Michelle Hillman
Chief Campaign Development Officer
With over 25 years of experience as a marketer and social impact leader, Michelle has dedicated her career to developing campaigns that inspire action and create change at scale. At the Ad Council, she brings together leading creative agencies, corporate partners, media and technology platforms to address the country’s most pressing issues—working together to create innovative social-impact campaigns that open hearts and accelerate change. Her work includes a strong commitment to addressing gun violence and the overdose crisis, driving efforts to foster safer, healthier communities.
Michelle oversees transformative national campaigns, including the award-winning Real Deal on Fentanyl and Tear the Paper Ceiling, an effort designed to raise awareness of the invisible barrier that exists for people without a bachelor’s degree. She also co-led the development of the Ad Council’s COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, the largest communications effort in American history, garnering $240M in donated media support, 52B impressions in earned media, and reaching 75% of Americans eligible for the vaccine.
Under her leadership, the Ad Council launched iconic campaigns like Smokey Bear’s “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires,” the longest running social impact campaign in U.S. history, “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” and “You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be a Perfect Parent”.
Michelle is a frequent judge for industry awards and has earned numerous accolades, including a Daytime Emmy and multiple Effies. She also leads the Ad Council’s Creative Review Committees, a talented and diverse group of the industry’s top agency leaders who volunteer their time to review, refine and raise the bar on Ad Council’s campaigns.
A University of Maryland graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Michelle lives in Washington, DC with her family and their rescue pet.
With over 25 years of experience as a marketer and social impact leader, Michelle has dedicated her career to developing campaigns that inspire action and create change at scale. At the Ad Council, she brings together leading creative agencies, corporate partners, media and technology platforms to address the country’s most pressing issues—working together to create innovative social-impact campaigns that open hearts and accelerate change. Her work includes a strong commitment to addressing gun violence and the overdose crisis, driving efforts to foster safer, healthier communities.
Michelle oversees transformative national campaigns, including the award-winning Real Deal on Fentanyl and Tear the Paper Ceiling, an effort designed to raise awareness of the invisible barrier that exists for people without a bachelor’s degree. She also co-led the development of the Ad Council’s COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, the largest communications effort in American history, garnering $240M in donated media support, 52B impressions in earned media, and reaching 75% of Americans eligible for the vaccine.
Under her leadership, the Ad Council launched iconic campaigns like Smokey Bear’s “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires,” the longest running social impact campaign in U.S. history, “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” and “You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be a Perfect Parent”.
Michelle is a frequent judge for industry awards and has earned numerous accolades, including a Daytime Emmy and multiple Effies. She also leads the Ad Council’s Creative Review Committees, a talented and diverse group of the industry’s top agency leaders who volunteer their time to review, refine and raise the bar on Ad Council’s campaigns.
A University of Maryland graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Michelle lives in Washington, DC with her family and their rescue pet.