Melissa Bruno is a Government Relations Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies. Melissa specializes in government relations, crisis management, and advocacy campaigns within public and private spheres in Canada.

Melissa brings a deep understanding of how to create and execute a vision. She tackles every problem with creative solutions and manages projects from start to finish. With over a decade of experience in municipal, provincial, and federal politics, Melissa developed a reputation as one of Canada’s leading strategists in innovating, mobilizing and executing strategic issue-based campaigns that have organized communities and shaped public policy across a variety of progressive issues. Melissa leverages her demonstrated success in connecting people with the best tools to navigate political decision-making and public processes. 

Prior to joining Earnscliffe, Melissa worked for Shad Canada, a Canadian charity and STEAM program, developing their community engagement and partnership growth strategy. Melissa’s career in progressive politics includes serving several elected officials and two federal NDP Leaders; Jack Layton and Jagmeet Singh. During her time as Executive Director for Canada’s New Democrats, Melissa modernized the organization by undertaking a financial restructure, enhancing data-driven community and voter mobilization, and building one of the most equity inclusive slate of candidates representing a major political party in Canadian history.

Melissa is a founding member of Canada’s first professional association for working mothers (Moms at Work) and a Partnerships Co-Chair with the Public Affairs Association of Canada (PAAC). Melissa is an avid volunteer for a number of foundations, charities and not-for-profits, including the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative. Melissa served as a Political Management Program Fellow at Carleton University, is a graduate from the University of Toronto’s Public Relations Program and earned an Honours degree in Social Work at York University.