Melinda Czaia came to MAD in 2018 with over 25 years of worldwide professional level leadership experience in organizational development, capacity building, and community development management. She brings her passion for helping communities, organizations and people be successful and achieve their goals by accurately assessing needs and desired outcomes, and then designing and delivering approaches that are participatory and effective.
Melinda has senior-level management and consultation experience in nonprofit, for-profit, and government organizations in multi-sectoral areas, and has carried out work locally, and in more than 20 countries. Melinda has worked in executive level roles with US Peace Corps Training-Honduras, The Center for Victims of Torture, The Pillsbury Company, and Global Citizens Network; and as a consultant with the U.S. Agency for International Development, on capacity building, community development, civil society and humanitarian work.
Melinda’s areas of expertise include:
Melinda has carried out consultation and facilitations for the state, including workgroups, advisory committees, stakeholder engagement, interviews, focus groups, and strategic planning for the Olmstead Implementation Office, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Housing, Metropolitan Council, the Minnesota Departments of Human Services, Transportation, Natural Resources, and Health, and many other agencies. She also teaches MAD’s Facilitation Skills Course.
Melinda has a master’s degree in international development management from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, a BA in International Relations, and a BA in Spanish from the University of Minnesota. Melinda completed the Mastery Program for Facilitation of the Technology of Participation (ToP) and is fluent in Spanish.
