Melanie Ramil

Melanie brings over 13 years of political and government experience with progressive candidates, initiatives and public policy to Emerge California. She has dedicated her career to ensuring that institutions embrace and reflect the diversity of the constituencies they serve.

In the political arena, Melanie has led and won multiple statewide campaigns, including for United States Senator Kamala D. Harris, helping Harris to secure the California Democratic Party endorsement by an unprecedented 78% of the vote during her 2016 U.S. Senate campaign. She also led successful campaigns for former California State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, including his re-election as Insurance Commissioner in 2014 and his campaign to secure the California Democratic Party endorsement for Proposition 45, which sought to make health insurers justify exorbitant rate hikes.

Most recently, she was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. to serve as Deputy Chief at the Bureau of Cannabis Control, helping to lead California’s newest agency in regulating the largest cannabis market in the world. Prior to that she served as Deputy State Director for United States Senator Kamala D. Harris, where she established the Senator’s five district offices and grew the Senator’s team statewide during her first year in office.

Melanie also served as Chief of Community Programs for Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones where she developed a national program that increased insurance company procurement from diverse suppliers and encouraged diversity on insurer governing boards. In its first few years, the Insurance Diversity Initiative increased procurement spending with California’s women, minority, disabled veteran and LGBTQ+ owned businesses by over $670 million. The Insurance Diversity Initiative was a first in the nation effort on supplier diversity and governing board diversity in the insurance industry and became a model for industry regulators across the state and nation. She also served as Dave Jones’ field representative in the State Assembly, acting as the Assemblymember’s liaison to the Asian Pacific Islander, Muslim and LGBTQ+ communities in the City of Sacramento.

Melanie serves as a volunteer Board Director for the Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing Asian Pacific Islander representation in public service, community leadership and advocacy.

Melanie is a UC Berkeley alum and proud daughter of Filipino immigrants. Her first foray into politics and social change work was sparked by her family’s stories of injustice and discrimination. She has since dedicated her career and community service to altering the face of leadership within government and business and to implementing progressive policies and programs that seek to increase the quality of life for all.