MELISSA BONDI

Melissa Bondi is a dedicated Democratic activist with more than a dozen years of experience as an Arlington neighborhood leader and professional expert on issues affecting our community, including local governance, public policy and civic engagement. With credentials in housing and human services, the environment and sustainability, and planning and community development, Melissa will bring both a true passion for our community and widespread, relevant knowledge to the Arlington County Board.

PROVEN COMMUNITY LEADER

Melissa was elected president of the Lyon Park Citizens Association in 2006 and 2007.  She served on the Association’s executive committee for eight years and is a past member of the Lyon Park Board of Governors.  Melissa is also active in the Clarendon community. As a representative to the Clarendon Sector Plan Review Process, Melissa chaired the parks subcommittee and was a regular participant in the Site Plan Review Committee, Zoning Ordinance Committee, and Long Range Planning Committee. She has participated in numerous other Arlington public policy processes. She is a founding member of Keep Clarendon’s Character and was an active member of the Coalition for Arlington Good Government. 

Since 2010, Melissa has been a member of the Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Association, and she serves as a delegate to the Civic Federation, where she sits on the Planning and Zoning Committee. She is a member of the Arlington Economic Development Commission and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Community Action Committee. She is also a member of the Committee of 100 and the Arlington Gay & Lesbian Alliance.

Melissa served as a member of the Chairman’s Citizens Climate Action Committee (2007) and the Elder Readiness Task Force (2006). She also served on Arlington’s Arterial Transportation Management Task Force (2004-2005) and was a representative to the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee (2002-2005).

EFFECTIVE HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES ADVOCATE

Melissa is a board member of the Arlington New Directions Coalition, a Board member of the Virginia Housing Coalition, and the president of the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance. She is an Advisory Committee member of Housing Virginia and a Regional Advisory Committee member of the United Way National Capital Area Affordable Housing Community Impact program. Melissa previously served as an advisory committee member of the General Assembly’s Virginia Housing Commission.

Melissa is a past chairman and member of Arlington’s Citizens Commission on Housing (2005-2007) and a past member of the Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee (2005-2007). She was a founding member of the Save Buckingham Coalition, and chaired the Buckingham Community Preservation Committee (2006-2007). She chaired the Gates of Arlington tenants’ advisory group (2006-2007) and helped develop Arlington’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. She was a core member of the Arlington Affordable Housing Task Force, and helped to author the County’s Affordable Housing Ordinance, which was codified into state law in 2006.

ACCOMPLISHED PUBLIC POLICY PROFESSIONAL

Melissa Bondi is recognized as a leading expert on regional nonprofit public policy, advocacy, and management,specializing in community development and the needs of vulnerable and low-income populations. She has led initiatives on local, state and federal budget, housing, urban planning, and community development.

Melissa currently serves as a Project Coordinator for the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington, where she is focused on improving the ability of  nonprofit partnerships to deliver safety net and related services to local residents. She also served as director for the regional Think Twice Before You Slice campaign, a joint initiative of the Nonprofit Roundtable and the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, which emphasized analysis, education, and community engagement on the impacts of local and state budget decisions across the Metropolitan area on low-income and vulnerable populations.

Melissa first worked for a consulting firm in energy rate structures and renewable energy forecasting and earned a certificate in Environmental Studies from the US Department of Agriculture. She worked on national environmental policy issues for the Natural Resources Council of America before focusing her work on issues specifically facing Virginia. Melissa also served as Housing Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, researching, developing, and promoting best practices throughout the Washington Metropolitan region in the areas of planning, zoning, transportation and transit, walkability and pedestrian safety, parks, trails and open space, small business retention, and community participation in local decision-making. As a federal housing policy consultant for Smart Growth America, Melissa led research, analysis and recommendations for federal housing policy for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities, including brownfields development, federal housing financing instruments, and other housing initiatives. Melissa also helped to create the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis in 2006 as a consultant to the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

DEDICATED DEMOCRATIC ACTIVIST

Melissa was elected as Parliamentarian of the Arlington County Democratic Committee in 2010 and has been a member of the organization’s Steering Committee since 2007. She is chairman of the By-laws committee, has worked on every annual Joint Campaign since 2005, and served on the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Committee in 2006 and 2007. She is a member of the Farm Team, and she also has extensive experience working on Arlington County and state campaigns for School Board, County Board, State Delegate, State Senate, Constitutional Offices, and Governor as well as U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, and President.

MORE ABOUT MELISSA

Melissa was born in Tampa, FL and raised in North Olmsted, OH. She graduated from one of Cleveland’s finest public school programs and developed a love-hate relationship with professional Cleveland sports teams. She went on to study physics for three years at the University of Rochester. While in upstate New York, Melissa enjoyed canoeing and hiking in the Finger Lakes and Adirondacks. She was recruited to the Washington, DC area in 1995 and moved to Arlington in 1999. A musician and animal lover, Melissa is an avid cook who has donated her culinary skills to a variety of political and charitable organizations. In 2008, Melissa gave up car ownership and now takes full advantage of Arlington's walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods.