Melissa Pfaff is a director based out of the Washington, D.C. office. Melissa provides policy guidance to clients on a range of public health issues and the federal authorizing, budget, and appropriations processes. Her work focuses on mental health and substance use disorders, public health preparedness and response, biomedical research, and other issues of public health importance.

Melissa has more than 15 years’ experience in the United States Senate. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, she served as Senior Health Policy Advisor on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee under Ranking Member Mike Enzi, Chairman Lamar Alexander, and Ranking Member Richard Burr. During her nearly 12 years on the HELP Committee, she worked with bipartisan member staff, agencies at the Department of Health and Human Services, and stakeholders on numerous legislative initiatives related to public health, including legislation to strengthen U.S. public health and medical preparedness and response (Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013; PREVENT Pandemics Act), advance biomedical research and innovation (21st Century Cures Act), and improve access to mental health and substance use disorder services (Mental Health Reform Act; Title I, Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023).

Prior to her time on the Senate HELP Committee, Melissa worked at Boston University School of Public Health as a data manager and statistical analyst for global health projects. Additionally, she served in Senator Judd Gregg’s personal office and under his leadership as a professional staff member on the Senate Budget Committee.

Melissa received a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a master of public health degree from Boston University School of Public Health, with a concentration in international health.