Melissa is a Non-profit consultant and the former Executive Director of the Federation for Community Schools; whose mission was to amplify the voice and abilities of community schools throughout Illinois. Melissa has experience in advocacy, policy change, coalition building, and representing community school work with legislators, policy makers, funders, and the media. Prior, she was the community school coordinator at South Loop Elementary School. She also held a clinical counseling position at Crain High School. Melissa has a Masters in Education, and is a licensed counselor. Before joining the education field, she worked in marketing and communications for high-tech companies. Melissa lives in Glencoe with her husband and daughter. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and DePaul University.