Michelle Figlar is the vice president for learning at The Heinz Endowments and program director of Children, Youth & Families. Before joining the foundation in August 2016, Michelle served as deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning. She also has been executive director of the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC) and has held various professional positions in the field of education.
Throughout her career in government, the nonprofit sector and the classroom, Michelle has been a strong advocate for young children, their families, and the caring adults in their lives. She served as co-chair of Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Early Childhood Education, and as a board member for the Birmingham Foundation, the Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC), and Jeremiah’s Place, western Pennsylvania’s first crisis nursery. She also was a member of the advisory council for Remake Learning and early education organizations such as the Pennsylvania Early Learning Council and the Early Learning PA Campaign.
Michelle is a native of Hazelwood and lives in Pittsburgh with her husband Greg Quinlan and their children Grady and Tilly.