Melissa Higbee is the Resilience Program Manager in the Office of Resilience and Capital Planning. Melissa led the development of the Hazards and Climate Resilience (HCR) Plan, San Francisco’s first integrated hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plan. She continues to advance implementation of the HCR’s strategies, including the Heat and Air Quality Resilience Project and Earthquake Safety Implementation Program. 

Melissa also leads disaster recovery planning efforts, which has included serving on the management team of the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force, with a focus on policy recommendations for vulnerable populations. Melissa has also played a key role in integrating resilience and racial equity in the 10-Year Capital Plan and 2-Year Capital Budget. 

Prior to joining the City and County of San Francisco, Melissa worked at AECOM, supporting cities, such as Oakland, Berkeley, and Miami Beach with the development of their resilience strategies and climate adaptation plans. 

Melissa earned a B.A. in Geography from U.C. Berkeley and a Masters in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.