Melissa Austin joined the Volcker Alliance in 2015 and serves as chief operating officer, providing strategic leadership across administration, human resources, finance, and technology. She is responsible for building and sustaining the operational systems and organizational infrastructure that enable the Alliance to empower and inspire public servants.

With more than twenty years of experience in the public sector, Melissa brings a deep understanding of public administration and organizational management. Prior to joining the Alliance, she served as a senior grants management specialist at the National Institutes of Health, where she negotiated and administered funding for complex, high-impact medical research initiatives. Earlier in her career, she was a senior management assistant to the business administrator for the City of Newark, New Jersey, leading the legislative review team, coordinating park and open space redevelopment projects, and directing the city’s federal and state lobbying efforts.

Melissa holds a bachelor of science in business administration and a master of public administration from the University of Delaware.