Melissa Maldonado

Melissa (Hong) Maldonado has extensive work experience in the field of human resources and talent strategy. Melissa began their career at Gary M. Souza Physical Therapy and Associates as a Fitness Coordinator and Instructor, where they developed and implemented personalized training programs for patients.

Following this role, Melissa worked at the Orange County Transportation Authority as a Human Resources Assistant, where they facilitated new employee orientations, managed leave of absence programs, and supported benefits and wellness initiatives. Melissa also served as a Health, Safety, and Environmental Compliance Intern, assisting in the development and implementation of occupational health and safety programs.

Most recently, Melissa has been working at Trace3. Melissa started as a Human Resources Representative, responsible for benefits administration and new employee onboarding. Melissa then progressed to an Associate Human Resources Generalist before becoming a Regional People Business Partner. In this role, they collaborated closely with executive leadership and regional business unit leaders to drive the people strategy, ensure organizational effectiveness, manage employee relations, and implement talent development and performance management programs. Melissa's most recent position at Trace3 is Director of People and Talent Strategy, where they continued to contribute to workforce planning and talent management initiatives.

Melissa (Hong) Maldonado holds a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Kinesiology, which they obtained from California State University, Fullerton in the years 2008 to 2010. Prior to that, they completed a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Kinesiology from the same university from 2004 to 2008. Additionally, Melissa has obtained various certifications throughout their career, including the Certified Plan Sponsor Professional (CPSP) from the Plan Sponsor Council of America in 2020, the Certified Practitioner of the MBTI Step I and Step II Instruments from The Myers & Briggs Foundation in 2015, the Human Capital Strategist Certification from the Human Capital Institute (HCI) in 2012, and the Work-Life Certified Professional from WorldatWork in September 2012. Melissa is also currently working towards achieving the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the HR Certification Institute - HRCI.