Melissa Puls

The possibilities of the Los Angeles River have captured Melissa’s imagination and ignited a passion to be a part of the future of Los Angeles.  The daughter of environmental, social justice, and peace activists, Melissa spent part of her childhood living overseas where she was influenced by the deep beauty of cultural diversity, the extreme inequities, and the incredible natural beauty that co-exist in the world. She arrived in Los Angeles by way of the San Francisco Bay Area to attend UCLA, thinking she would return to her northern California roots to begin her career. Destiny intervened, and she came to love the City of Angels where she has lived, worked, played, and raised her family for over 30 years.  

Recognizing the emerging energy in Los Angeles to create a connected, diverse, and compelling urban environment that is rooted in equity, Melissa sees the work of River LA as one of the most visionary and forward thinking projects in the history of Los Angeles.  

Melissa has a passion for building meaningful partnerships, and enjoys helping people channel the energy and power of money towards positive change. In her role as Director of Development, Melissa leads the team to create a sustainable fundraising program that supports the audacious and courageous idea of reimagining the Los Angeles River through innovative, data-driven design solutions that are uniquely able to mitigate regional challenges that others have sought to solve for decades.

Melissa currently resides in La Cañada Flintridge with her husband and three teenage children, two cats and the beloved family dog, Indie.  When she isn't raising money for the river, she enjoys cooking, family game nights, and long hikes with Indie in the San Gabriel mountains.  Someday, she plans to travel the world again!