Melissa Shapiro
Policy Director
Melissa Shapiro serves as Policy Director for the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, where she leads the organization’s legislative and regulatory strategy to advance water and river policy across the Commonwealth.
Melissa brings deep experience in environmental law, policy, and government engagement. Most recently, she served as Arctic Policy Lead at Woodwell Climate Research Center, where she devised and directed the policy strategy for a US $40+ million multidisciplinary climate initiative. Earlier in her career, Melissa served as an Attorney-Advisor in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of General Counsel, and held teaching and research roles at Harvard Law School and UCLA School of Law. She has worked with multiple United Nations agencies to advance compliance with human rights and environmental protections. While earning her law degree, she trained in the EPA Region 2 Office of Regional Counsel's Water Law Division, specializing in Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act enforcement actions.
Melissa holds a J.D. and a Master’s in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Anthropology from Middlebury College.
