Personal Information:
“Melissa’s broader message to all with whom she comes into contact is, “Regardless of one’s particular season of life, it is never to late to stand up, be heard and make your mark!”
Melissa Ríos was born and raised in the barrio of Southwest Detroit, Southeastern Michigan’s historic and most established Hispanic community. She entered the workforce immediately after high school waiting tables and took her college courses as she could and never quit. Through her steady and unrelenting efforts, she finally completed her Batchelor in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies. Melissa started her professional career at the age of 35 as a single mother with a daughter and son, aged 16 and 11 respectively. Starting off as a paralegal in private practice, Melissa quickly rose to run her entire office, then moved on to Procurement for The Detroit Land Bank Authority. It’s wasn’t long before she was tasked to run the department as Procurement Manager.
During her professional journey, Melissa noticed less and less representation of Latinas as she advanced, in particular within the realm of Procurement. For this reason Melissa is committed to do all she can to not only assist her fellow Latinas in whatever capacity she can, but to also bring a broader awareness of what is Procurement and its purpose.
