Melissa Flores

Melissa Flores-Born and raised in Chicago and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Melissa Flores has dedicated her career to advocate for equity and improve the educational and economic outcomes of children and families, especially within Chicago's Latino and immigrant communities.

Melissa was welcomed to the La Casa Norte Board of Directors at its March 27 meeting. Fourteen civic and business leaders serve on the Board. In her current role at McDonald's USA, Melissa oversees the Chicago engagement strategy on the Global Public Policy and Government Relations team at McDonald's headquarters. She also serves as an independent, part-time organizational development consultant and executive coach to nonprofits in Chicago. Her diverse background includes working as Senior Director of Programs and Quality Assurance at Erie Neighborhood House and as a Dean of Adult Education at City Colleges of Chicago. Most recently, Melissa served as Chief Operating Officer at the Latino Policy Forum. She brings experience leading non-profit communications, development, finance and operations departments to ensure the long-term sustainability of organizations. In her spare time, Melissa is chapter lead for the Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance (HLAA) in Chicago, serves as an Alumni Ambassador for the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and is a mentor to the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Chicago Fellowship.

A proud graduate of the Chicago Public Schools, Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree in English Professional Writing from Mount Mary College, an Ed.M. in education from Harvard University, and a master’s in Chicana/o Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Melissa also expanded her leadership development as a 2019 Surge Institute Fellow, a 2020 New Leaders Council Fellow, and a 2020 Civic Leadership Academy Fellow. In 2019, she was named to Negocios Now’s Who’s Who in Hispanic Chicago and to Negocios Now’s 40 under 40 in 2020. Melissa lives in Chicago with her husband, Fil, and their pet hedgehog Archie. She spends every Saturday with her little best friend — her niece Ellie — trying new local restaurants.