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Melissa Flynn is the Vice President of Affiliate Relations and has been with the National Office since January 2007. She has been working in the affiliate network for more than 13 years. Her career with Rebuilding Together began as the Director of Volunteer Services of the Arlington/Fairfax, Virginia Chapter. Melissa left her position in December 2006 as the founding Executive Director of the Montgomery County, Maryland Chapter after 10 years of service. Some of her accomplishments during her tenure at the Montgomery County Chapter included an increase of the operational budget from 60,000 to 1.3 million dollars by securing grants, sponsorships, events and individual donations which allowed the agency to quadruple the amount of clients served. Melissa developed and implemented five additional service programs during her tenure at RTMC: Community Revitalization, Handyman Program, Link Program, Hearts & Hands, and the Home Modification program. Each one of these programs was designed to ensure that the organization was prepared to meet the various needs of low-income homeowners. The Link program is now used as a national service module. This program was established to evaluate the health and social service needs of each applicant. The program provides a holistic approach to our services to address both the physical environment and the personal needs of the senior community so that they are able to age-in-place as independently as possible. Melissa also initiated a grassroots advocacy campaign and developed a government relations committee within the RTMC affiliate. This initiative has raised the visibility of the organization with local, county and state governments, positioned the organization within the affordable housing arena and has yielded and additional $320,000 dollars from multiple governmental sources. As a nonprofit management consultant, Melissa has created and conducted workshops on board building, strategic planning, and fundraising for many Washington, DC area organizations. She served as a board member and chairperson of the government relations committee for GROWS (Grass Roots Organization for the Well-being of Seniors). Additionally, she was appointed by the Montgomery County Executive’s Office to serve as a member of the board of directors for the Community Action Agency, which focuses on poverty related issues. Melissa continues to volunteer for Relay-for-Life in Montgomery County, Maryland. Prior to joining the Rebuilding Together network, Melissa worked for the Open Door Runaway Shelter in Montgomery County, Maryland. She was able to utilize the education and training she received in the Social Work Studies program at Lock Haven University (BSW) to provide individual and group counseling to homeless and at-risk-youth who lived in the shelter. | 