Melissa Ayala, Waterloo Greenway

You Call That a Park? THIS is a Park! 

Winding along Waller Creek in downtown Austin, Waterloo Greenway is on its way to becoming a wondrous public park that celebrates inclusivity and the spirit of our community. Come explore the many ways Waterloo Greenway is working to connect all people in our vibrant city to nature, art, culture — and to each other. This extraordinary shared experience is being launched very soon, with Waterloo Park opening in spring 2021.

Melissa serves as the Community Engagement & Government Relations Director for Waterloo Greenway (formerly Waller Creek Conservancy), engaging the public to share their feedback and ideas on what a vibrant Palm Park, Waterloo Park, and Creek Delta looks like to the Austin community. She engages individuals and organizations across the community in interactive initiatives designed to ensure the Waterloo Greenway mission of inclusivity is reflected in every event, program, and gathering.

Prior to joining Waterloo Greenway, Melissa led communications efforts at Capital Metro more for than five years. During her time at the transit agency, she oversaw the development of Connections 2025, a 10-year strategic plan for the future of Central Texas transportation. The plan has been endorsed by many Austin community partners, serving as the roadmap for more frequent and reliable transit service across the region. Melissa championed bilingual communications and meaningful outreach to Austin’s Hispanic/Latino community, and served as Capital Metro’s first Spanish-speaking spokesperson. A first-generation Texan Latina, Melissa sits on the Caritas of Austin Board of Directors, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Commission, and KLRU Community Advisory Board.