Mellonie Richardson is a proud mother, loving wife, daughter, sister, and aunt. She is fueled by the power of community and sisterhood and committed to being a part of change whenever and however she can. She is passionate about family, children, the black community, and social justice for all people.
For her undergraduate work she studied at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta Georgia and California State University, Sacramento where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Studies and Media Production. She completed her graduate studies at the University of San Francisco, receiving a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development.
Mellonie has worked for the Los Rios Community College District for almost ten years and is the Human Resources Officer overseeing recruitment for the district. Los Rios is the second largest community college district in California educating over 75,000 students annually with nearly 7,000 employees. Her professional experiences include positions in recruitment, training, organization development, and management in non-profit and private industry. Mellonie is also the principle consultant of Bene Consulting Group, a Human Resources and Organizational Development firm, providing professional services to small businesses, non-profits, and faith based organizations.
She has been involved with social justice change and community outreach since she was a teenager and was recently acknowledged as a Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) honoree for her continued commitment.
Mellonie is one of the founding members of the Sacramento Sister Circle and serves on the leadership team. Sacramento Sister Circle is a social network of over 3,000 Black women holding to critical pillars of self-love, education, outreach, and political activism. She is also the Sacramento City Captain for GirlTrek, a national walking and social justice movement for over 80,000, African American Women, and President and Communications Officer for the Los Rios Community College District’s Black Faculty and Staff Association.
Other groups that Mellonie actively participates in are the Sacramento Mocha Mommy’s Club, Ask My Big Sister mentoring network, and the Sacramento Emotional Emancipation Circle; all groups focus on supporting Black women, children, families, and the community. She is also the founder and co-coordinator of the annual Sacramento African American Children’s Read-In project.
In Mellonie’s commitment to serve others she has and continues to participate in many outreach and awareness efforts to include the Sacramento Sister Circle’s annual College Bound Luncheon and four-year “Sistership”, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and #BringBackOurGirls, #BlackLivesMatters campaigns, marches, and demonstrations.
Mellonie’s involvement with the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s board of directors is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the wonderful work, of improving the lives of African American people, already being done by the highly respected Chamber and Foundation.