Rochelle Michalek

Rochelle Michalek

When Charity Navigator ranked PAWS Chicago as one of the Top 10 charities in the nation this past December, it was no surprise to PAWS supporters who know the organization is managed more like a business than a not-for-profit.  The woman behind the budgets and operations, Rochelle Michalek, is no stranger to business.

After a 20-year tenure in the corporate world, 17 of them with Motorola, Michalek joined the PAWS team in early 2004, and has managed PAWS programs during the organization’s intense period of growth. As Executive Director of Operations, Michalek works closely with the Board of Directors.  She is responsible for implementing the Board’s vision for the organization, and she is accountable for managing operations so that PAWS Chicago meets its goals on all fronts—which means Michalek manages a wide range of departments, from the Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic to the adoption program to volunteers to humane education.

At Motorola, Michalek worked in product management, operations and process management, organizational alignment, strategy, and financial planning. In 2002, she received her MBA from Kellogg’s Executive Program. That year, she was also recognized as a part of “Top 50 Future Leadership Initiative” at Motorola. Her career was taking off, she was part of one of the great American companies, and even more opportunity was coming her way...but she wanted more: “I realized that I wanted to have an impact on society and make a difference – even if it was in a small way.”

She began volunteering at PAWS Chicago and the experience changed the direction of her life. Michalek was attracted to PAWS Chicago because of its “No Kill” philosophy, its solution based approach to animal welfare, and its belief in
educating and partnering with the community to help make a difference in the lives of animals. After volunteering for about 6 months, Michalek was driven to apply for the Director of Operations position for three reasons: passion, social

responsibility, and personal fulfillment. She saw the impact PAWS Chicago was having and wanted to become part of the team.  She has not looked back. Michalek said that “the benefit of being able to use my skills and talents to make a long-term difference in something that is very important to me” outweighs the sacrifice of leaving the corporate salaries and benefits. “There is nothing more rewarding than giving an animal a second chance. All of the animals in our program are strays, or have been abandoned by their owners. PAWS Chicago makes a life time commitment to cats and dogs in our program - they will never be without hope again.  She stays motivated by the animals that are saved and the people who have joined the effort.

 




 

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