Several years ago, Michelle DePass took a seminar from Emerge Oregon that prepares Democratic women to run for office, with the intention of using the training to help other women get elected. But she ended up using what she learned on her own campaign for the PPS Board after she was inspired to try to help a school district she has deep roots in.

Michelle is a PPS product who graduated from Metropolitan Learning Center. Her mother and grandmother retired from positions at PPS's Martin Luther King Jr. School, and her sister and niece currently work in the district. Her two sons both graduated from Benson High School.

Michelle works as Community Engagement and Policy Coordinator for the City of Portland Housing Bureau. She is a graduate of Portland State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Community Development, and serves on the boards of the Community Energy Project, Oregon Native American Chamber of Commerce and Off the Sideline, which helps low-income youth gain scholarships to participate in team sports.