![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121021060951im_/http://206.241.31.158/ImageCache/cgov/templates/images/top_5ffade_2ejpg/v1/image_2ddata/1/top_5ffade.jpg) |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121021060951im_/http://206.241.31.158/ImageCache/cgov/templates/images/spacerclear_2egif/v1/image_2ddata/1/spacerclear.gif) Office of Public Affairs Assistant Commissioner Melanie Roe
Melanie Roe joined the Department of Homeland Security in March 2009 as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary. In September of that year, she moved to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to serve as a Senior Advisor to the Commissioner. While there, her portfolio focused on public and congressional affairs. Most recently, she established and led the Southwest Border Joint Information Center in Tucson, which handles strategic and tactical communication in Arizona. Prior to joining DHS, Roe worked on the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns. During the 2004 cycle, she traveled daily with Sen. John Kerry as a speechwriting and communication aide. In 2008, she served as deputy communication director for then-vice presidential candidate Joe Biden. She also worked on the Democratic National Convention in Denver, where she was responsible for all operations inside the convention hall. She also served as a spokesperson for the Presidential Inaugural Committee in 2009. Roe also has experience working in the private sector for Burson Marsteller and Tishman Speyer Properties. In 2006, Roe was selected for the News21 Initiative on the Future of Journalism Fellowship. Through this program, she spent three months on the U.S.-Mexico border researching and developing news stories on immigration and homeland security. She is also a Truman National Security Fellow. Roe holds a Master’s degree in public policy with a focus on international security and communication from Harvard University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in political science and French from Wellesley College. She grew up in Mexico City. ![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121021060951im_/http://206.241.31.158/ImageCache/cgov/templates/images/spacerclear_2egif/v1/image_2ddata/1/spacerclear.gif) |
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