Melanie brings 15+ years of experience working in education, program development, career development, grant sourcing, and racial equity to Kids First Chicago. She is an adjunct professor at National Louis University and teaches courses such as career development, qualitative research methodologies, and women of color in academia. Over the course of her career, Dr. Flores has served as a grant writer and helped raise over $5 million in philanthropic funds to support community-serving organizations. She has designed career development programs for nonprofits serving high school and undergraduate students and her early years were supporting Chicago Public Schools' (CPS) high school students in postsecondary readiness. 

Melanie is a Chicago native, CPS alumna, and CPS parent.

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