Melanie joined NPCA in March 2015 and is the Outreach and Engagement Manager for the Mid-Atlantic Region. She runs outreach and engagement programming to empower diverse national park advocates throughout the region.

Melanie supports advocacy campaigns in the Mid-Atlantic, helps run the Scenic Wild Delaware River Initiative, and engages volunteers, donors and youth in park protection work.

Melanie comes to NPCA from Washington University in St. Louis, where she worked in the Anthropology Department. Previously, she led environmental education programs at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and served as a literacy tutor with AmeriCorps St. Louis and an assistant team leader with AmeriCorps NCCC. In AmeriCorps NCCC, Melanie worked with nonprofits throughout the southwest on issues related to education, conservation, disaster relief, and volunteer management. Melanie graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Sociocultural Anthropology, with minors in the Program in Environment and French. She is a Chesapeake Regional Fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program.