Melanie Lendnal is the Senior Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at the ALS Association, where she leads the organization’s public policy efforts to make ALS a livable disease while working to find a cure. The organization works at all levels of government and in all branches of government in pursuit of that goal. Before coming to the Association, Melanie built and led the state government affairs team at the American Kidney Fund.

In her previous roles, Melanie spearheaded and implemented national campaigns at various non-profit organizations to combat hate groups, hunger, homelessness, human trafficking, and animal cruelty. To date, her leadership has led to the passage and finalization of dozens of federal laws and rules, hundreds of state laws and local ordinances, and executive orders.

She began her career as a journalist at Meet the Press and Dateline NBC before becoming an Emmy award-winning reporter and anchor at several television stations across the country. Lendnal is a licensed attorney in the state of Maryland. She earned her law degree from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clark School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Tufts University. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters.