Michelle Bachman graduated with a degree in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz in 1996 and went on to get a Fundraising Management Certificate from the University of Washington in 2001. She has worked in the social service field since graduation. In 1996, Michelle completed a year of AmeriCorps in Wyoming working as an advocate for victim's of domestic violence and other violent crimes. She moved back to California and became a Volunteer Coordinator for a Rape Crisis Center on the Central Coast. Michelle worked on developing simple key phrases in Spanish and a training for the crisis line volunteers so they could communicate with Spanish-speaking clients.
Michelle moved to Sonoma County in 1998. She worked as a Service Coordinator at North Bay Regional Center in the Children's Unit. She has been a board member since 2015 and her previous experience as a Service Coordinator brings a thoughtful perspective as a board member. She has been instrumental in developing FRIENDS presence on social media by updating the website and Facebook with current events and client success stories.