Michelle joined the Woodpeckers as General Manager in March of 2023. In this capacity, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the club while continuing to grow the presence of the team in the greater Fayetteville community.
Michelle came to the Fayetteville after 13 seasons with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League, formerly the MiLB Short Season Affiliate of the Houston Astros. Starting in 2010 as the Administrative Assistant, Skinner held the roles of Fan Development Manager and Community Relations Manager prior to being named the Assistant General Manager in 2015. Before starting her career with the ValleyCats, she completed an internship with the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Penn League and spent two years in Nashville, TN as the Operations Assistant for the Nashville Superspeedway.
Looking forward to being active in the Fayetteville community, Michelle was a member of the Capital Region’s Women's Business Council, President of the Troy Salvation Army’s Advisory Board, former President of the Troy Kiwanis Club, and is an avid supporter of St Jude Children's Research Hospital and Make-A-Wish. She serves on the Alumni Council of Ball State University and is a mentor for students in the Sport Administration Program.
Skinner is a two-time recipient of the New York-Penn League JoAnn Weber Female Executive/Staff Member of the Year Award (2014, 2018), was named to the Albany Business Review's 40 Under Forty list in 2019, and was a 2020 United Way Capital Region Philanthropist of the Year finalist.
A native of Twelve Mile, Indiana, Skinner received a Bachelors Degree in Sport Administration from Ball State University in 2007. She moves to downtown Fayetteville with her girlfriend Nicole and their dog Finley. They enjoy traveling, visiting new breweries, attending concerts and sporting events, and volunteering. Michelle’s personal goal is to run all six World Major Marathons as a St Jude Hero – already completing the NYC, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Boston marathons, she only has the Tokyo Marathon left to complete!