Melissa Wenzel | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Melissa Wenzel is the Built Environment Sustainability Administrator at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and has worked for the state of Minnesota for over 22 years. She supports organizations and individuals who work on entire building preservation and/or reuse, and building material reuse and recycling. Her current focus is on creating system-wide change within the building material management system. Working with key stakeholders across the state, Melissa focuses on reuse of buildings and building materials, and works to prevent building materials from going to landfills by encouraging preservation & renovation, reuse, and repair of buildings and building materials. She recently bought a house that was built in 1900, and lives her sustainability values throughout her personal and professional life. She has a BS in Environmental Education from the University of Minnesota. In her free time, she advocates for sustainability and climate justice around Saint Paul, and loves planting native gardens. She can also be seen e-biking around the Twin Cities in every kind of weather. She lives by her work motto: “human being first, government employee second.”