Melissa Garcia

Melissa Garcia is currently the vice president of operations at Rhia Ventures. Melissa has more than 20 years of experience working with organizational and community-based teams in the areas of financial management, people and culture, data and systems, and collaborative leadership. Prior to Rhia Ventures, Melissa served as the Senior Director of Operations and Finance at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. She worked as the Director of the Catalyst Program, a community leadership and environmental justice-centered program administered by Partnerships for Parks/City Parks Foundation. Melissa worked in higher education while at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service with the Women of Color Policy Network, as a policy advocate, researcher, and program administrator. Melissa also worked in municipal administration, serving as the Chief of Administrative Services for New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation, managing the personnel, budget, and workforce development teams for Manhattan.

Melissa volunteers on NPO boards for Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls and La Colmena in NYC. Melissa also continually focuses on her leadership growth and journey via participation is programs such as the Coro NY Immigrant Civic Leadership Program (2014), Rockwood Leadership Institute’s Heart of Black Leadership Pilot Program (2021) and Art of Leadership (2016), and the Center for Creative Leadership’s Looking Glass Leadership Program (2021). Melissa received an MBA from Rutgers University in 2014, an MPA from New York University in 2003, and her BA from Columbia University in 1995.