Melissa Gende is a professional engineer with 10 years of experience in traffic engineering and transportation planning. She leads Y2K’s traffic studies group and specializes in corridor studies, traffic impact analyses, intersection control evaluation, access management, parking studies, and long-range transportation plans. She is a registered professional engineer in Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia and also holds certifications as a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer and Road Safety Professional. Melissa is an active member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and has served numerous roles within the organization including the executive board of the Colorado/Wyoming Section and chair of the Mountain District Communications Committee. She was honored to be included on ITE’s 2023 list of Young Leaders to Follow as the 2023 Mountain District Rising Star. Outside of work Melissa enjoys cooking, gardening, traveling and cheering on the Clemson Tigers at any sport!