Michelle, often known as “Mama Mish,” is a source of inspiration. She has surmounted personal hurdles as a transgender woman and poured her experiences into activism that has impacted many others. Her experience has fueled her relentless dedication to tearing down boundaries and inspiring people to live truthfully.
Michelle’s influence extends well beyond her professional activities. She has created bridges of understanding and collaboration via her genuine connection with folks. Her work has brought divergent groups together, elevating voices and encouraging support. She epitomises empathy, resilience, and an unyielding resolve to effect positive change. Her dedication to inclusion and diversity is a real expression of her character and belief system, not merely a professional endeavour.
Her narrative of bravery, empowerment, and commitment to inclusivity should serve as an inspiration to everyone. Recognising her accomplishments will also inspire others to accept their true selves and contribute to a more inclusive and fair society.
Among her high-profile clients are JOY 94.9, Brown Forman, Tennis Australia, the Australian Football League, RMIT, Swinburne, ANZ, BMW, Channel 9, and many more.
As a radio presenter and gender equality advocate, Michelle Sheppard has created and hosted radio productions, including Transpositions, Family Matters, and Trans POV (Transgender point of view), on JOY 94.9 FM for ten years.
The podcast versions of Michelle’s radio programmes immortalise transgender voices and contemporary issues for future generations. She views her radio work and its achievement as the culmination of her self and community discovery, which radio has enabled.
Since 2014, Michelle has designed and implemented workplace inclusion and diversity programmes to attract, retain, and advance a diverse workforce. Michelle empowers all minorities to ensure that our communities feel heard. She has worked at every level, including board, executive, people, culture, and front-line personnel, and possesses solid relationship-building skills. She can raise awareness of equality and diversity issues without alienating individuals.
Through her advocacy for LGBTIQ+ employment, Michelle Sheppard raises awareness that LGBTIQ+ individuals face multiple barriers to employment participation, particularly for Gender Diverse minorities.
Michelle co-founded LGBTIQ Jobs, a platform for businesses to directly recruit LGBTIQ+ individuals under special employment measures, resulting in her receiving the Excellence in Small Business award from the Victorian Pride Awards.
Michelle’s influence transcends her immediate sphere of endeavour. Her state government interdepartmental collaborations have substantially increased gender-diverse employment awareness. Michelle’s advocacy efforts have resulted in fruitful partnerships with organisations such as Fitted for Work and the Victorian Government Department of Jobs. Fitted for Work is a non-profit organisation that assists disadvantaged individuals in their employment journey. Her goal was to increase career opportunities for transgender women, and she was successful in convincing the Victorian Government to provide $227,000 to assist transgender job seekers in overcoming employment barriers.
Fitted for Work launched its trailblazing Transgender Women Programme to assist transwomen and gender-diverse job seekers in getting employment or transitioning within their current positions, so enhancing their economic stability. The programme includes personal mentoring, outfitting aid, work readiness workshops, and networking opportunities. Participants will also be linked to critical services in areas like as health, legal support, and financial assistance.
Michelle’s hard advocacy work resurrected the programme in 2023, gaining a funding package to assist LGBTIQ+ Victorians in accessing job preparedness programmes, connecting with supportive companies, and developing crucial professional skills. This important $340,000 funding will enable employment service providers such as Fitted for Work to conduct Project Purple. This project aims to expand career options for transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse people in Victoria.
Furthermore, funds will be directed to the Pride Centre, connecting LGBTIQ+ job seekers with Jobs Victoria Partners and other employment support providers, thereby boosting the community’s career paths, addressing immediate employment requirements and connecting participants with crucial health, legal, and financial support, ensuring a holistic approach to their well-being.
Michelle has worked tirelessly as the Senior Adviser of LGBTIQ+ Inclusion programmes at the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) to raise awareness of the issues and barriers LGBTIQ+ communities face in the workplace, as well as to create and implement policy-driven remediations that foster inclusivity within the DTP portfolio workforce and for our customers throughout Victoria.
Michelle has gone above and beyond the boundaries and responsibilities of her position to connect and align disparate LGBTIQ+ working groups in the public sector and assist them in achieving more together than they would have individually.
Beyond the DTP portfolio, other government entities and the private sector have taken notice of Michelle Sheppard’s work, resulting in a greater awareness of the need to embed inclusive practices, including facilities, expanded educational opportunities for workplaces, and improved outcomes for the LGBTIQ+ community.
