Jesse Melgar is the Senior Advisor for Strategy & Public Affairs at the UC Berkeley Possibility Lab housed at the Goldman School of Public Policy, where he advises on high-impact initiatives at the intersection of research, public policy, communications, and civic engagement. He previously co-led California 100, a statewide effort focused on long-term policy innovation and strategic planning to shape California’s future.
Jesse spent over a decade in senior-level roles across California state government. He served as Communications Director and Press Secretary to Governor Gavin Newsom during the COVID-19 pandemic and as Deputy Secretary of State for United States Senator Alex Padilla during his first term as Secretary of State. In that role, he supported the implementation of landmark voting reforms, including the Voter’s Choice Act, California Motor Voter, and voter pre-registration for eligible high school students. His earlier public service includes senior communications roles in the California State Senate, the California Latino Legislative Caucus, Equality California, and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.
The first in his family to graduate from college, Jesse is deeply committed to expanding equitable access to higher education. He served for five years and was Vice Chair of the California Volunteers Commission, where he played a key role in launching the California Service Corps, including the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps, an innovative program that provides service-based financial aid and workforce development opportunities to students at the University of California, California State University, California Community Colleges, and private universities across the state.
A philanthropic leader, Jesse is Board Chair of the Inland Empire Community Foundation, the organization that awarded him a scholarship to attend college as a high school student. There, he founded and chairs the Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity (CIELO) Fund, a community-led grantmaking initiative that has directed millions in funding to local organizations across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. He also launched the CIELO Fund Scholars Program and Endowed Fund, which has supported hundreds of Inland Empire students—including community college students—in pursuing and completing their higher education goals.
As a student at UCLA, Jesse fought to make college affordable and accessible as a student organizer, serving as Student Body External Vice President and board chair of the University of California Student Association.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Chicano Studies from UCLA and a Master of Public Policy from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy. Jesse resides in Palm Springs with his husband, Angel.
