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Michelle R.B. Saddler linkedin
Managing Director & Principal
312.497.9159
Michelle R.B. Saddler brings several decades of experience and strong records of accomplishment in numerous government and nonprofit organizations, and provides executive search as well as other consulting services for our clients.
Prior to joining Kittleman & Associates, Michelle served as Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and Chief of Staff to Former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. During her five years as IDHS Secretary, Michelle provided overall management and direction to Illinois’ largest and most diverse state agency, with a budget of $6.5 billion and 13,000 employees. Under her guidance, DHS and its 2,100 community-based partners served nearly three million people every day through a wide range of services for low-income families, persons with disabilities, and those needing assistance with issues of mental illness and substance abuse. Michelle was honored to provide leadership to the field as a national board member of the American Public Human Services Association.
Before her appointment as IDHS Secretary, Michelle was Director of Policy in the Office of the Governor, overseeing a number of policy initiatives including economic development, healthcare, education, housing, fiscal policy, and ethics. She has strong experience in financial management, having served as Director of Investments/Deputy for Investment Policy for the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer and as Executive Director for the Illinois Metropolitan Investment Fund.
Michelle has directly applied her management and advocacy skills in the nonprofit context, as President of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless; Co-Chair of Protestants for the Common Good, an Illinois social justice organization; and Vice President for Lifelink, Illinois’ largest international adoption agency. Her recent civic leadership has included serving on the boards of directors for the Michael Reese Health Trust, the Retirement Research Foundation, Illinois Action for Children, the National Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Housing Opportunities for Women, and EcoViva, a foundation for sustainable development in El Salvador.
Michelle earned her undergraduate degree from the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs and her Master’s in Management Degree from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.