Michelle Hardy is chief administrative officer and general counsel at Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union where she leads the legal, compliance, and human resources division. Palmetto Citizens is a $1.4 billion credit union headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, with 300 employees and 15 branches in South Carolina.

Most recently, Hardy led the advancement team at Central Carolina Community Foundation where she worked to broaden and deepen relationships with new and existing philanthropic partners, fundholders, community members, nonprofits, and professional advisors to increase charitable investments locally and across the nation.

Previously, she served the University of South Carolina in several key development roles, including interim chief development officer, senior associate vice president for development, and senior director of development and alumni relations for the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law. She also advanced university-wide initiatives within the Division of Administration and Finance.

Prior to the University, she worked at Newberry College as special assistant to the president, chief legal counsel, director of corporate and foundation relations, and director of planned giving. Early in her career, she practiced law at Tompkins and McMaster and was a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill.

Hardy grew up in North Augusta, South Carolina, and graduated from Penn State University and the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law. She and her husband, Mason, have two college-aged daughters and an 11-pound Shi-tzu.