Leadership & Staff

Melissa Genadri is a Poverty and Health Policy Associate with the Children’s Defense Fund – New York (CDF-NY).  She is passionate about improving access to healthcare and reducing health disparities, particularly among children and other vulnerable populations.  Prior to joining CDF-NY, Melissa worked for NYU Langone Health, where she spearheaded educational initiatives to improve provider performance in a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulatory reporting program incentivizing the provision of high-quality, low-cost healthcare.  Her additional policy experience includes internships with Results for Development and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  She began her career as a member of the New York City Civic Corps, where she worked with New York Cares to implement volunteer-driven educational and recreational after-school programs in New York City public schools.  Ms. Genadri received a B.A. in Public Health Studies from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where she also earned a Certificate in Health Policy Analysis.