Meet the Governing Council
Melanie Montoya Wasserman is a lifelong human rights activist and community organizer. Influenced heavily by the Zapatista movement, Melanie has focused her efforts uplifting women and immigrants in her community. She formerly served as the executive director of the San Miguel Resource Center and practiced as a psychotherapist. She is currently the housing director for the Town of Telluride, while balancing her most important role as a mother of two children who she hopes will share her passion for smashing the patriarchy.
Joan May is one of the founders of the Progressive Women’s Caucus. A non-profit consultant and former county commissioner, her passion is for empowering citizens—especially those who are underrepresented — to shape the future.
Ali grew up in a small liberal community in Western Massachusetts where she was fortunate to have been inspired by her aunt Natasha, a feminist force and political activist. Her admiration for her aunt sparked a yearning and a curiosity for activism that in recent years has caught fire. In the winter of 2014, Ali came to Telluride to ski and stayed for the community. During her time in Telluride she has volunteered with Telluride Adaptive Sports, played outside with Telluride Academy, and found a passion for performing with Telluride Theatre and the Telluride Dance Collective. She has worked many jobs within the community, and currently works at the elementary school as a paraprofessional.
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Tiffany has resided in San Miguel County since 2017 with her husband and dogs, and expanded their family with the birth of their son in 2023. As a child of half Puerto Rican heritage that was raised in a military family, and later a graduate of Oberlin College, she has lived among many cultures during her international travels. This molded her ideals of feminism and the very necessary reform for improved equality related to gender, race, sexuality, and economic status worldwide. She joined the PWC to channel her energy into defending the democratic process, rebuilding and advancing women’s rights, and aiding with educational programs within the local community. During her time in Telluride, she has volunteered and performed with the Telluride Aids Benefit Fashion Show and Telluride Dance Collective.
