Melissa Buckminster

Director of Marketing and Communications

Email: melissa@downtownsf.org

Melissa Buckminster brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit marketing, communications, and community engagement to her work advancing vibrant, equitable downtowns. Originally from the East Coast, she built her career in the Philadelphia region, where she served as Director of Development and Communications for Montco SAAC, a senior-focused nonprofit, and as President of the Montgomery County LGBT Business Council.Across these roles, Melissa led integrated marketing strategies, cultivated cross-sector partnerships, and elevated underrepresented communities through inclusive, mission-driven storytelling.

Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications with minors in Sociology and Advertising from the University of Delaware, as well as a certificate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Social Impact Strategy Executive Program. She brings a strategic, people-centered approach to reimagining downtown San Francisco’s recovery and long-term vitality in a post-pandemic landscape.

Melissa moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 2021 and lives in Potrero Hill with her wife, Emily. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the city’s history, discovering dive bars, and horseback riding.