Melissa Kolwaite

Vice President of Aiello Public Relations and Marketing

Melissa has worked in the public relations and marketing field for over ten years developing and implementing local and regional communications strategies. Melissa’s emphasis is in government and nonprofit work, although she is equally at ease with corporate communications.

Prior to joining Aiello Public Relations and Marketing, Melissa served as the director of communications for The Wilderness Society’s intermountain west region, overseeing an eight state territory. While at The Wilderness Society – a national nonprofit that works on public policies impacting federal public land – Melissa was responsible for establishing and implementing tactical communication strategies, and guiding staff and affiliate organizations on best media relations practices.

In advance of her nonprofit work, Melissa served as a political appointee for Denver’s former Mayor, Wellington E. Webb. During her tenure with the City and County of Denver, Melissa served as the city council liaison for the Office of the Mayor. Among her other appointments, she served as the public information officer (press secretary) for the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the director of community relations for the Mayor’s South Platte Legacy Project. Prior to joining the Webb Administration, Melissa served as the deputy finance director for the 1999 Webb for Mayor re-election campaign.

Melissa is a graduate of the Denver Metro Chamber Foundation’s Leadership Denver Program – Class of 2007, and is active volunteer, serving as vice president of the Board of Trustees for the Museo de las Americas. Melissa is also a mock congressional hearing judge for the Cherry Creek School District. She formerly served on the James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club and the Denver Department of Parks and Recreation’s governing boards and on the Projects Advisory Board for the Mile High Youth Corps. Melissa is also a former youth mentor for the James P. Beckwourth Outdoor Education Program – receiving the Outstanding Support Award three years running. In 2003, Melissa took a sabbatical from the workforce to complete a three-month backpacking tour of Eastern and Western Europe.

A native of New York State, Melissa moved to Colorado in 1996. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies and a minor in mathematics.