Melody C. Email & Phone Number

New Orleans, La, Us

New Orleans, Louisiana, Us

I led focus groups with Sheriff's Office employees to recommend strategies for employee retention through fair promotion practices, compensation, and on-going internal employee feedback. I also assisted in facilitating reform-focused working groups for Sheriff Susan Hutson's Transition team, resulting in a published Transition Report outlining community priorities. For this effort, I managed a city-wide survey for broader public engagement. Separately, I supported a Gates Foundation team working on improving outcomes for post-secondary education success for historically disadvantaged student populations.

I provided operational support to Deeply Rooted, an Oakland-based network of cultural hubs and community organizations contracted by the City of Oakland to conduct community engagement for various elements of the city's 2024 General Plan Update.

Berkeley, Ca, Us

I worked on projects to enhance public understanding of specific place-based issues, emphasizing engaging and informative experiences. This included co-producing a walking audio tour for an undergraduate course on extractive industries in an East bay infill-turned park; curating a semester-long speaker series on place-based storytelling techniques which showcased artists and their projects from across the Bay Area; and providing research support to faculty in Landscape Architecture and City Planning departments to develop museum exhibits, courses, and articles.

Brooklyn, New York, Us

I created materials to inform the public about the harmful impact of money bail, fines, and fees in New Orleans, where over a third of people detained in jail are there because they can't afford bail. This included a photo essay, "Paid in Full: 12 New Orleans Neighbors on Ending Money Injustice," that documents the twelve the perspective of twelve New Orleanians' on money bail. I also co-authored a publication, "Paid in Full: A Plan to End Money Injustice in New Orleans," offering recommendations for a path forward. Additionally, I shared subject matter expertise with creative partners to turn concepts into visuals like infographics and explainer videos.

I was part of a 2018 statewide campaign to amend the state constitution through Amendment 2, requiring unanimous jury decisions for conviction by jury in a felony trial. I recruited and trained over 350 volunteers who reached out to 145,000 phone numbers in two months. I managed complex schedules and data in a fast-paced campaign environment. The Unanimous Jury Coalition campaign succeeded with 64% of the statewide vote in favor of the proposition.

New Orleans, La, Us

I created a strategic plan with the Criminal Justice Policy Advisor to reduce New Orleans' jail population as part of a MacArthur Foundation-funded initiative while maintaining a mayoral focus on public safety. I conducted comprehensive research on drivers of jail population, reviewed local agency data, created system and workflow maps, and gathered stakeholder observations through regular informational interviews. I synthesized these inputs to set target population reduction goals and propose strategies that reduce inefficiency and unnecesary detention. Finally, I convened meetings with elected officials to discuss recommendations while navigating a highly politicized environment.By December 2017, the average daily jail population decreased to 1,427, representing the city's lowest jail population in nearly 40 years.

New Orleans, Louisiana, Us

I supported attorneys and social workers as part of a holistic case team for our clients, contributing to the creation of release plans and advocacy for in-jail support services. I helped facilitate communication with families when appropriate, and provided insight to them on case processing timelines and expectations. I worked to address clerical issues on behalf of clients through which I gained a detailed understanding of internal workflows for stakeholder agencies and how they interface. Later, I helped to develop and implement an in-house workflow to enhance bond review hearings for incarcerated clients unable to afford bail.

Master'S Degree, City/Urban, Community And Regional Planning

Anthropology

Mandarin Chinese Language