As Assistant to the City Manager in Buckeye, Arizona, Mel has been instrumental in leading transformational change within the city. She was nominated an astonishing 16 times for this series, with many of the nominations praising her innovative community work as well as her forward-thinking, positive, inclusive, and motivating attitude towards others.

Here is a snippet from one of her many nominations:“Every step of the way she has centered employees, working hard to ensure that all employees have an opportunity to grow and develop during their time working at Buckeye. While we get to see her work up close every day, I think we would all agree that the impact of her work has rippled across the entire organization and been truly transformative to the city of Buckeye.”

A self-proclaimed introvert, Mel believes in a mindset of continuous improvement, skills development, and patience. 

This is the first of the 2025 Inspirational Women in Local Government series. The next three honorees will be profiled each Thursday this month.

Q. Is there a book that you've read in the past that was particularly meaningful to you?

A book that really resonated with me is Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck. It discusses fixed and growth mindsets—how people approach challenges, learning, and failure. 

One of my key takeaways from the book was the importance of understanding how you view things in your daily life. So, do you look at a glass as half empty or half full? Are you willing to not be right all the time? Are you able to grow? It really impacted how I see things in my personal and professional life.The book also helped me to recognize when people are hesitant to try something new. Fear of failure often holds people back, and that is sometimes due to management structures that make mistakes feel punitive. I lead a team of six and oversee the city's continuous improvement efforts. I always ask my team, "How would you solve this?" before guiding them. Empowerment and creating a safe environment for people is key.

Q. Tell us a little about your community and your role?

Buckeye, Arizona, has been among the fastest-growing cities in the US. Our city has a planning area over 640 square miles—larger than Phoenix—but only 17% built out. At full buildout, we’re projected to reach over a million residents. So, we’re seeing rapid, tremendous growth.

Our city vision is to be a community of limitless possibilities. It really does feel like Buckeye is full of so many possibilities where you can achieve anything. Working for the city feels like being part of a tight-knit family where everyone is good-hearted, wants to genuinely help one another, and works toward common goals.

One of my duties is to oversee the city’s strategic plan, which is something I love. Our plan has five focus areas, one being a safe and sustainable quality of life. What does that mean? It means that the city aspires to implement programs and projects that create a healthy, safe, and sustainable environment that provide residents with opportunities for an engaged, healthy, and active lifestyle. Our plan is intentional about the activities our city will focus on to provide this for our residents.

It’s an exciting time in Buckeye to create something unique and take on new opportunities. I thrive in an environment of new learning opportunities as I know I can put a new tool in the toolbox. In previous years, I may have just looked at these projects as additional work, but I have consciously changed my mindset to take these new opportunities with excitement. Many times I have multiple competing projects I’m juggling but I try to pace myself and eat the elephant one bite at a time.

Q. What was the path that led you to public service?

I grew up in a small town in Washington State with 29 people in my (high school) graduating class. I joined the Army, in part to use the GI Bill for college, but also as an opportunity to leave my hometown and see the world. My dad was in the Air Force, and I remember him talking about how he traveled to Hawaii and Guam, and I wanted to be like him. I spent three years as a Patriot Missile operator.

Following service, I earned my bachelor’s and my master’s degree before moving into a role at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It was really fulfilling work as I would get to see someone's life and help them as a fellow veteran.

It was through volunteering that I ended up finding my place in local government. I just love that you can get your arms around work at the local level. You can touch your community and can see the impact of what you're doing.

Q. What are you most proud of professionally?

One of the most rewarding initiatives I’ve led sprang out of our If I Was in Charge program, where employees from every department share ideas on improving the city. The goal of this program is to create a space where employees at all levels could have a voice in shaping their workplace. We use props to spark discussions—like a million-dollar bill with our city manager’s face on it, asking what they would do if budget wasn’t a constraint; or an old clock to represent outdated processes that need change. 

One recurring theme from this program was a desire for public speaking training. That led to the launch of a Toastmasters club for city employees, an initiative I spearheaded with the support of our city manager. We chartered the club in June, and now we have over 40 members across departments—ranging from admin staff to field workers. What I love most about this club is although we come from various walks of life we're all working on a common goal of getting better together.

It’s been incredible to watch people gain confidence and develop skills that help them in their careers and beyond.

Q. What advice would you give to other women in local government looking to grow their careers?

I encourage everyone on my team—five of the six are women—to build their skill sets, get certifications, and take on leadership roles. When one of my team members was so nervous about joining Toastmasters she was worried she might actually throw up, I told her: “Get those speeches done. Don't sell yourself short." She did awesome.

So, my advice is to put tools in your toolbox. Get a seat at the table. Be the first to raise your hand.

Q. Where do you go now when you want support, education, or mentorship, whether that's formal or informal?

Everyone around me at the City of Buckeye.

My city manager has been a huge mentor to me. He challenges me and encourages me to step outside my comfort zone. I also try to be that kind of mentor to others. Through Toastmasters, I’m formally mentoring someone working on public speaking. Informally, I help whenever I can. People come to me with all sorts of random questions, and I love figuring out how to help them.

I also want constructive feedback on my performance from the people who report to me. I want to know if I am giving them what they need. 

Q: How do you balance work and home life?

I have an achiever mindset, so I have to be mindful of work-life balance. I love my work and have to know when to turn that off. My boss helps by setting expectations so I don’t feel the need to complete everything immediately. Patience is a skill I continue to work on daily.

I also want to set an example for my daughter. I want her to know that success requires effort, but balance is important too. 

Q: Who is an inspirational leader who has had an impact on you?

This is an easy one: Georgia Lord, the former mayor of Goodyear, and the first woman to serve as mayor for the city. She passed away in office at the age of 83 in 2021. She was fearless, graceful, inspiring, and she didn’t mind challenging people. 

I’ll always remember our last conversation. We were at the construction site for Goodyear’s new city hall. We sat eating watermelon as she shared her life story with me. She told me about going to college, how she met her husband and his time in the military, and the life they had lived together. She passed not too long after that, and I cherish that time with her.

Her legacy still lives on in Goodyear, and I strive to emulate her honesty, courage, and grace. She was loved by so many people.

Mayor Lord taught me about being honest and authentic. And she made me think about my own legacy.  If I died tomorrow, I would want others to feel that they were treated well by me–that I cared about them. First and foremost, I want to be a good person.

Q: Are there women who you know in public service who deserve a shout-out? Celebrate them here.

There are so many! I work with incredibly talented women every day. If I had to name one, I’d say Wynette Reed, the city manager of Goodyear. She gave me my local government shot by hiring me years ago and she is doing great things in Goodyear. But really, all the women I work with are truly inspiring.

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