Dominique Mellion was inducted into the Emerging Leaders Category in 2024.
Dominique Mellion, a compassionate Nurse, is the Executive Director of Families United for Equity (FUFE), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving underserved communities in the Bay Area with advocacy, education, and navigation through systems and access to services and supports for intellectual and developmentally disabled children through their lifespan. Through her leadership, FUFE has been recognized for their extraordinary impact for Alameda County families and was the recipient of the County's 2023 Developmental Disability Council's Bette Hamilton Advocacy Award. FUFE was also supported by two significant grants through the State of California's Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) and Regional Center of the East Bay (RCEB) to implement outreach initiatives providing navigation, training, and community outreach to marginalized communities of color. Dominique founded the Navigators to Leaders program, which trains culturally competent advocates and social workers to help families navigate the IEP process. She is also an approved educator for continuing education by the California Department of Social Services.
