Speakers Module

Melanie Bartis is an emergency management professional with more than 20 years of experience in both government and the private sector. She currently serves as Assistant
Director for the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management, where she oversees preparedness, planning, and partnerships. 

From 2022–2024, Melanie was Deputy Coordinator for Harris County Homeland Security & Emergency Management, leading planning, recovery coordination, and special projects.
During that time, she also launched EM Impact, a program encouraging college-aged women to pursue careers in emergency management. She previously worked for IEM, supporting state and local preparedness efforts nationwide, and spent over a decade with the City of Houston in leadership roles, including Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator.

Her career has included response and recovery work for major disasters and events such as Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Harvey, and Beryl, Super
Bowl 51, multiple World Series, and COVID-19. Melanie holds an M.S. in Geography from the University of South Carolina, a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University, and a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. She lives in Spring, Texas, with her family.