Meet Melissa
I'm a Respected Professional
I'm the Director of Administration & Finance at the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, where I oversee budgeting, spending, and forecasting - among many other things! Prior to working at the Chamber, I was a manager of Client Services at an insurance broker working on employee benefits. I have many years experience working in the different facets of insurance and banking, including as a branch manager for HSBC Latin America while living in Costa Rica. I am currently pursuing a post-baccalaureate Certificate in Accounting from Goldey Beacom College.
I'm a Wife and Mother
I live in Pike Creek with my husband, Curt, and my daughter, Maria Soleil. Maria is a graduate of Padua Academy, and is now a sophomore at the University of Delaware. My stepson is a graduate student living in Nashville, Tennessee. Curt and I enjoy working in our yard together and the pride of ownership that goes along with it. We love our neighborhood and our community!
I'm a Healthy Living Advocate
If you know me, then you know I love Zumba! I've been a Zumba and Aqua Zumba instructor for a few years now. You may have seen me teaching Zumba or Aqua Zumba at the YMCA, or more recently, at Edge Fitness, but the class that holds a special place in my heart is my summertime Aqua Zumba class at Skyline Pool! I also enjoy using my Zumba skills to volunteer in the community, as a way to promote exercise and healthy living, which I think is so important. I have volunteered Zumba for Girls Inc of DE, Walnut St YMCA, and NCC Police for their National Night Out event.
I'm Proud to be a US Citizen
I was born in Costa Rica and immigrated to the United States with my mother when I was two years old for her to pursue her masters degree at the University of Delaware. She remarried, and we became citizens several years later. I'm a graduate of Newark High School and I received my Bachelors in Entomology with a concentration in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Delaware. I'm proud of this country that I have called home for over 40 years, but I'm also concerned with the direction things have been headed lately, which is why I've become involved in local politics and have decided to run for office!