Chief Development & Program Officer | Michigan Women Forward
In January, Michigan Women Forward (MWF) welcomed Natalie Hall as their Chief Development and Program Officer, a newly created role that plays a crucial part in the organization's support and empowerment of women and girls throughout Michigan. Hall, who resides in Ada, has a heart for reaching women throughout West Michigan and across the state, including in her hometown of Detroit.
Hall, who boasts an impressive resume, is responsible for leading the organization's programming, including the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame, girls' leadership programs, in addition to development, marketing and communications throughout the state.
Hall is among many who have expressed excitement over MWF's recently earned Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certification, which was granted by the U.S. Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. The certification will allow MWF to have access to resources from the federal CDFI Fund to continue expanding economic opportunity for women and entrepreneurs of color.
Having already hit the ground running, we sat down with Hall to learn more about her experiences and what's to come for MWF.
How does your more than 20 years of experience in business development and communications help to advance MWF's mission?
Twenty years sounds like a big number, yet I often feel like I was accepting my first formal job offer out of college a few short yesterdays ago. My corporate and nonprofit experience has taught me about the importance of building relationships, communicating effectively, listening and understanding the needs of our communities, and I have been fortunate enough to have built careers on both sides of this great state. I believe my work and life experiences have put me in the right position to advance the mission of MWF, which values women, our voices, ideas and futures by expanding economic opportunities and empowering the next generation, including celebrating and honoring the accomplishments of Michigan women.
Now that MWF has welcomed some new team members (including yourself), what could the community expect from the organization over the next year?
I'm very excited to be one of the newest members of MWF. We are a growing organization, and are in an exciting transformative time. My role as the statewide Chief Development & Program Officer will keep me busy coordinating in communities across the state to further our mission through external programs, marketing and communications functions. You can expect to see MWF's presence across this great state and all the wonderful partnerships we are creating across communities.
How can the community get involved with MWF?
The community can get involved with our organization in several ways: By volunteering, donating to support our mission, as well as attending our public events that celebrate Michigan women, such as our hybrid Woman Up & Celebrate luncheon on April 28, 2022.
For more information on getting involved and purchasing tickets for the Woman Up & Celebrate Luncheon, please visit miwf.org.
Written by Sarah Suydam, Managing Editor for West Michigan Woman.
This article originally appeared in the Apr/May '22 issue of West Michigan Woman.
