A native of San Diegan, Melissa grew up in Point Loma and Mission Hills, attending both Francis Parker Lower School and The Bishop’s School. Venturing east for college, she graduated from University of Virginia, having interned for both a Senatorial and Presidential campaign. Melissa then headed to Capitol Hill to work for a San Diego Congressman and The Speaker of The House of Representatives. She returned to San Diego to embark on a real estate career, marketing and selling all 21 of the Fifth Avenue Lofts, a commercial conversion of San Diego’s former FBI Building.
Upon completion of this project, Melissa pursued her MBA in Real Estate Finance at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business. During business school, Melissa worked with Endeavor Real Estate Group and Southwest Value Partners. Upon graduating in 2005, she was Trammell Crow’s top recruit nationwide and joined their New York City office. Melissa was assigned to Verizon’s $2B real estate portfolio monetization and Merrill Lynch’s feasibility study of 2 World Trade Center.
She relocated to Trammell’s Orange County office to assist clients such as Exxon Mobil, 7-Eleven and Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf with acquisition and disposition strategies. In 2007, Melissa left corporate real estate to join the Hernholm Group. In 2011, the Hernholm Group was recruited by Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty. The Hernholm Group consistently ranks among the Top 25 agents in San Diego and has been the #1 producer in 92103 for 23 years.
Melissa resides in Point Loma, and both her son and stepson attend Francis Parker School. She serves on the Board of Point Loma Little League as well as the neighborhood Architectural Committee. As a former board member of ANAC (Airport Noise Advisory Committee), she worked vigilantly with the Airport Authority to protect the Peninsula from the FAA’s initiative, NextGen, which planned to expand Lindbergh’s departure flight path over Point Loma. The ANAC board appointed her to also serve on the Airport Authority’s Technical Advisory Committee. Melissa enjoys her many volunteer roles at Francis Parker elementary and is a strong advocate for her sister’s non-profit WIT (Whatever It Takes!) which provides a platform for teen entrepreneurs.