Melissa Blaustein was elected to her first four-year term on the Sausalito City Council in November of 2020. Prior to her election, Melissa served on the Sustainability Commission, as well as on the General Plan Advisory Committee and on the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Housing.

On the Sustainability Commission, Melissa spearheaded the passage of the single use plastics ban and the addition of a sustainability element in the general plan. Her work on the Blue Ribbon Committee on Housing led to an inclusionary requirement for new housing opportunities in our community. Melissa also serves as a director at the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce, and is its representative on the county wide business task force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She has served on the Board of the Sausalito Rotary Club and the Rotary Senior Housing Board and is a member of the Sausalito Historical Society and the Sausalito Woman’s club.

Outside of her local involvement, Melissa is the founder and CEO of Allied for Startups, a worldwide network of advocacy organizations focused on improving the global policy environment for startups and entrepreneurs. In addition to founding her own organization, she is an Associate Director of Communications at Acumen, a global nonprofit impact investment fund dedicated to ending poverty. Her background in policy and advocacy spans the local, national, and international levels, having held roles at The White House, UN Women, UNEP, the G20 Research Group, and with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Melissa holds a Masters Degree in Public Affairs Cum Laude from Sciences Po in Paris, France and an undergraduate degree in American Studies with honors from UC Berkeley. She is also a lifelong Marin resident and a graduate of Redwood High School. A dedicated marathon swimmer, Melissa can often be spotted swimming the Sausalito waterfront, and in 2018 swam the English Channel.