Michelle Carte

Vice President of Programs and Regional Impact

I love working for Future Plans because it lets me turn people’s strengths into real opportunity while being part of a mission-driven community that feels like a second family, all working together to remove barriers so individuals in under-resourced communities can access meaningful, good-paying careers.

About Michelle Carte

Michelle Carte is the Vice President of Programs and Regional Impact at Future Plans, where she provides visionary leadership and strategic oversight for regional initiatives across Ohio. She leads the design, implementation, and scale-up of Future Plans’ programs in both rural Appalachian and urban communities, ensuring that assessments, coaching, and career placement are delivered with consistency and quality and translate into measurable regional impact, economic mobility, and stronger local workforce pipelines.

Rooted in the Appalachian region where she grew up, Michelle brings more than two decades of experience across workforce development, higher education, healthcare, and small business ownership. She supervises program leaders and regional teams, builds local capacity through clear direction and coaching, and helps align internal operations such as onboarding, training, and data tracking. Her lived and professional experience give her a deep understanding of systemic barriers like transportation, childcare, and lack of aligned career information, and she works to embed equity-centered, barrier-removing workforce solutions into community ecosystems.

Michelle partners with executive and regional leaders to convene and sustain cross-sector coalitions that include K–12 districts, workforce boards, OhioMeansJobs centers, treatment and reentry providers, courts, chambers of commerce, higher education institutions, employers, and community organizations. She is a visible external leader for Future Plans, representing the organization in statewide forums and advocacy spaces, strengthening relationships with funders and elected officials, and advancing workforce and economic development policy that supports long-term systems change. Known for her relationship-building, strategic vision, and ability to move complex ideas into real outcomes, she uses data to tell human stories that build alignment and inspire action.

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Human Services, and Sociology from Ohio Valley University. She lives in Belpre, Ohio, and stays closely connected to the communities she serves by supporting local businesses, attending community events, spending time outdoors along the Ohio River, exploring Appalachian small towns, and enjoying time with family and friends.