Michelle Woods has been named Vice President of State-Federal Affairs at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), bringing nearly two decades of public policy and homeland security experience across federal, state, and research institutions to the role.
Woods announced the move on LinkedIn, saying she looks forward to strengthening collaboration between state and federal governments and upholding the principles of federalism that underpin the nation’s system of governance.
She joins NCSL after serving as Vice President of the Homeland Security Research Division at the RAND Corporation, where she also directed the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC).
Before joining RAND, Woods held key positions in both federal and state policy. She served as Program Director for Homeland Security at the National Governors Association. Earlier, she spent several years on the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, where she advanced oversight and policy efforts focused on federal emergency management, cybersecurity, and intergovernmental coordination.
Her earlier career includes almost a decade at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), where she served as a senior analyst, and experience in Kentucky state government, including as Special Assistant to the Secretary of State and as a graduate fellow for the Health and Welfare Committee.
Woods holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communications from Western Kentucky University.
(AI was used in part to facilitate this article.)