Speakers

Melissa is a senior resilience planner with expertise in vulnerability assessments, adaptation planning, hazard mitigation, and environmental restoration. She holds a Master’s in Urban Resilience and City Management from UIC–Barcelona, where she focused on nature-based water management solutions and embedding resilience into local government policy and practice. Her strengths include project design and management, policy and funding analysis, stakeholder engagement, and strategic facilitation. Melissa served as Lead Planner for the ESA consultant team supporting the Gulf Consortium, where she helped develop Florida’s $300 million State Expenditure Plan for Gulf Coast recovery. Her role included designing the funding disbursement strategy, sequencing and modeling 84 projects over 15 years, facilitating public engagement, and coordinating with county and consultant teams. Her work supports Halff’s mission to deliver integrated, science-based resilience solutions that address both flood risk and ecological function.