Melissa Nicolai

Melissa has served as the Human Resources Generalist since joining the Positive Alternatives family in January of 2022.

Melissa brings over 10 years of experience in human resources from her various roles at numerous non-profit organizations to the Positive Alternatives team. Her journey began during her time at UW-Madison’s Wisconsin School of Business, where she worked for several non-profits while majoring in Human Resources Management, ultimately obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Because she liked the work she was doing in the non-profit realm so much, she chose to continue working there even after graduating, eventually transitioning into an HR role and obtaining a professional HR certification (SHRM-CP) in 2015. After making the move back to her hometown of Eau Claire in 2016, she expanded her HR expertise into manufacturing and retail and served as a Board Member for another non-profit organization before finding her way to Positive Alternatives in January of 2022.

From her experience, non-profit teams are passionate about what they do and the individuals who devote themselves to these causes have genuine passion and love for their work – something she has found to be very contagious! Giving back to her community holds significant importance for Melissa and she considers herself incredibly fortunate to be a valued member of the PA team.

Melissa's favorite thing about Positive Alternatives is the remarkable people she works with. She says her team members, who are comprised of incredibly talented and knowledgeable individuals, serve their clients with care and compassion. Melissa hopes to serve and empower them in her HR role so they can continue to provide high-quality services to their families and communities!

Gardening, fishing, bird watching, and spending time with her family and friends are all things you can find Melissa doing outside of PA.