Melissa Hermosillo
Program & Operations Leader | Enterprise Systems Design | AI-Integrated Execution
Www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hermosillo-29119461
Summary
Experienced program and operations leader with 15+ years designing and scaling complex, human-centered programs across education, government, and nonprofit sectors. Proven track record building operational systems from the ground up—including a zero-cost CRM projected to save $350K, an organization-wide operating framework supporting 70+ partners, and a grant-funded initiative that tripled funding. Brings expertise in AI-enabled program design, systems transformation, and Prosci change management to help organizations scale with clarity, consistency, and measurable impact.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Learning and Evaluation
Denver Kids, Inc.
Denver, CO
2023.07 - Current
- Built the organization's first in-house program operating system, integrating framework design, measurement architecture, dashboards, and executive reporting where none existed before — supporting 1,000+ students annually across 70+ Denver Public Schools sites.
- Architected the programmatic framework around simultaneous compliance with external grant and government funders and Denver Public Schools requirements — the structural backbone of the organization's relationship with all 70+ school partners.
- Designed and launched a $0-vendor-cost CRM to replace a stalled Salesforce implementation, saving an estimated $350K over three years while building the first internally owned system for tracking advisor–student interactions in the field.
- Managed operating rhythm for advisor program, including material design and training delivery. the operating rhythm for the advisor program — material design, training delivery, iterative implementation, data collection, and reporting — and a separate cadence with Managers to surface program and operational gaps.
- Surface and escalate program risk through direct ownership of organizational data; program or training gaps are visible immediately in the data, making escalation continuous rather than periodic.
- Led the organization's first-ever adoption of AI in student-facing work, identifying and championing the tool and owning the rollout — driving an approximately 7-fold increase in participation through change management and clear communication.
Instructional Designer
Denver Kids, Inc.
Denver, CO
2021.07 - 2023.07
- Established ADDIE-based process infrastructure aligned to a 3-year strategic plan, standardizing how the organization built and deployed programming.
- Designed program integration driving a 60% increase in knowledge-assessment outcomes, and onboarding systems achieving 85%+ one-year retention.
- Designed and facilitated 50+ training sessions and trained 18 Program Manager and ESC staff for performance support — building internal capability over vendor dependency.
- Led the needs analysis that produced the organization's programmatic framework, establishing the structure later built into THRIVES.
- Co-led adoption of an inclusivity statement into board governance documents and built a cross-departmental collaboration intranet.
Educational Advisor
Denver Kids, Inc.
Denver, CO
2014.01 - 2020.01
- Designed and delivered culturally-affirming, prevention-focused programming across multiple sites, ensuring effective implementation within a distributed school network.
- Managed caseload of 55 students across 20+ schools, implementing individualized and small-group intervention plans aligned with strength-based and academic-mapping frameworks.
- Developed and implemented personalized action plans for student success.
Education Client Manager
17th Judicial District Attorney's Office
Westminster, CO
2012.01 - 2015.01
- Launched the district's first educational hub (the “Dream Room”) from the ground up — securing first-in-Colorado approval from the Colorado Department of Education for GED completion, workforce certifications, and expanded digital mental-health screening in a diversion setting; a precedent still standing 10+ years later.
- Led an equity-expansion initiative addressing the school-to-prison pipeline through multi-language resource access, restorative circles, and career/college-readiness pathways — coordinating across school, court, and community stakeholders.
- Managed and budgeted ~$500K grant-funded program, ensuring timely delivery and compliance with external funder requirements.
- Oversaw diversion program operations, implementing strategies that aligned stakeholder goals and enhanced service delivery.
- Rebuilt program evaluation system, leading to tripling of grant awards and enhancing funding opportunities for the office.
AmeriCorps Community Service Fellow
Colorado Dream Foundation
Denver, CO
2010.01 - 2012.01
- Managed 35-student caseload across 3 school districts; designed and implemented digital-citizenship course (grades 6–8) and co-designed 10-week post-secondary readiness program to enhance student preparedness.
Education
M.A. - Education & Human Development
George Washington University
Graduate Practicum - SEL & Character Development
Rutgers University
B.A. - Sociology & Religious Studies
University of Denver
Skills
- Program and Portfolio Management
- Dashboard & Measurement Design
- Operating rhythm management
- Data-Informed Decision Support
- AI-Integrated Workflow Design
- Systems & Process Architecture
- Program & Portfolio Management
- Operating-Rhythm Design
- Cross-Partner & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Vendor Transition & Cost Reduction
- Documentation & Hand-off Systems
- Continuous Improvement
AI And Transformation
- Anthropic AI Fluency Certificate
- Prosci Certified Change Practitioner (AI Concentration)
Consulting And Entrepreneurial Projects
Strategy & Evaluation Consultant, 06/01/25-Current, StandUP
- Developed success-metrics and ROI framework for initiative evaluation, including cost-savings analysis that identified 10% reduction in recurring costs.
- Led change readiness and stakeholder assessments for an AI-enabled leadership initiative, applying Prosci ADKAR and Project Change Triangle (PCT) frameworks to drive adoption planning and organizational alignment.
- Assessed CRM expansion (Zoho) to automate team processes and established SOPs and role/lane definitions for operationalization.
- Executed contractual agreements for project deliverables.
Cohort Lead & Founder of Denver Chapter, 07/01/21-08/01/24, Radical Monarchs
- Convinced founders of Radical Monarchs to expand into Denver and led market launch, achieving founder-level, 0-to-1 ownership alongside full-time role rated exceptional.
- Developed and managed multi-year cohort model focused on identity, belonging, leadership, and collective empowerment, securing partnerships for sustainability.
- Facilitated completion of full three-year cohort cycle, demonstrating ability to sustain a volunteer-driven program beyond initial launch.
Top Strengths (Clifton)
- Learner
- Strategic
- Achiever
- Context
- Maximizer
Timeline
Director of Learning and Evaluation
Denver Kids, Inc.
2023.07 - Current
Instructional Designer
Denver Kids, Inc.
2021.07 - 2023.07
Educational Advisor
Denver Kids, Inc.
2014.01 - 2020.01
Education Client Manager
17th Judicial District Attorney's Office
2012.01 - 2015.01
AmeriCorps Community Service Fellow
Colorado Dream Foundation
2010.01 - 2012.01
M.A. - Education & Human Development
George Washington University
Graduate Practicum - SEL & Character Development
Rutgers University
B.A. - Sociology & Religious Studies
University of Denver