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 is currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work degree.