Melissa Gumbs
Building a Nation of Inclusion with Melissa Gumbs
What do you do when you see a void in an organization, a community, or a nation? If you're Melissa Gumbs, you find a way to fill that gap with ideas and programs that can benefit everyone. In Sint Maarten, she saw an opportunity to build a community for LGBTQ+ folks and a political party for everyone. Now, as a Member of Parliament, her ideas about inclusion seek to reduce the brain drain caused by some Sint Maarteners not feeling welcome. Her authenticity and visibility provide hope to people who thought they might not have a place on the island.
What do you do when you see a void in an organization, a community, or a nation? If you're Melissa Gumbs, you find a way to fill that gap with ideas and programs that can benefit everyone. In Sint Maarten, she saw an opportunity to build a community for LGBTQ+ folks and a political party for everyone. Now, as a Member of Parliament, her ideas about inclusion seek to reduce the brain drain caused by some Sint Maarteners not feeling welcome. Her authenticity and visibility provide hope to people who thought they might not have a place on the island.
|
Highlights
|
|
|
Guest Biography
Melissa Gumbs is a member of Parliament in Sint Maarten, a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, winning her seat in 2020 as part of a new political party. Born and raised on Sint Maarten she moved to Miami to attend St. Thomas University earneing a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in International Business. She spent seven years in The Hague, The Netherlands, where she worked as a Market Research Analyst at TMF Netherlands B.V, providing her a front-row seat to understand the impact mergers of global corporations have on small economies. In 2011, she co-founded Unified Sint Maarten Connection with Cyriel Pfennings, which kicked off a long tenure of serving as board member or volunteer for various non-profits related to affecting social change. She served as board member of Foresee Foundation, as advisory board member for SAFE SXM, the island’s primary LGBT-focused foundation. In 2016, Melissa returned home to St. Maarten where she joined United Telecommunication Services as a Section Manager. She was instrumental in returning communication to the island after the devastating Hurricane Irma in 2017. Outside of her work at UTS, Melissa continued her volunteer work and established a new political party. In January 2020, along with seven other candidates, Melissa contested the 2020 St. Maarten Parliamentary elections on the Party for Progress slate, which won two seats. Outside of her work, Melissa enjoys video games, movies, reading, writing short stories, and travel. |
Credits
Guest: Melissa Gumbs Host: Liz Cavallaro Host: Bree Fram Audio: Frieda Garcia |