Melissa grew up in north-central Minnesota. Prior to joining the Clean Energy Resource Teams in 2017, she earned a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and worked in teaching, research, and the nonprofit sector. Her work has focused on the space where community, economy, and environment come together, seeking win-win-win opportunities. At CERTs, she enjoys supporting communities in reaching their clean energy goals: in the Central Region, she provides broad-based outreach and assistance to communities of all types, while statewide, she supports the clean energy efforts of businesses and nonprofits through technical assistance and connection to funding opportunities.