Michelle Trimble is a senior research administration executive with more than 13 years of leadership experience within public sector–aligned nonprofit organizations supporting academic and biomedical research. Based in Texas, she served as Chief Executive Officer of a Veteran Affairs (VA)-affiliated nonprofit research foundation in San Antonio, where she directed strategy, finance, compliance, contracts, and operations supporting more than 80 active clinical research programs across federal and industry sponsors.
Under her leadership, the organization expanded from approximately $1 million to over $6 million in annual revenue and supported over 25 active VA researchers across the local hospital system. She built a centralized clinical research support team and project management infrastructure, strengthened governance and financial controls, modernized compliance systems, and flexed staffing levels between 29 and 51 employees to align with portfolio demands and sponsor requirements. Her executive scope included full budget and human capital authority, board governance partnership, sponsor negotiations, organizational positioning, and oversight of multidisciplinary administrative and research teams.
Earlier in her career, Michelle held executive leadership roles with statewide and international professional medical societies, strengthening financial oversight, membership engagement, and operational sustainability. She also founded and operated a small business in Colorado to address service gaps within a resort community, independently managing partnerships, marketing, and operations while building the venture from concept to sustained performance.
She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Baylor University. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from the University of the Cumberlands. Michelle received the 2023 Innovation Award from the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) and served as a mentor within that community, supporting nonprofit research leaders nationwide.