Yvette Meléndez

Yvette Meléndez is president and founder of YMR Consulting, a management consulting firm specializing in board development and strategy. She is a former healthcare policy executive with over 40 years of public policy experience in education, health, and human services. Meléndez retired from government service and education as vice chancellor and chief administrative officer of Connecticut’s State University System, then joined one of the state’s largest healthcare systems as vice president of government relations and strategic partnerships.

Prior to her roles in healthcare and higher education, Meléndez served as interim commissioner and deputy commissioner of public health and as a senior policy officer and bureau chief in the State Department of Education. Meléndez has fostered innovation, access, and leadership development. She has led efforts to develop public policy and transform service delivery in human services, education, and healthcare. She oversaw public sector mergers and reorganization of state human services cabinet agencies, facilitated major public-school reform and desegregation efforts. In addition, she led higher education access and change initiatives as well as efforts toward implementation of healthcare equity and access—all while also leading change in the not-for-profit sector and philanthropy.

As vice president of Hartford HealthCare, Meléndez was part of the executive team that ushered in one of the state’s most transformative and innovative changes in healthcare. Today she sits on its board of directors, guiding a comprehensive healthcare system of 37,000 employees with over 500 locations.

Throughout her career, Meléndez’ passion for service was rewarded with leadership appointments on the boards of local, national, and international organizations. She chairs the board of directors for Connecticut Public Broadcasting and sits on the board of the Connecticut Health Foundation. She was vice chair of the state Board of Regents for Higher Education, interim president and board chair of The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and a board member of both the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and the World YWCA in Geneva, Switzerland. Meléndez also served on several gubernatorially appointed commissions and has led topic areas for gubernatorial transition teams.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College, City University of New York, a master’s from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an honorary doctorate from Charter Oak State College