Michelle Underhill

A native of Stephens City, Virginia, Underhill began her library career at Wake County Public Libraries, followed by service at the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Office of Environmental Education, and various positions at the State Library of North Carolina. She served as Executive Director of Phoenix Landing Foundation beginning in 2019 before returning to the State Library in 2021. 

Her accomplishments with the State Library of North Carolina include leading digitization initiatives, growing NCpedia (an online encyclopedia of North Carolina history, people and culture, located online at ncpedia.org), fostering collaborations with partners such as UNC Press and Our State Magazine, and spearheading the effort to extend borrowing privileges to all North Carolina residents. She earned her Master of Library and Information Science at UNC-Greensboro and is the 2011 recipient of the Gale Cengage Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Services for her work with NCpedia.