A New Era of Partnership and Advocacy: Michele Meyer-Shipp Leads the FPA’s Next Chapter

The Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation (FPA) stands at a defining moment in its history. Founded to advance inclusion and equitable access to leadership opportunities across professional football, the organization now turns to Michele Meyer-Shipp to guide its next chapter of impact. On March 1, 2026, Meyer-Shipp assumed the role of Interim Executive Director while continuing to serve as Board Chair, signaling both continuity and renewal in the FPA’s leadership.

The timing is pivotal. Recent hiring cycles have underscored persistent representation gaps at the highest levels of the game. In this environment, Meyer-Shipp brings a distinctive blend of strategic insight, executive experience, and hands-on experience in navigating inclusive talent practices, which positions the FPA to deepen its collaboration with the league and its clubs in service of lasting, systemic progress.

A Career Devoted to Building Inclusive Systems

Meyer-Shipp’s professional journey has been defined by a commitment to building systems that expand opportunity and strengthen organizational culture. An employment attorney by training, she developed early expertise in how workplace structures, policies, and practices can either advance or impede equity.

She went on to hold senior leadership roles at Major League Baseball as Chief People & Culture Officer and in diversity, equity, and talent leadership positions at KPMG, Prudential Financial, and other major institutions, where she led large-scale culture and change initiatives. In February 2022, she became Chief Executive Officer of Dress for Success Worldwide, leading a global network of more than 140 affiliates in over 20 countries that support unemployed and underemployed women on their path to economic independence. Under her leadership, the organization has equipped more than 1.3 million women worldwide with job readiness support, professional development, and related services.

Her contributions have earned national recognition, including being named to Forbes’ “50 Over 50: Impact” list in 2025 for her work advancing economic opportunity for women around the globe.

Expertise at the Intersection of Sports, Strategy, and Equity

Meyer-Shipp’s background across professional sports, global nonprofits, and corporate environments uniquely equips her to steward the FPA’s mission in partnership with the NFL and its stakeholders. Her experience aligns with three central priorities for the organization’s next phase:

  1. Advancing Sustainable Systems Change
    Drawing on her legal and executive experience, Meyer-Shipp brings deep understanding of how to design and implement structures that promote fairness and accountability over time. She recognizes that enduring progress in inclusive leadership requires intentional, data-informed frameworks rather than episodic initiatives, and is poised to work with partners to strengthen the systems that support equitable hiring and advancement across the league.
  2. Driving Executive Collaboration and Engagement
    Meyer-Shipp has a long track record of working closely with C-suite leaders and boards to align strategy, culture, and performance. At Major League Baseball, she partnered with the Commissioner’s Office and 30 clubs to help shape league-wide people and culture strategies. At Dress for Success, she leads a complex global network, bringing together corporate sponsors, local affiliates, and community partners around a shared mission. These experiences underscore her commitment to collaboration, transparency, and constructive engagement with NFL owners, executives, coaches, and other stakeholders.
  3. Personal and Professional Connection to Football
    Meyer-Shipp’s connection to football is both professional and deeply personal. She has served on the FPA Board of Directors for several years, supporting strategic governance and helping guide the organization’s work at the intersection of sport and equity. She also comes from a football family, with relatives who have played and coached in the NFL, and one of her sons currently competing at the Division I collegiate level.  These experiences that give her a close view of the game’s impact on athletes and communities.

In addition, she serves on the LPGA Board of Directors, where she chairs the Human Resources Committee and helps oversee policies supporting culture and talent development.  This cross-sport perspective allows her to bring proven practices and insights from multiple professional leagues to the FPA’s collaborative work with the NFL.

Meeting the Moment Through Partnership

The FPA’s mission has always been rooted in partnership: advocating for transparent, equitable processes while engaging directly with league and club leadership to design solutions that work in practice as well as in principle. Today’s environment—marked by both progress and renewed scrutiny of representation—calls for exactly this combination of candid dialogue and shared responsibility.

“The Board will work closely with our stakeholders to thoughtfully manage this transition,” Meyer-Shipp has emphasized. “Our focus is on engaging partners across the football ecosystem and positioning the Foundation for its next chapter of impact.” This approach reflects the FPA’s belief that meaningful change is best achieved when all parties work together toward common goals, grounded in data, accountability, and mutual respect.

