City of SausalitoCandidate for City Council

Whether it is protecting local services, our environment, or our local economy, Melissa is focused on workable solutions that will support a healthy future. As vice-chair of the Sustainability Commission, a member of the General Plan Advisory Committee, a Rotarian, and a Chamber of Commerce Boardmember, Melissa is dedicated to delivering meaningful outcomes.

Melissa’s love of Sausalito started early when she was voted “class leader” at the Sausalito Nursery School in 1993. She attended Redwood High School, where she was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for the advancement of Human Rights by the Human Rights Commission.  In the years since, her leadership has continued in roles at the Obama White House, Mayor Gavin  Newsom’s office, UN Environment, UN Women, and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ campaign. She is the founder and CEO of Allied for Startups, a worldwide network of advocacy organizations focused on improving th e policy environment for startups. Melissa holds a master’s degree in public affairs, cum laude, from Sciences Po in Paris, France, and an undergraduate degree in American Studies with honors from UC Berkeley.

Melissa lives on the waterfront in Sausalito and can often be seen swimming along Bridgeway. She is an accomplished Marathon swimmer who swam the English Channel in 2018. She currently holds the world record for the fastest crossing of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. She uses her swims to fundraise and in 2019 earned over $20,000 for the Rotary Foundation and PolioPlus.  She is a proud member of the resilient 2020 Sausalito Woman’s Club Jinks Class and of the Sausalito Historical Society.

Melissa Blaustein is committed to creating and maintaining a healthy Sausalito. As a community leader and advocate, she has proven time and again that she gets things done for our town when it matters the most.

As vice-chair of the Sustainability Commission, Melissa collaborated with local business owner Nick Mindel to champion a single-use plastics ban, which was endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce, Sausalito Beautiful, and the Sausalito Woman’s Club.

As a Sausalito Chamber of Commerce Boardmember, Melissa is determined to work with, and support, our local businesses as they navigate the COVID-19 crisis. Melissa served on the selection committee for the Love Sausalito grants, protecting and supporting our businesses during their most vulnerable hour.

On the General Plan Advisory Committee, she fought hard for our town’s resiliency and climate mitigation efforts, successfully advocating for the addition of a specific sustainability element to the general plan. Melissa is driven to make sure that every Sausalito resident has access to resources and is treated with respect.

She serves on the countywide business task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is committed to making sure that Sausalito uses the opportunity to learn from this historic moment, and take the next steps to eliminate racism, in all its forms.

Melissa co-founded the Active Allies of Sausalito Coordinating Committee, which successfully lobbied for funding for police-worn body cameras after they had been cut from our budget.

She continues to work in partnership with law enforcement to reimagine how to best serve Sausalito’s safety needs.

As a dedicated Rotarian, Melissa delivers meals to our seniors every week in the face of the pandemic. She also serves on the Rotary housing board fighting for more affordable senior housing to allow our residents to continue to age in place. Melissa understands the role of housing in making Sausalito a more inclusive community.

As a member of the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Housing Melissa worked with city leaders to successfully create an affordable housing inclusionary ordinance, requiring new developments to create affordable units.

She pushed for approval of JADUs (junior accessory dwelling units) to create new pathways for housing and developed a roadmap to more innovative housing solutions. She believes our teachers and city employees deserve to live in the community they serve, and should not be hindered by skyrocketing rents.