About: Community Involvement
Melissa's passion for community earned her the Mayor's City Builder Award this January. Through her volunteer work and community leadership, she seeks to support neighbours and residents in a variety of ways.
Berry Vrbanovic presenting Melissa with a Mayor's City Builder Award
Melissa believes that thriving neighbourhoods are created and strengthened when neighbours share their assets and skills with each other. Melissa is committed to supporting strong neighbourhoods through her volunteer work, which includes:
Chair of the Victoria Park Neighbourhood Association
Secretary and Founding Member of the Williamsburg Community Association
Team Leader with the Food Bank of Waterloo Region
Chair of the Downtown Action and Advisory Committee
Program manager with the Downtown Neighbourhood Alliance
Team Member with the City of Kitchener's Neighbourhood Strategy Project
Chair of the leadership team at Nexus Church
Melissa has spent over 20 years in the community working with and for families and children through her work in preschool education. She has worked both as a preschool teacher (University of Waterloo and the Region of Waterloo) as well as an educator of students in the Early Childhood Education diploma program at Conestoga College. Through this work, Melissa has had the opportunity to connect with many individuals and families, providing her with a strong understanding of the issues that are important to residents. This work has also allowed her the opportunity to engage often in creative problem-solving, collaborative work, and the opportunity to act as a support and connection for a wide variety of individuals.
Education:
University of Waterloo, BA Psychology
Conestoga College, Early Childhood Education diploma
Education:
University of Waterloo, BA Psychology
Conestoga College, Early Childhood Education diploma