Prior to joining EFA, Melissa was CEO of Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT), a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing access to justice for children and families throughout New York State. Before LIFT, she worked on criminal justice reform on a national and local scale. Prior to joining the nonprofit sector, Melissa was a litigator, working as a prosecutor in the Brooklyn DA’s Office and as a criminal defense attorney. Melissa has been an Adjunct Professor of Nonprofit Management at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and an Adjunct Professor of Women’s Studies at Fordham University. She is the author of numerous articles on nonprofit management and social justice issues as well as a playwright. She sits on the Leadership Council of the Support Center on Nonprofit Management and on the Steering Committee of the Active Owners Working Group at Confluence Philanthropy. A graduate of Hampshire College, Melissa received her JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and holds a certificate in nonprofit management from the Columbia Business School.
