Michelle Prior

Professional Child Welfare Experience: Since 1992
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

As a member of the National Authority team, Michelle Prior brings her experience in implementing governance structures for IT projects, requirements definition, rules engine development, business process definition, acceptance testing, and end user training.
 
Ms. Prior has over 30 years of project management, consulting, systems design, strategic planning, and operations experience. As a consultant to the Capacity Building Center for States, she has conducted webinars and developed a total cost of ownership tool to assist jurisdictions in planning and implementing CCWIS projects. While with the Center, Ms. Prior has assisted state child welfare agencies with Program Improvement Plan (PIP) implementation, PIP reporting, Annual Progress and Services Report updates, and Child and Family Services Plan development. Before joining the Center’s consultant team, she served as the implementation project manager for the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department’s Pinon project (funded by The Mountains and Plains Child Welfare Implementation Center ), leading the development and implementation of a practice model for the state’s Protective Services Division.
   
Ms. Prior has worked with 16 states or territories on projects ranging from eligibility and case management systems development and implementation, policy development, business process design, organizational change management, and systems of care development and compliance for the full range of health and human services programs, including child welfare, Medicaid, public assistance, and mental health.

She holds a bachelor of arts in History from Saint Anselm College and a master of business administration from Clark University.