Sara Meléndez has over 30 years of experience in education and nonprofits. She taught from elementary to graduate school, and served as dean of arts and humanities and vice provost. She has worked tirelessly to improve opportunities for women and minorities to achieve degrees and move up the ladder of education. Sara has been CEO of two national nonprofit organizations, most recently for Independent Sector where she led efforts to strengthen the nonprofit sector, preserve tax deductions and contributions and protect the rights of nonprofits to advocate for their causes. She consulted on multicultural issues and diversity and worked with nonprofits, corporations, foundations and government officials internationally on building the capacity of nonprofit organizations for advocacy. She served G/A&A as an executive search consultant and then transitioned to serve the firm as a senior advisor to the partners. Meléndez has an Ed.D. in education policy and administration from Harvard University.