Melissa leads the organization’s federal level advocacy work and provides policy analysis and project management on a range of child and family issues. 

 

For more than 10 years, Melissa has held a variety of roles focused on social and economic justice. She started with an internship at the National Network for Youth in Washington, D.C., then moved to Seattle to serve as an AmeriCorps member through Solid Ground. This led to three years of working on civil rights issues at Hate Free Zone (now OneAmerica), providing direct service to people experiencing job discrimination, hate crimes, and other instances of racial profiling after 9/11. Helping people redress their grievances through public institutions deepened her commitment to racial equity and undoing institutional racism.  

 

Melissa then joined the staff of a state elected official, which allowed her to help people engage more effectively with their government. For four years, she served as Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson’s legislative aide. While there, she worked on policies and issues like children’s mental health reform and juvenile justice. She also worked on the Children’s Safe Products Act and the Safe Baby Bottles Bill — both regulating harmful chemicals used in children’s products.  

 

A transplant from Michigan, Melissa has lived in the Seattle area for 10 years. She holds a master’s degree in social work with a focus on policy from the University of Washington.