Nicole Sherard-Freeman is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. She joined the Community Foundation in July 2023 as Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for donor services, finance, grantmaking, and initiatives. She co-led the development of the organization’s 10-year strategic plan.
Previously, Sherard-Freeman served as group executive for Jobs, Economy, and Detroit at Work and as executive director of the Mayor’s Workforce Development Board for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. She joined the City in 2019 as the Executive Director of Workforce Development and Detroit at Work. Prior to that, Sherard-Freeman was President and Chief Executive Officer of Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation.
Sherard-Freeman serves on boards governing the Detroit Economic Club, Downtown Detroit Partnership, Detroit Sports Commission, Invest Detroit, Detroit Future City, and WorkRise: An Urban Institute Initiative. She is a senior advisor to the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy – Poverty Solutions Initiative.
Sherard-Freeman has been recognized for her leadership, including the Michigan Chronicle’s Women of Excellence and Power 50; Crain’s Detroit Business’ Notable Women in Nonprofits, 50 Names to Know in Government, the 2021 and 2025 classes of 100 Most Influential Women in Michigan; and Axios Detroit’s 2022 Power Players.
Sherard-Freeman earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and has completed graduate studies in Organizational Management and Development.