MELISSA KING, PhD, MPA (she/her) is a social epidemiologist who is passionate about promoting civic engagement in public health programs. She is principal of People’s Health Solutions (PHS), a consulting agency whose mission is building healthy communities together. With a focus on participatory methods, Melissa has helped implement and evaluate numerous state and local mental health programs nationwide. She is building a PHS research and training institute to prevent homelessness by empowering peer professionals for roles in direct service, research, and advocacy. She holds a PhD in social and behavioral sciences from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and MPA in Public Policy and Administration from University of Texas at Austin.