Mel’s career is a testament to his deep commitment to enriching young people and community.

Mel has over 30 years of experience both personally and professionally in leadership and mentorship roles with young people. Some of it includes tutoring young adults in East St. Louis, or being a certified mentor with the OK Program of Oakland. Mel’s professional background is in Brand Management for national brands such as 7UP and Marie Callender’s Frozen Foods where he also led development of their Diversity and Inclusion efforts. Mel most recently led STS Academy in Pittsburg through the COVID-19 pandemic where he partnered with the Contra Costa Office of Education to ensure kids with difficult situations had a safe and supportive place to go to engage in distance learning.