Melissa Bain supports Illinois State and Government Partnerships for NWEA. She works directly with the Board of Education, Governor’s, and City of Chicago Mayor’s office, as well as key district and state legislators in advocating for a balanced state assessment solution. Melissa holds her B.A. in Biology and Chemistry from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University. Before shifting into assessment data work, she spent 5 years as a high school science teacher at Loyola Academy. When she is not supporting NWEA in helping all kids learn or watching Dancing with the Stars, she enjoys traveling the world with her husband and rooting on all the great sports teams of Chicago.