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Michelle Michaud
Biography

Michelle Michaud has worked for Mayor Ron Littlefield for more than two and a half years. Ms. Michaud worked as a volunteer in the Littlefield for Mayor Campaign as media relations manager. Her gorilla marketing techniques and ability to communicate effectively helped see him through not one, but two battles for mayor including the contentious run off election that garnered Littlefield a 12 point lead over his well funded opponent.

When Michaud was named communications director for Mayor Ron Littlefield it marked two milestones. It was the first time a female had held the position of communications director for a city mayor and the first time a communications director had actual media experience.

Michelle Michaud is a five-time Associated Press Award winning television journalist and photojournalist who got her start in Atlanta at WAGA TV working in the investigative unit for veteran newscaster Dale Russell. She anchored and reported at several stations around the Southeast before being recruited to anchor the morning and noon shows at News 12. She solo anchored a three hour morning newscast and Noon newscast for more than 2 years.

She is a graduate of the Poynter Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies. She also has two Bachelor of Science degrees –her first from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where she was recognized for her work in journalism, music and academics. Michaud’s degree at Georgia State University in Atlanta lead her to TV. Not only did she graduate cum laude with a degree in Nutrition as a registered dietitian, but she was hired as a health reporter at a CBS affiliate upon graduation.

Lt. Michaud was also a member of an elite unit of the U.S. Navy Reserve. The Navy Information Bureau trained high ranking officers how to conduct themselves on camera, on radio and in print. Michelle worked as the unit’s only television professional and regularly conducted mock television interviews for Navy officers.

While working as communications director for the mayor, Michaud has spearheaded many projects including: the Great Ideas Competition, Go!Fest, the Mayor’s Council on Disability, the Brainerd Mission, and the City Hall Grand Re-Opening Celebration. She has served as the mayor’s liaison to the Public Art Committee, the Cherokee Nation and the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center.

Michaud has served this administration as a trusted senior advisor to Mayor Littlefield and as senior communications officer for the city of Chattanooga. She assists Mayor Littlefield in implementing his agenda. In addition, she has run the city's Communications Office and served as a key liaison between the city and local, state and federal officials.

Mayor Littlefield said, "Michelle is a woman of many talents and interests. She has two degrees, serves as a volunteer diver at the Aquarium, plays the violin and works with local arts groups on a number of projects - all while maintaining her home as a wife and mother of two small children. Her work getting Go!Fest and the Great Ideas Competition off to a strong start has been exceptional. She has a solid background in broadcast journalism and has done exceptional work in maintaining our open channels of communication with the media and the public.”

Michelle Michaud has been married to her loving and supportive husband Rob Pearse for 6 years and has two beautiful children, Alberta 5, and Dakota 3. They live in Brainerd in a 1930’s bungalow they renovated themselves.

josiah, you're crazy. and i love you for it!

Correct me if I'm wrong, or beating a dead horse or whatever, but in your defense- isn't what made the blogosphere popular in the first place was that it was so marginalized?

And how does getting on Fox News and the Washington Times marginalize it?

And if the whole tension is between left wing blogs and blogs of the guys at Coptix then isn't somebody's blog going to come out not marginalized at all?

Sorry, I just noticed your new sarcastic tagline.

I think what has become most apparent with Josiah's April Fools Day joke is that he is very good at viral marketing. I found the doctored photo to be funny (although I thought it was real at first [c'mon...the TV thing was not a "giveaway"...it could have been a commercial or an episode of Power Rangers]), but I never would have thought that one doctored picture on a random Chattanooga blog could create this much national chatter and, even better, controversy, which prolongs the chatter and exposure.

I think the success of viral marketing depends on knowing where to plant the virus, and Josiah is clearly very good at that. I say, good show.