designation of a certified Women-Owned Small Business, in accordance with the United States Small Business Administration guidelines. Aspire proudly partners with the National Grants Management Association, the premier professional association for grants management in the public sector, based in Washington, D.C.

In her role as President, Michele provides strategic direction for Aspire while actively authoring substantial grant proposals aimed at fostering regional economic development. She takes particular pride in the following significant achievements:

• $18.69 Million BUILD Grant: Successfully developed a funded grant to construct a fourth cargo bay at Pittsburgh International Airport under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program.
• Mental Health Wellness Initiative: Secured $400,000 in public grants, matched by Pirates Charities, as part of a partnership with the Allegheny Health Network and the Pittsburgh Pirates. This funding facilitated the purchase of the Chill Mobile, a 33-foot retrofitted recreational vehicle designed to serve as a calming space for students in the Pittsburgh area, promoting mental health resources in schools.
• Historic $108.5 Million Grant: In January 2025, The Port of Walla Walla, in collaboration with Walla Walla County and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), received a groundbreaking grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program. This award, the largest in program history, will support the U.S. Highway 12 Phase 8 Corridor Completion Project.

Michele has demonstrated notable expertise in the healthcare sector, having written over $30 million in grants that support capital and service line expansions for hospitals across Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia.

Michele has also collaborated with cities and planning organizations to secure funding for various economic initiatives, including efforts to eliminate food deserts in distressed communities (City of Albany, Georgia) and the establishment of tourism hubs (Seven Springs, Pennsylvania). Her passion for historic preservation is reflected in her work on projects such as the restoration of the East Broad Top Railroad and her involvement with tourist rail and steam train preservation, inspired by her family’s history in the field.

Michele holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Waynesburg University and a Master of Science in Leadership and Business Ethics from Duquesne University. Over the past decade, she has actively participated on various nonprofit boards, including the Children’s Aid Home of Somerset County and her local Rotary Club, where she has been honored as a Paul Harris Fellow. She is dedicated to fundraising for local community organizations and serves on both the Board of Directors and the Somerset County Distribution Committee for the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.\

A passionate advocate for diversity and women in nontraditional roles, Michele’s family operates a 300-acre beef farm in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. She is also the Vice President of Miller Antique and Restoration, LLC, a leader in steam railroad and vintage agricultural heritage preservation. As a proud member of the “Ladies of Steam” community, Michele enjoys operating her 1913 twenty-five horsepower Gaar Scott. In 2023, she was appointed to the Commission on Infrastructure Asset Reporting and Investment for the City of Pittsburgh. Her commitment to equity, preservation, and community service has earned her numerous accolades, including:

• YWCA of Greater Johnstown’s Tribute to Women Award (2007)
• Scouts of America, Penn’s Woods Council, “Salute to Women” Award (2014\
• Women of Influence Award from the Pittsburgh Business Times (2023)