Ron Melka

Background

About Ron Melka

I am a member of the Illinois Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council of the Illinois Dept of Human Services and its Criminal Justice Committee. I am also a member of the Ill. Advisory Council on Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder Impacts on Employment Opportunities within Minority Communities. I am a member of Kiwanis International, and a past President and District Lieutenant Governor. I chair their Scholarship Committee giving annually in college scholarships. As adjunct professor of Public Administration at IIT I taught Ethics, Performance Measurements, Resource Development. I also Chair the Central Asia Productivity and Research Center (CAPRC) Productivity Committee where I held online seminars in productivity and employee relations for Nakhichevan State University in Azerbaijan. Recently retired as Executive Director of the Lyons Township Mental Health Commission, I managed and directed the Commission's coordination, evaluation, planning and funding, to provide a comprehensive community-based system of mental health, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, and prevention services. I annually managed $4 million for mental health, substance use and developmental disability services. In addition, I was President of the Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois. I initiated and chaired the Coalition for a Drug Free Lyons Township. Prior to this position, I was a Grant Writer at Aunt Martha’s Youth Services & Healthcare, one of the State’s largest service providers, serving over people at 56 sites. In the last year there, I had written and received over $10 Million in Federal, State, and Local grant funding. In past positions, I was President/CPO of United Way of Illinois and worked in partnership with government and communities addressing issues impacting human services. I strengthened Illinois through service to members, and advocacy for effective health and human services policies for the people of Illinois and was the United Way lobbyist to Illinois. While there I formed and chaired the Governor’s Human Service 211 Task Force Board and Charity Advisory Panel. I was the Chair of the Illinois Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Food and Shelter State Set Aside Board. I co-chaired the Governor’s Keep Warm Illinois program and was also a member of the Attorney General's Charitable Advisory Board, and the State Employee Combined Appeal Board. I have also led several nonprofit organizations and began my career as a court appointed youth advocate coordinator and an emergency room tech.