Biography

Captain Michele Wood was a 3-year ROTC Scholarship recipient and the first female Cadet Battalion Commander in the history of the Cramer’s Sabers Battalion. In 1988 she graduated magna cum laude from URI with a B.S. in Accounting, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant as a finance corps officer. During her time as a cadet she was a Simultaneous member with Simultaneous Member with the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion in Warwick RI. She remained in the 443rd after graduation serving in the S-1 section through her promotion to Captain. Michelle’s service to some may seem unremarkable but it wasn’t. She was a pioneering leader in the development of relationships between mobilizing reserve component units and gaining active-duty units.

Upon graduating from URI, Michele joined Price Waterhouse, eventually obtaining her CPA license. In 1991, During Desert Shield Desert Storm the 443rd received orders to partially deploy soldiers and join another unit. Michele was responsible for ensuring soldier administrative readiness. This involved coordinating with Ft. Bragg deployment team, verifying all soldier deployment packets for completeness and accuracy. Enabled unit to be processed quickly upon arrival at Ft. Bragg.

Michele’s work to meld the 443rd Soldiers with their deploying unit was far for ordinary in 1991. She went beyond to ensure a seamless transition from civilian life to active-duty Soldiers for each of the deploying members of the 443rd and their families.

During this work she pioneered Composition 1 and 2 relationships which resulted in the underpinnings of the operating procedures of active and reserve units during the mobilization of Soldiers and the reliance on Reserve and National Guard units at the start of the Global War on Terror.

During her time in uniform and as the spouse of a Soldier Michele has actively participated in and led family support groups. She has also been active in training family support leaders throughout the evolution of this important support to deploying Soldiers both Active and Reserve.

Throughout her legacy of military service Michele has always been a trusted and relied upon resource for deployed Soldiers and their families.
In 1996 she was selected for Price Waterhouse’s Manager’s International Program, working in England on a variety of auditing assignments. With a change in her civilian job, she made a choice not to continue her military career. Her service to the Army Reserve and Army families was far from complete. Michele’s husband is also a Soldier. She shifted from Soldier to Army Spouse and her commitment to Army families as a volunteer Family Support Group leader never wavered.

By 2007 she had 3 children under the age of 5, and still working full-time was unable to take on any additional volunteer opportunities. But in 2016 her kids were older, and she was able to start volunteering the URI ROTC Alumni Association, where for the past nine years she has served as our treasurer and has overseen the association’s success in raising funds and assists from a fiscal point of view as to how the association provides support to the cadets. In addition to her leadership role in the ROTC Alumni Michele’s volunteerism extends to work with Warwick Figure Skaters. Michele works full-time at Salve Regina University as the Assistant Vice-President for Finance & Controller where she recently completed the University’s Mercy Leadership Course. Prior to Salve Regina University, Michele served as the Associate Controller for Sponsored & Cost Accounting at the University of Rhode Island, where she also served as an adjunct faculty member in the College of Business.

Michele Wood is a humble servant leader in her own words “When I look back over the past 30 years, it is hard to believe all that time has transpired. I have tried to strike a balance between career and family, service, and volunteerism. It is not easy for sure, but I do feel compelled to give back because I have been blessed”.

Michele’s admission into the Hall of Fame highlights the many pathways service to our country, URI, Slave Regina and community can take. With her URI education and her leadership training as a ROTC cadet and company grade Army Officer Michele has always answered the call to serve. She is a Soldier, a wife, a mom and a professional person who always gives selflessly to others. A person who does not covet or chase opportunities for her own gain but consistently throughout her life has stepped up to give her absolute best where she has been called to serve. Soldier, Wife, Family Support Group Leader, Mom, Professional. Captain Michele Wood’s life of service is one that will inspire students and cadets to, no pun intended, be all that they can be as they trust their own life’s journey.