Melissa Moreno, J.D.
Melissa Moreno has more than 18 years of senior administrative experience in public education in California. In April 2023, Melissa was appointed Interim Chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD), a multi-college District serving over 31,000 students in San Mateo County.
As Interim Chancellor, Melissa oversaw a 12 percent increase in student headcount for the current 2023-24 academic year, bringing SMCCCD’s enrollment back to its pre-pandemic level through the Free College initiative and a people-first approach to leadership. She understands that building a culture of equity, respect, fairness, and inclusion, where all employees feel valued with a sense of belonging, is the key to providing student-centered access and support.
Melissa’s bold, forward-thinking vision includes bringing greater transparency to the District’s business practices, prudent fiscal planning, expanding student basic needs support, and a robust capital improvement plan that prioritizes individual campus needs and student housing at all three campuses. Her vision also includes a plan to provide equitable educational opportunities for disproportionately impacted student populations by expanding public-private partnerships that bring the college experience into the cities of San Mateo County.
Immediately before her current role as Interim Chancellor, Melissa served as the President of Skyline College for three years. She brought transformative change to Skyline College through the People’s College Initiative, founded on principles of antiracism, democracy, and civic mindedness. She transformed its governance structure to center the voices of the students, faculty, classified professionals, and management, and brought cohesion to Skyline’s leading-edge antiracism and equity work. The People’s College Initiative is institutionalized in its five-year Education Master Plan: The People’s Plan.
Before joining SMCCCD, Melissa spent over a decade in progressive leadership roles at the Santa Barbara Community College District (SBCC), including Vice President of School of Extended Learning, Dean of the Business Division, and founding Director of the national award-winning Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. While there, she helped close several multi-million-dollar fundraising efforts.
Prior to her academic career, Melissa spent over two decades as a small business owner in law, hospitality, and real estate.
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Juris Doctorate from Santa Barbara College of Law. She is a licensed attorney in the State of California.