I am pleased to support Melissa Youssef for Durango City Council in the 2017 election.
She has earned my respect, both in her role as a citizen and as a committed public servant, through her many hours of volunteer work for Durango’s educational system.
As her three children participated for many years in Durango’s educational environment, so did Melissa. She worked in the classrooms, with the Parent Teacher Association, and served as Vice President of the Durango School District 9-R Board of Education, facilitating and supporting the decision to implement ‘early release’ days to allow teachers collaborative work time during the school day.
In her subsequent role as President of Animas High School Board of Directors, she oversaw Durango’s newest charter school through some of its initial challenging years, tackling the hurdles of funding and finding a campus location.
As one of the founding teachers, I can honestly say we would not be who we are today as a school without Melissa Youssef. Time and time again, Melissa would join our faculty lunches just to hear directly from the teachers what needed to be improved and where exactly our school was flourishing. I felt she listened with an open heart and made everlasting positive changes that I will forever be thankful for.
Thanks to a significant extent to her dedication to working with others to create a solid foundation for the school, Animas High School continues to grow and thrive today.
Melissa is an extremely capable public servant. I am confident that her presence on Durango City Council will benefit local educational goals and the city of Durango as a whole.
It is with great honor and pride that I support Melissa Youssef and have no doubt she will be the best representative for our community voice.
Roxanne McKnight
Durango
