Melissa Elliott
President-Elect (2019-2020)
American Water Works Association
Melissa Elliott’s career is focused on helping water and wastewater utilities tell their stories. She is the Director of Strategic Communication Services at Raftelis where she consults with utilities to provide communication planning, stakeholder engagement and risk communications. Prior to joining Raftelis, Melissa directed public relations departments at two large Colorado utilities–Denver Water and Aurora Water. All that utility experience means she’s worked with the public on issues as diverse as drought, water quality, potable reuse, affordability, rate structure change, massive infrastructure projects, and customer assistance programs.
Being AWWA President-Elect has given Melissa a new avenue to elevate the conversation about the value of the services utilities provide. As a public relations practitioner working in the highly technical water industry, Melissa makes it her mission to push those around her to stop being so humble about the essential work we do. She says if we want others to understand our challenges, we need to build relationships with the people and communities we serve and talk about the value we provide.
When she’s not working with utilities, Melissa makes her home in Denver where she enjoys cooking for friends, planning future travel adventures and spending time in the Colorado sunshine with her husband.