Melisa Byrd
Senior Deputy Director/Medicaid Director
Immediate Past President
One Judiciary Square 441 4th Street, N.W.Washington, DC 20001
Melisa Byrd is the Senior Deputy Director and Medicaid Director for the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF). Throughout her career, Ms. Byrd has demonstrated strong leadership in public health administration, health care reform implementation, and program management across multiple states. In her current position, she advises on major policy and budget matters related to DHCF’s health care programs, leveraging her comprehensive background in both public and private health care sectors.
Melisa brings extensive health care policy expertise developed through her roles at the National Governors Association, as Policy Advisor to Louisiana’s Department of Health where she led insurance expansion efforts and post-hurricane health care rebuilding efforts, and as a Senior Consultant with Health Management Associates.
Ms. Byrd currently serves as Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Medicaid Directors. She has been a member of the Board since 2022.
Ms. Byrd received her Bachelor of Arts in Government from Wofford College.