Melissa Emmal is the Vice President of Operations and Strategic Partnerships at Alteristic. She provides training and technical assistance in power-based personal violence prevention and contributes to curriculum development. A native Alaskan with 14+ years of experience working to prevent and intervene against interpersonal violence, she was previously the Deputy Director at Alaska’s largest provider of domestic violence intervention and prevention services, Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis. From 2012 to 2015, Melissa took a leadership role in Alaska’s statewide implementation of the Green Dot initiative.
I believe that most people are fundamentally good and want the people around them to be safe and fulfilled. I believe that people will step into that place if they are met with kindness and non-judgment about their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I believe that my most important contribution to making the world a safer place for me and my family is by building positive relationships and connections with people who have different thoughts and beliefs.
I am first and foremost an Alaskan at heart. Alaska is known as “the last frontier,” and I grew up with adventure and exploration at the heart of my family. I was raised to believe I could do anything I put my mind to and that humor is often the best medicine (my laugh can be heard a mile away). I am the youngest of 9 children, many of whom are also working toward making the world a better place as nurses, teachers, lawyers, or social workers. I love to read and, most importantly, love all things Harry Potter.
