Michele Evermore was the Interim Director of Disability Economic Justice and senior fellow at The Century Foundation, where she focused on policy for improving the nation’ social insurance programs. One of the nation’s leading authorities on unemployment insurance (UI), Michele most recently served as deputy director for policy in the newly formed Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization in the U.S. Department of Labor. In that role, she spearheaded efforts to improve the delivery of UI benefits in a timely and accurate manner and ensure equitable access for underserved communities. She represented those efforts to Congress and the press through technical assistance, on-the-record interviews, and Congressional testimony.
Michele worked for the National Employment Law Project from 2018 to 2021, focused on building a more inclusive and sufficient unemployment insurance system. Her work led to the successful passage and implementation of historic protections for unemployed workers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, she has worked to promote worker rights as a legislative advocate for labor unions, including the Service Employees International Union District 1199 New England and National Nurses United. She also worked for the Obama administration’s Department of Labor as a senior legislative officer. Prior to that, she worked in Congress for a decade, primarily for then-Senator Tom Harkin, and also for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. In those roles, she worked to advance worker protections, labor organizing rights, and improving retirement security in a variety of private pension plan designs, as well as Social Security.
Michele has testified before Congress several times and is frequently quoted in major news outlets outlets, including the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Good Morning America, NPR, Marketplace, Associated Press, Reuters, and USA Today, as well as many large regional newspapers, radio shows, and television news. She holds a MS in labor studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a BA in interpersonal rhetoric and communication from Iowa State University.
