Melissa Kennedy

Melissa Paige Kennedy, pronouns she/her, is a proud full time sixty something transgender woman. She has a 40 year career in high technology (data communications, telecommunications, digital signage, interactive kiosks, software development, systems design/development/deployment/support, project management, mid level to executive management). She is currently working on a second career as a writer and content creator. She has been providing support and service to the transgender and queer community since early 2016.

Some of Kennedy's notable accomplishments include: came out full time as a woman in early 2013; rebuilt and ran the transgender support program at SPECTRUM Waterloo Region's Rainbow Community Space for almost 6 years where she launched nine monthly meetings; member of the SPECTRUM board of directors for several years; helped SPECTRUM raise over $600,000 in funding; helped in the development of a number of tools, services and programs such as the TransNAV GPS Directory website, the Rainbow Pages Directory website, Spectrum online Library Catalog, the SPECTRUM Trans Wellness and Suicide Prevention Toolkit, SPECTRUM’s Re-Branding and the SPECTRUM Capacity Building program named Excelsior; continues to run her own online transgender support programs called 45+ transgender support group; is a member of the YWCA Cambridge board of directors; is a member of the Rainbow Coalition Waterloo Region board of directors.