SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 20, 2026 — Melissa Figueroa has joined Calkin Public Affairs (Calkin PA) as a Senior Vice President, where she will lead a broad portfolio of clients and head the firm’s transportation practice. Figueroa brings over two decades of media relations, public affairs, crisis communications, and coalition-building experience to the growing team.
“Melissa’s deep experience in media, communications, and transportation policy, combined with her commitment to developing the next generation of talent, makes her an important new member of the team,” said Richard Stapler, Chief Client Officer at Calkin PA. “Having worked with her over the decades, she is both unflappable and highly focused in a crisis and brings steady leadership and vision to public-facing projects and issues.”
Figueroa joins Calkin PA from Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange, where she supported advocacy, association management, and public affairs work for clients across multiple issue areas over the last two years. Before that, she served consecutively in the Brown and Newsom administrations. Most recently, she was the Chief of Strategic Communications for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the largest infrastructure project in the country. As the primary advisor on communications and government affairs to the CEO, she was instrumental in securing $3.1 billion in federal grant funding for the project, the largest grant award in its history, and worked to shift public perception of the project both regionally and nationally.
Before that, Figueroa served as the Deputy Secretary for Communications and Planning at the California State Transportation Agency, leading communications and stakeholder engagement strategies for the successful passage of Senate Bill 1 in 2017, providing the first significant, stable, and ongoing increase in state transportation funding in over two decades. Additionally, she oversaw both the opening of the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the demolition of the decommissioned span. At the time, it was one of the largest infrastructure projects in recent California history. She also helped coordinate interagency emergency response to numerous natural disasters.
Earlier in her career, Figueroa worked as a press secretary for a very active State Senator following several years as a television news producer in newsrooms in San Luis Obispo and Sacramento. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Calkin PA continues to bolster its expertise and capabilities, with a growing and diverse array of clients. Over the past year, the team has more than doubled in size to meet the growing needs of clients, with more new additions to come.
About Calkin Public Affairs
Calkin Public Affairs is a Sacramento-based public affairs firm that develops strategic campaigns to deliver transformative results for clients across California, drawing on more than 25 years of experience in politics, strategic communications, and public affairs.
Media Contact:
Richard Stapler, [email protected], 916-551-2523
SOURCE Calkin Public Affairs
