2026 Leading Tomorrow Award Winner: Michele Madley
Michele Madley, President and CEO of Gibault Children’s Services, has spent her career advocating for young people and creating opportunities for children and families to overcome some of life’s greatest challenges.
Under Michele’s leadership, Gibault has provided life-changing opportunities for more than 11,300 children and families and has provided support to young people facing trauma, behavioral health challenges, disabilities and other barriers to success.
But Michele’s impact goes far beyond the work she leads at Gibault.
She has taken her passion for children and families to the state and national level. Michele serves as Vice President of the Indiana Association of Resources and Child Advocacy, advocating for improvements to Indiana's child welfare and behavioral health systems.
She also serves as Immediate Past President of the National Association for Children's Behavioral Health, where she collaborates with leaders from across the country to identify best practices, strengthen services for children and families, and advocate for meaningful policy changes at the federal level.
She has dedicated countless hours to advocating before the Indiana General Assembly and the United States Congress on behalf of vulnerable children and families.
And here at home, she continues to give her time and leadership to the West Central Indiana community.
Michele leads with integrity, compassion, and humility, consistently holding herself to the highest standards while encouraging others to do the same.
Much of her work is done quietly, without seeking recognition or praise, simply because she believes it is the right thing to do. She is a tireless advocate, a trusted community partner, and a role model whose influence will be felt for generations to come.
What makes her especially deserving of this award, though, is that her leadership is grounded in something bigger than professional success.
She understands that when we invest in children, we invest in the future of our entire region.
We congratulate Michele and thank her for her extraordinary commitment to our children, our families and the future of our community.