Melissa has a robust background in combining her passions for law and public policy. As the first step in her political career, Melissa served as a Page in the Florida Senate for the Honorable Charlie Crist, who eventually became the 44th Governor of Florida. Thereafter, she worked as a legislative aide in the Florida Senate to the Honorable Donald C. Sullivan (R-Seminole). Throughout her education and professional career, Melissa has sought to combine her legal and political passions for the benefit of her clients. In Florida, Melissa represented several public and private entities in both legal and political capacities, including the Miami-Dade County School Board, P. F. Changs, The Cheesecake Factory, the City of Key West, HCA Healthcare, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), Universal Studios, and the University of Miami Medical School. During law school, Melissa was selected to serve as a Certified Legal Intern in the Felony Division of the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office.

Upon relocating to Colorado, Melissa worked as the Director of Legislative Services at the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and most recently, was Vice President of Government Relations & Communications at the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association in Denver. There she was a State and Federal lobbyist for 270 new franchised automobile dealers in Colorado and represented Colorado's automobile industry extensively in Washington, DC during the landmark bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler, LLC.

No stranger to aggressively representing her clients, Melissa has often testified before legislative committees on tax, regulatory and compliance issues, franchise laws, consumer protection statutes, transportation, healthcare and insurance legislation. At the Colorado Capitol, Melissa represents clients such as Bail USA & Seneca Insurance, Federal Express, the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, Colorado State University, the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and CINEMA (Colorado Innovators of New Entertainment, Media and Arts).

Melissa is not currently admitted to practice law in Colorado.