Melissa started her career in workforce development at the Larimer County Workforce Center as a Business Services Consultant shortly after graduating from college and moving to Colorado from the east coast. While at the Workforce Center, Melissa returned to school to complete her Master’s degree in Human Resources Management so she could better understand the needs of the businesses she worked with daily and could truly think like an employer, a perspective she still takes into every employer conversation today. After moving to Denver, Melissa made a career transition into higher education and began working as an Experiential Learning Coordinator at Red Rocks Community College, helping students gain hands-on experience to complement what they were learning in the classroom. While at Red Rocks Community College, Melissa helped develop the first cybersecurity registered apprenticeship program in Colorado and found a passion for helping organizations develop high-quality registered apprenticeship programs that expand apprenticeship opportunities to individuals throughout Colorado. Melissa brings over 15 years of registered apprenticeship, higher education, and workforce development experience to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and the Office of the Future of Work.