Michelle Boykins (she/her)

Michelle Boykins is the Vice President of Strategic Communications at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. 

For press inquiries or requests, contact Michelle at mboykins@advancingjustice-aajc.org or by phone at 202-296-2300 x 0144.

Michelle has more than twenty years as an experienced communications and marketing professional. She has secured major news coverage from CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post and been interviewed or quoted in numerous media outlets from MSNBC and FOX television networks to NPR and CBS Radio, and various consumer magazines from Consumer Reports to Woman’s Day.

As Director of Strategic Communications, Michelle develops and implements the organization’s strategic communications vision, leads media relations and marketing efforts, and strengthens Advancing Justice | AAJC’s impact as a national leader on civil and human rights issues affecting Asian American and other minority communities. Michelle has an extensive background in nonprofit communications, advocacy and political and grassroots communications and campaigns.

Michelle previously served as the senior director of communications at the National Crime Prevention Council, home to McGruff the Crime Dog and his trademark slogan “Take A Bite Out Of Crime®.”  She managed NCPC’s multi-million dollar public education campaigns, including media outreach and online communications and engagement.  Michelle also provided assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies promoting crime prevention information locally and worked with the media to encourage donated support for the campaigns. 

Michelle served as the communications consultant to The Police Foundation, the oldest nationally-known, non-profit, non-partisan, and non-membership-driven organization dedicated to improving and advancing policing through innovation and science. She led the communications activities for The Police Foundation, including outreach to traditional news and social media outlets to get coverage for NCPC’s important crime prevention messages. 

Before her advocacy work with NCPC and The Police Foundation, Michelle gained her initial experience in communications and media relations at a top ten public relations firm and a large member-driven national association. She has a B.A. in Communications Studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.