Michael Negron is a senior fellow for economic opportunity at American Progress, with a focus on economic development, consumer protection, and small-business policy. Prior to joining American Progress, Negron served as special assistant to the president for economic policy in the Biden-Harris White House, where he worked with federal agencies to develop, coordinate, and implement small-business policy, consumer protection initiatives, and other policy areas.
Before serving in the Biden-Harris administration, Negron was the assistant director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity under Gov. JB Pritzker (D), where he spearheaded the establishment of roughly $1 billion in COVID-19 emergency relief programs for small businesses, nonprofits, and local governments. Negron also previously served as the chief of policy to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D), driving initiatives to establish a citywide minimum wage and right to paid sick leave, launch the STAR scholarship to provide free community college to Chicago Public Schools students, and streamline city services for small businesses.
Negron also served in the Obama-Biden administration at the White House Office of Management and Budget and U.S. Department of Defense. He earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a master’s from the University of Memphis, and a bachelor’s in foreign service from Georgetown University. Negron is a former U.S. naval officer and lives with his wife Coral and children in Arlington, Virginia.