Melvin Alvarez

Melvin is the Grant Program Manager at 11th Hour Racing, working to advance solutions and practices that protect and restore the health of our ocean through its strategic grantmaking initiatives. Melvin brings over six years of experience working with diverse communities and nonprofit organizations, government, and intergovernmental organizations. He has extensive experience in ocean management and policy and has contributed to developing U.S. legislation to address marine plastic pollution while working with Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and UN Environment. In his role at UN Environment, Melvin managed the ocean portfolio for North America and engaged with the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. to address transnational ocean issues. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Spanish from Skidmore College and an M.A. in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. 

Melvin is passionate about cultures and the ocean. He enjoys and thrives in multicultural settings and likes to travel to diverse regions and countries to explore other cultures and cuisine. Melvin enjoys the outdoors, and his favorite ocean-related activity is kayaking.