Melissa Michelson is an educator, community advocate, and longtime Alhambra resident who has spent years working on neighborhood preservation, housing stability, civic engagement, and quality of life issues across Alhambra and throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley in a middle-class family with both union and immigrant roots, Melissa learned early the values of hard work, public service, and community responsibility. Her father was a union lithographer, and her mother immigrated to the United States from South America. Raised in a multigenerational household with her grandmother from Bolivia, Melissa gained a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing immigrants, working families, and seniors living on fixed incomes.
Melissa attended UC Berkeley, where she majored in art history while working to support herself. She later lived in Spain and Germany, experiences that deepened her appreciation for language and culture. She earned a master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Cal State LA while working at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and attending classes at night.
Before becoming a full-time professor, Melissa taught in colleges and universities throughout the greater Los Angeles area, including at Los Angeles City College, Santa Monica College, UCLA Extension, and USC. Like many Angelenos, she experienced rising housing costs and job insecurity while balancing multiple teaching positions.
In 2008, Melissa joined Pasadena City College as a full-time ESL professor and became a homeowner in Alhambra. Since then, she has worked closely with immigrant families, working adults, and multilingual communities, helping students create greater opportunities for themselves and their families.
Melissa has long been involved in preserving Alhambra's neighborhoods and ensuring residents have a voice in the decisions that shape the city. She is a lifetime member of the Alhambra Historical Society, served on the board of the Alhambra Preservation Group, and was appointed to the city's first Historic Preservation Commission, where she served as Vice Chair.
Over the years, Melissa has been deeply involved in neighborhood and civic issues in Alhambra. She regularly attends City Council and commission meetings, helped organize the successful Measure V campaign that brought campaign finance reform and district elections to Alhambra, and has worked to reduce traffic and protect neighborhoods, green space, and historic resources. She led the efforts to protect Alhambrans’ quality of life over the corporate profits of a proposed development of 1,061 luxury units and 4,347 parking spaces on polluted land at one of the most congested corridors in Alhambra (Fremont & Mission), and she spearheaded the fight to save 268 trees and a historic chapel from destruction at the former Episcopalian retirement community at Valley & Marengo.
As a volunteer, she has written for independent news outlets, including Colorado Boulevard Newspaper and the former Alhambra Source, reflecting her belief that transparent, responsive government and informed citizens are essential to strong communities.
Following the Altadena fires, she organized community efforts to protect residents and neighborhoods from predatory real estate development.
Melissa is running because she believes Alhambra and District 5 deserve leadership that is visible, responsive, and focused on the everyday concerns of residents. Her priorities include protecting neighborhood quality of life, addressing traffic and infrastructure challenges, encouraging responsible planning, and ensuring City Hall remains accountable to the people it serves.
In her free time, Melissa enjoys tango, taiko drumming, soccer, vermicomposting, ceramics, and pickleball.