Melissa Unger

About Melissa Unger

Throughout my career I have been able to focus on how to lift up voices of people often…

Experience

1. Chair

   RISE Partnership

   Mar 2016 — Present · Portland, OR, US

   In my role as Executive Director at SEIU Local 503 I have been able to set up labor management trusts. I have led the way in creating Carewell for homecare and personal support workers and serve as Chair of the Carewell Trusts. I worked with nursing home employers and the Legislature in creating the Essential Healthcare Worker Trust (EHWT), paving the way for frontline nursing home workers to get quality, accessible health care and I serve as chair of the trust. Together with nursing home employers also created Careworks. which does apprenticeships for CNAs in nursing homes, with mentoring and wrap around services. Finally worked with the State of Oregon to create Uplift that does benefits education, equity, and career mobility for state workers. Through these trusts, helped set up the RISE partnership to create the infrastructure of the trusts so each trust can focus on providing high quality services to the participants.

Education

• University of Oregon

  Bachelor of Arts, History and Sociology

  1997 — 2001

Skills

• Ngp
• Public Relations
• Media Relations
• Coalition Development
• Grants
• Policy
• Public Policy
• Event Planning
• Politics
• Political Management
• Event Management
• Government
• Nonprofits
• Legislative Affairs
• Elections
• Union Organizing Campaigns
• Leadership Development
• Research
• Political Communication
• Political Consulting
• Strategic Communications
• Policy Analysis
• Canvassing
• Community Outreach
• Community Development
• Legislative Relations
• Speech Writing
• Political Campaigns
• Public Speaking
• Grant Writing
• Volunteer Management
• Public Affairs
• Grassroots
• Non-Profits
• Political Science
• Fundraising
• Legislation
• Gotv
• Legislative Research
• Grassroots Organizing