The daughter of Mexican immigrant parents from Jalisco, Melissa Flores has dedicated her career to advocate for equity and improve the educational and economic outcomes of children and families in Illinois.
In 2018, Melissa joined Erie Neighborhood House, a complex social service agency in Chicago, as the Senior Director of Programs and Quality Assurance. There, she oversaw 7 departments and 16 programs that provide services to Latinx and immigrant families to ensure that they are healthy, happy, and thriving. In late 2019, she was recognized for her strength developing organizational strategy and became the Senior Director of Strategy and Operations at Erie Neighborhood House. In this role, she provides strategic direction to ensure the long-term sustainability of the agency that serves families throughout the Chicagoland area.
Melissa is an active member of her Harvard Alumni Council where she champions diversity, serves as an ambassador, and supports the recruitment of Latinx students. Locally, Melissa sits on the Impact Council for A Better Chicago and is an enthusiastic supporter of Chicago Scholars where she is a mentor. In 2019, Melissa was selected for her expertise and appointed by Governor Pritzker as a Commissioner on the Illinois Youth Budget Commission.
A proud Chicago Public Schools graduate, Melissa holds a B.A. in English Professional Writing from Mount Mary College; an Ed.M. in Education from Harvard University; and an M.A. in Chicana/o Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
