Melissa Nelken

Melissa Nelken first fell in love with Point Reyes as a teenager growing up in Marin. Since returning to the West Coast to live in 1979, Melissa and her family have been frequent visitors to the park and now hike its trails regularly from their home in Inverness. Melissa is committed to maintaining and improving the Point Reyes National Seashore and to expanding outreach efforts to Bay Area residents who may be unfamiliar with the natural wonders it has to offer. A retired professor at UC Hastings College of Law, where she specialized in alternative dispute resolution, Melissa is now an active member of West Marin Community Mediation. Melissa previously served on the board of the Center for Youth Development through Law, a summer job and educational program for underserved youth in the East Bay.