Dawn Opel, JD, PhD, is Chief Innovation Officer and General Counsel of the Food Bank Council of Michigan. A lawyer and researcher, her career has included positions in academic, nonprofit, and government sectors, and broadly, she works to build strategic partnerships for social innovation. Dr. Opel’s particular focus is addressing food insecurity as a social determinant of health; particularly, developing capacity in Michigan for food-as-medicine interventions in the clinical setting. She is currently involved in the implementation and sustainability of fresh food pharmacies for chronic disease self-management in federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs). 

Dr. Opel holds a PhD from Arizona State University and a JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law. She holds an adjunct assistant faculty appointment at Michigan State University in the College of Arts & Letters.