Honoring a Legacy of Leadership

The FPA’s history is inextricably linked to one of the most significant policy developments in the modern NFL: the adoption of the Rooney Rule in 2003. Co-founder John Wooten, a former NFL player and long-time advocate for civil rights and equity, helped lead the effort to convince league leadership of the need for a formal commitment to fair competition in hiring for head coaching and senior football operations roles.

Since its inception, the organization has continued to advocate for fair access to opportunities, support leadership pipelines, and serve as a trusted partner to the league on issues of inclusion and equitable opportunities. The FPA’s work has contributed to increased visibility of candidates of color for coaching, front office, and scouting roles, as well as broader awareness of the importance of inclusive leadership in sustaining the health and competitiveness of the sport.

Looking Ahead with Confidence

Michele Meyer-Shipp’s appointment marks a new era for the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation—one defined by strategic collaboration, renewed energy, and a shared commitment to measurable progress. Her blend of legal training, executive experience, cross-sport leadership, and personal connection to football uniquely positions her to guide the FPA as it works alongside the NFL and its clubs to strengthen hiring processes, expand pathways for underrepresented talent, and ensure that leadership across the game reflects the breadth of its players, fans, and communities.

More than a century after Fritz Pollard became the NFL’s first African-American head coach, his legacy continues to inspire the Foundation that bears his name. Under Meyer-Shipp’s leadership, the FPA enters its next chapter prepared to honor that legacy by combining clear vision with pragmatic partnership—advocating for equity, advancing opportunity, and helping to build a league that fully reflects the diversity and excellence of the sport itself.

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The Passing of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance mourns the passing of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., a towering leader whose life’s work transformed the fight for inclusion, equity, opportunity, and justice.  His trajectory as a renowned civil rights leader began at North Carolina A&T where he served as both a student athlete who quarterbacked the football team, and as student body president leading lunch counter boycotts before later emerging as an international leader for civil rights.

Reverend Jackson went on to quarterback inclusion and equity in all walks of life after college as the founder of the Rainbow Push Coalition and as a Presidential candidate breaking barriers along the way.He opened minds and doors paving the way for the next generation.He lifted up human dignity, ensuring generations of young people could grow up with pride knowing that “You Are Somebody” applied to them.

He also was a steadfast supporter of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, attending our Salute to Excellence events and supporting our efforts to level the playing field in America’s Game.  He wanted to ensure that Black coaches had a fair opportunity to become Head Coaches and that Black officials had a fair opportunity to become NFL Game Day officials; he advocated courageously for equity, fairness, and inclusion at all levels and in all positions across the NFL. He stood with us shoulder to shoulder.

John Wooten, co-founder of both the FPA in 2003 and the Black Economic Union in the 1960s, was a long-time confidant of Reverend Jackson.  He stated, in remembrance:

“Jesse Jackson was a great American.  He made sure everyone knows “You are Somebody.” That is the way all of us should look at each other: everyone is equal. Let’s pledge to show each other respect and kindness in every way – each and every day. Rest well my friend – you ran a great race and you finished the race. God Bless you and the United States of America.”

All of us at the Fritz Pollard Alliance celebrate and honor the remarkable life of Reverend Jesse Jackson.

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Statement from the Fritz Pollard Alliance on the Tragedy in Minneapolis

 The Fritz Pollard Alliance mourns the tragic loss of life resulting from federal immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis. We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those whose lives were taken, and to the community now grappling with grief, trauma, and unanswered questions.

 No family should ever receive a knock on the door telling them their loved one is gone as a result of a law-enforcement encounter. These deaths have shaken not only Minneapolis, but millions of people in communities across the country who are watching with growing fear and concern.

 The Fritz Pollard Alliance calls for a full, transparent, and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding these events. The public deserves clear answers, and families deserve the truth. Accountability is essential to restoring trust and ensuring that such tragedies are not repeated.

 Our organization has long stood for fairness, dignity, and the equal protection of all people. That commitment does not stop at the doors of sport—it extends to every community and every life. Public safety must never come at the expense of human rights or basic humanity.

 We urge federal, state, and local leaders to work together to de-escalate tensions, protect civil liberties, and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, starting with the removal of ICE forces until accountability measures are in place.

 The Fritz Pollard Alliance stands in solidarity with Minneapolis and with all who are demanding justice, transparency, and meaningful reform.

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