After stepping into her latest sustainability position focusing on climate change, Melissa has since untied and sailed away to the Caribbean. Her goal is to explore and advocate what she believes to be the most positive contributions toward remediating many of the world’s ailments; local food production, organic farming, and taking action toward preserving healthy oceans.

Melissa has led a successful career path in environmental stewardship and sustainability. She has held positions leading climate change adaptation management for Massachussetts Department of Transportation and Energy/Sustainability management for the US Navy at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Melissa was responsible for helping the shipyard gain environmental stewardship recognition and win several Energy and Sustainability Awards over the seven years of her civilian Navy career. Her influence and impact ranged from improved commuting and transportation practices, incorporating renewable energy and net zero energy planning, green building certification, to waste management, green infrastructure for stormwater management and integrative design practices

Prior to 2008, Melissa served as an Environmental Engineer both in consulting and for the Government of the Virgin Islands. There her understanding for sustainable development was emboldened by the unique Caribbean ecology and sensitive surroundings. Melissa’s passion for environmental and natural resource protection is a proactive approach to development in a world of finite resources, coupled with a solid background in biogeochemistry research. Melissa has spent time in pristine areas such as Costa Rica, the Swiss Alps, and the Adirondack Mountains as a research assistant during her undergraduate and graduate school career. Melissa is a coauthor for research conducted in La Selva, Costa Rica; The Effect of Tree Species on Soil Chemistry in a Costa Rica Lowland Rainforest; Journal of Tropical Ecology.

Melissa received her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Hartwick College, NY and Master of Science in Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University, NY.

Melissa has held a USCG Captain license and has enjoyed sailing her own boat off the New England coast as well as other offshore sailing adventures from Maine to Venezuela with friends in the last ten years.