Melissa Cerezo, AICP, has nearly 20 years of experience in community, land use, and transportation planning focused on sustainable, inclusive, and equitable communities. Starting with the NYC Department of City Planning, Melissa led community-based planning in Manhattan’s West Harlem and Upper East Side neighborhoods and enhanced the public plaza design standards to ensure inviting and accessible Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS).
 
Melissa joined Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in 2017. She revitalized VTA’s Land Use and Transportation Integration Program by fostering proactive partnerships with cities to enhance land use patterns and policies, ensuring that land use, transit and active transportation are seamlessly integrated to improve the quality of life for people of all ages and backgrounds. Melissa also led VTA’s efforts to join the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) to advance VTA’s commitment to equity.
 
Currently, Melissa manages the Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Program within VTA’s Real Estate and TOD department. Melissa continues to champion equity, community resilience, and sustainability as a grant-maker and principal planner. Melissa is breaking barriers and forging strategic partnerships between VTA and community-based organizations to co-create thriving, equitable transit-oriented communities.