Melissa Rodriguez Lapica is the Chief Program Officer at Compass Pro Bono. In this role, she oversees strategy, programming, and service delivery across Compass’s markets, leading efforts to maximize organizational impact and strengthen pro bono support for local nonprofits.
Prior to becoming Chief Program Officer, Melissa served as Managing Director of Compass Chicago. Under her leadership, Compass Chicago broadened the city’s portfolio of services to include On Board, On Demand, and Compass Pro Bono’s in-person nonprofit leadership conference, the On Course Summit — creating multiple pathways for business professionals to lend their expertise to local nonprofits. She also launched and has grown the Chicago Advisory Board, bringing together civic-minded leaders to champion Compass’s mission and deepen its local roots.
Melissa’s Compass journey began as a volunteer in 2016, serving as a Project Leader on two consulting engagements and a Team Member on a third. These experiences gave her a firsthand view of how pro bono support can transform nonprofit capacity. She later joined the staff as Program Manager for Chicago before stepping into the Managing Director role, where she continues to bridge the needs of nonprofits with the skills and passion of business professionals.
Before Compass, Melissa spent a decade at American Express, where she served as Marketing Director and led product management and strategy for international lending products and a cobranded U.S. corporate card portfolio. Earlier in her career, she worked as a chemical engineer in ExxonMobil’s research and engineering group for five years. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School with a focus in marketing and operations.
Outside of work, Melissa and her husband are busy keeping up with their three boys. As a family, they love to travel, ski, and explore local restaurants featuring cuisines from around the world.
