Melissa Long came to the City of Philadelphia’s Division of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) in 2010 with over 25 years in policy, planning and fund development experience. At DHCD, Melissa serves as Director, overseeing initiatives to strengthen Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, empower community members, and serve low- and moderate-income residents. Prior to her role at DHCD, Melissa served as a consultant for NeighborhoodsNow where she directed policy, planning, and fundraising activities for a Transit-Oriented Development Initiative. As the Director of the People’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation (PECDC), Melissa grew the annual operating budget from $200,000 to over $3 million and leveraged over $30 million in investment to the community. To promote long-term neighborhood vitality, she added commercial development and moderate-income and market-rate housing to the agency portfolio. Melissa facilitated a large-scale neighborhood planning process and development of a comprehensive neighborhood plan for PECDC’s West Philadelphia community. Melissa previously served in planning and development roles at the City of Philadelphia’s Redevelopment Authority, served as a consultant for The Community Builders and has held various fundraising positions. She has a Masters of City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado.