I am Michelle Hess, a strategist, connector, and leadership guide with more than 20 years of experience helping people and organizations navigate growth, change, and opportunity. My career has spanned public service, nonprofit leadership, and consulting, but the common thread has always been this: equipping leaders with the clarity, confidence, and tools they need to make a lasting impact.

For over a decade, I served as a Councilmember and Vice Mayor for the City of Buckeye, where I worked alongside legislators, business leaders, and community stakeholders to shape policy, strengthen water and infrastructure planning, and guide one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. At the same time, I led as the Executive Director of Leadership West, Arizona’s premier leadership development organization, training and connecting leaders to address the most critical issues facing our region. These roles taught me the power of collaboration, vision casting, and asking better questions to unlock solutions.

Why I Do What I Do

Today, I bring that same passion and expertise to my work as founder of the Bellwether Group. Whether I’m walking an executive team through strategic planning, coaching a leader through a career transition, or facilitating a workshop on collaboration and trust, my goal is always the same: to create clarity, inspire confidence, and unlock potential.

Leadership, to me, isn’t about titles or positions. It’s about influence, service, and the ability to bring people together to achieve something bigger than themselves. I’ve been honored to be recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 and AZ Big Media’s Leaders to Watch, but my proudest legacy is the leaders I’ve helped grow along the way.

Expertise You Can Trust

My leadership philosophy is rooted in both scholarship and practice. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Leadership from Grand Canyon University, a Master’s in Strategic Ministry from Johnson University, and advanced training from Harvard University’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. I’m also a Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Fellow, a graduate of Leadership West, and a certified facilitator in multiple leadership development tools.

Beyond credentials, I’ve been in the trenches—navigating high-stakes negotiations, guiding organizations through leadership transitions, and building coalitions across industries. These experiences taught me how to align strategy with execution, strengthen organizational credibility, and inspire collective action that creates long-term impact.