Michelle is working to implement the Gender Affirmation Resource across the complete Department of Transport, further supporting the LGBTIQ+ community in the workplace. As part of the Interbuild initiative to satisfy the requirements of trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals, she is a driving force and vital advocate advising the entire Victorian government on all-gender-inclusive facilities.
Sports and Recreation Victoria, the Department of Jobs, Precincts, and Regions, Vic Water, and Australia Post have used Michelle’s work on gender affirmation and action as a model. Michelle was also instrumental in developing and delivering the transport ally authorised officer training attended by Authorised Officers and Customer Service personnel. This innovative programme aims to improve LGBTIQ+ communities’ passenger safety and customer service.
Michelle established the first inter-agency LGBTIQ+ working group in the transport industry, introducing a secure space for discussing issues, aligning PRIDE and training strategies, aligning policy and service delivery changes, and discussing industry-wide concerns.
Its expansion results in more significant industry initiatives and transforms traditional events from social spaces to engagement, creating new community and employment opportunities. This has created a unified voice, with DTP and other transport stakeholders working closely and intensively to increase diversity and inclusion across the industry to increase LGBTIQ+ employment opportunities in government-funded key transport infrastructure initiatives and projects.
The activities and accomplishments of Michelle Sheppard have left an indelible mark on the local, national, and international community, especially in the face of global hatred, death threats, and anti-LGBTIQ attitudes, with a particular emphasis on transgender individuals. Michelle has raised the profile of gender-diverse employment awareness through her work in radio broadcasting, gender equality advocacy, and interdepartmental collaborations within the state government, fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for all.
Michelle’s radio productions have been a potent platform for promoting transgender voices and issues, thereby combating the community’s prevalent negativity and discrimination. Michelle has actively worked to break down barriers and bring transgender stories to the forefront of national discussions by producing and moderating programmes such as Transpositions, Family Matters, and Trans POV (Transgender point of view). These radio productions have raised awareness and been preserved as podcasts, ensuring that the narratives of transgender people will continue to educate future generations.
Michelle has tirelessly advocated for gender equality and inclusive employment practices in addition to her radio work. Her co-founding of LGBTIQ Jobs, a platform designed to target and assist LGBTIQ+ individuals directly, has provided employment opportunities to gender-diverse minorities. Through this initiative, Michelle has not only increased transgender individuals’ access to employment but also worked to eliminate barriers they face in the employment sector.
Michelle’s contributions to the Department of Transportation and Planning (DTP) have also significantly affected the state government’s approach to gender-diverse employment. In her capacity as Senior Adviser of LGBTIQ+ Inclusion programmes, Michelle has led cross-departmental efforts to increase awareness of the challenges encountered by the LGBTIQ+ community, especially during periods of global hatred and anti-LGBTQ attitudes. Michelle has been able to share her successful strategies and serve as a model for inclusive employment practises by aligning with other government entities, such as Sports and Recreation Victoria, the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Vic Water, and Australia Post. This collaboration has resulted in a concerted effort to improve workplace experiences, increase diversity, and create secure environments for LGBTIQ+ individuals in all sectors.
Michelle’s unwavering commitment to inclusion and advocacy has ensured that the issues confronting the LGBTIQ+ community remain a top priority, even in difficult times. Michelle’s efforts demonstrate the transformative power of interdepartmental cooperation and collective action in fostering a more tolerant and supportive society for everyone, regardless of gender identity.
She has demonstrated strong leadership and made a lasting impact towards advancing causes supporting LGBTIQ+ and trans and gender-diverse minorities. Michelle’s advocacy has affected positive change for the LGBTIQ+ community across government and private sectors, including enhancing employability and work opportunities for LGBTIQ+ people and attracting ongoing government investment in targeted programs.
Michelle was inducted into the Victorian Museum of Women and appointed to the coveted 2023 Victorian Honour Roll of Women as a Change Agent in appreciation of her outstanding efforts. This honour places her in the company of other extraordinary Victorian women who, like her, demonstrate excellent leadership, unshakable perseverance, and an unrelenting dedication to furthering gender equality and strengthening our state.
Michelle Sheppard, in essence, emerges as a trailblazer, a visionary leader, and a catalyst for good change in gender equity and inclusivity. Her inspirational work has left an everlasting mark on individuals, institutions, and communities, cementing her position as a symbol of hope and a source of inspiration for all.
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