Rosalina “Wendy” Melendez serves as Vice President of Programs at La Casa de Don Pedro, Inc. Ms. Melendez serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and was promoted to this newly created role in June 2022. Ms. Melendez, who has served in leadership roles at La Casa for 30 years, shares a deep personal commitment to La Casa de Don Pedro’s mission and the Greater Newark community.

As Vice President of Programs, Ms. Melendez has oversight over thirty programs that provide holistic support for community members from the Greater Newark area. She supports a leadership team that leads La Casa’s functional areas in Community and Economic Development, Community Improvement, Early Childhood Education and Development, Personal Development, and Youth, Family and Health Services.

Ms. Melendez is a leading advocate for women’s issues, adult educational services, and early childhood education in the City and the State. Prior to serving as Vice President, Ms. Melendez served as Interim Director of La Casa’s Early Childhood Education programs. Since 1998, Ms. Melendez served as the Division Director of the Personal Development Division. In that role, Ms. Melendez launched La Casa de Don Pedro’s Immigration Services program and the bilingual High School Equivalency Diploma testing site. She led the accreditation of the organization’s Private Career School through the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Additionally, Ms. Melendez tripled the size of La Casa’s Youth – Out of School Youth Program. Ms. Melendez started her career at La Casa in 1992 as Educational Coordinator; she was promoted to Assistant Program Director of the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center.

Ms. Melendez is a board member of the Essex County Workforce Development Board and is an active member of the Literacy Committee. In addition, she is a board member of the New Jersey Association for Lifelong Learning.

She earned a BA in Liberal Arts from Rutgers University in 1992, with a concentration in Sociology and Puerto Rican Studies.