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

About: Melissa

I'm passionate about community and connecting residents with each other and to their neighbourhoods and city. This passion has led me to volunteering with neighbourhood associations for over a decade, as well as with several other neighbourhood and city committees. I also connect with residents through my volunteer work with the Food Bank of Waterloo Region, where I have been involved for over 10 years. My spouse and I both enjoy attending Centre in the Square events, particularly the KW Symphony. We also often spend time at the Kitchener Market, working in the garden, and travelling.