Melanie Roussell Newman, Senior Vice President of Communications and Culture at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Melanie Roussell Newman oversees the Media, Digital Content and Campaigns, and Brand and Culture teams.  Together, these teams help shape awareness of the organization’s programs, services, activities, and brand.

Before joining Planned Parenthood in 2019, Newman was the Chief Communications Officer at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and led Communications at the U.S. Department of Justice, the White House Office of Budget and Management, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama Administration. She has also been a national spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, Obama for America 2008, and the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.

Newman earned a Master of Arts degree in Public Communication from American University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism from Florida A&M University.

Newman spoke at the November 2020 training session.