Biography

Michelle Otero Michelle Otero is a writer, actor, teacher, and facilitator, who utilizes creative expression and storytelling as the basis for organizational development and positive social change. Michelle’s process of engaging individuals and communities through the expression of shared story has found a wide range of applications, from helping conservation organizations better understand the priorities of traditional land based communities to helping people heal from trauma. She is the author of Malinche's Daughter, an essay collection based on her work with women survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Oaxaca, Mexico as a Fulbright Fellow. In collaboration with filmmakers, videographers, and visual artists, Michelle facilitates creative expression through Stories of Learning in New Mexico, a series of art and storytelling workshops that engages New Mexicans in meaningful dialogue about their experiences in public schools. As Spanish-language Director for the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project, Michelle engages people navigating memory loss in a call and response performance of classic, well-known poems. Michelle holds a B.A. in History from Harvard University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College. She serves as a coach/mentor for the inaugural class of W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellows in New Mexico. A tenth-generation New Mexican, she is Creative Director of Valle Encantado, an organization promoting sustainable development initiatives in the Atrisco historic core in Albuquerque.