Meet Melissa:
Melissa Hurst is an accomplished human resources executive with close to three decades of experience leading strategic HR initiatives across complex organizations. Since September 2007, she has served as the Chief Human Resources Officer for the American Red Cross, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping organizational culture, driving talent strategy, and aligning people practices with business goals.
Melissa leads the national human resources strategy for a workforce of nearly 18,000 employees, overseeing key areas such as workforce planning, talent acquisition and retention, leadership development, succession planning, organizational design, cultural transformation, employee education, compensation and benefits, and employee and labor relations. She is known for her empathetic leadership and data-driven approach and is a trusted advisor to senior leadership on matters of employee engagement, organizational effectiveness, and change management.
In 2021, she led a comprehensive HR Transformation that modernized the function through enhanced technology, streamlined operations, and redesigned work structures-significantly improving HR service delivery and the employee experience across the organization. Under Melissa's leadership, employee engagement scores at the American Red Cross have risen to meet global benchmarks, reflecting a strengthened organizational culture and a renewed focus on employee experience.
Melissa began her Red Cross career in 1998 as legal counsel specializing in employment and labor law, later serving as Deputy General Counsel with oversight of a team of legal professionals specializing in litigation, labor and employment, real estate, tax, ethics, corporate governance and non-profit law. Prior to joining the Red Cross, she practiced at a Washington, DC firm, advising corporate clients and representing them in labor and employment law before agencies and courts.
Her ability to balance strategic vision with operational excellence has earned her recognition as a forward-thinking leader in the HR field. She frequently speaks on topics such as the future of work, HR innovation, and leadership resilience, and is passionate about mentoring emerging HR leaders and contributing to the broader HR community.
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, magna cum laude, from Villanova University, a degree in Human Resources Management, and a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and actively participates in several HR executive forums.